Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Iowa Football Recruiting: Can Brevin Doll & Reece Vander Zee help this year? 2025 prospects

Starting point is 00:00:00 Today, time to talk a little football recruiting. We got Brian Smith, our recruiting analyst for Locked On, a breakdown of a couple of the incoming guys. Can they help out in 2024 at the skilled positions? I'll look to 2025 and the future of Iowa football. All today, Locked On Hawkeyes. You are Locked On Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Starting point is 00:00:28 Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hey, welcome in. I'm Trent Condon and this is the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We're available wherever you find podcasts and you can also find us on YouTube. While you're there, make sure you hit the subscribe button. Helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans. Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Make every moment more. Write down new customers. Get $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet. That's $150 with any winning $5 bet. Visit fanduel.com slashed On to get started.

Starting point is 00:01:06 Joined today once again by our recruiting analyst with Locked On, he is Brian Smith, as he joins us on a Thursday. A lot to get into here today, Brian. Exciting time. We're getting very close to camp season for now. A lot of universities, June, that big recruiting month for a lot of people out there in 2025. Recruiting, you don't ever get any time off.

Starting point is 00:01:26 This thing never ends, does it? No, it's 365. It literally is. I mean, even on Christmas Day, I'm going to have something on my phone I'm looking at. That's just how it works, brother. It is nonstop. No, it does not. Well, it keeps you busy, certainly, and keeps the content coming for us here across the network.

Starting point is 00:01:43 So I want to jump into a couple of different areas. And I mentioned this June month is a really big one, certainly for us in the upper Midwest, Iowa. They always have one of those weekends that they have all the guys that are committed and then kind of their top-level targets. And over the last couple of seasons, they've been incredibly successful in those recruiting weekends. Last year, I remember we talked about it,

Starting point is 00:02:04 they brought in 14 different guys that were uncommitted. They got 13 of those 14 guys on that weekend, just an absolute huge recruiting coup to kind of get the guys that you want and the guys that you have targeted and probably the guys you also have a realistic shot of getting for that weekend. Is that something that happens nationally? Do a lot of programs do the same kind of thing or is it different just kind of depending on the program? It's ironic that you mentioned that because I was just talking about the same subject with Alex Dono on Locked on Canes the last two years,

Starting point is 00:02:35 Miami's first weekend, they're over. Oh, wow. And now they swing for the fences. Right. They're going grand slam hunting, but still to go over for 8 on their first weekend combined the last two years. So Iowa does it a little more traditionally, not shocking. Kids that they want, kids in their backyard, kids that fit their culture, they are a culture program. Miami is a take talent over everything else kind of program right now as far as I'm concerned.

Starting point is 00:03:03 And it may or may not work, but they're all over the country. A lot of kids that don't know much about Miami. So that's, you know, that's a totally different approach, but there's usually a weekend for whatever reason for each school where you're getting guys on campus, you have a great shot at, and sometimes they put them all together. And I mean, you got to give Kirk and all those guys credit. They do their

Starting point is 00:03:25 due diligence they're not bringing in guys that aren't going to help the program on and off the field so that's probably part of it but like getting anything over 10 in a weekend local kids are not that's that's just almost unheard of so good for iowa one of uh the 2025 kind of guys that we talked about is uh jimmy sull, who will be coming in the quarterback prospect. But he's now not alone in the committed quarterbacks. Now, this is a walk-on, but it's Ryan Fitzgerald, a name that certainly people in Big Ten will know incredibly well. College football fans will know. This is Pat Fitzgerald's son.

Starting point is 00:04:00 I remember when he was on his visit last fall, his dad, Pat, was with him. That was weird to see him in Kinnick Stadium and not wearing the purple of Northwestern while he was there. But this is a kid that had some offers, had some FCF offers, a couple at the mid-major level. Yet instead of taking those offers, he made the decision that he was going to walk on to the Iowa program. We know Kirk Ferentz and Fitz, certainly a lot of respect and admiration between those two and a lot of great battles throughout the years between those two programs. But for a kid, now it's different. Money's probably not quite the object that it is for a lot of people, but making the decision to walk out at a place like Iowa, as opposed to taking a scholarship offer, what does

Starting point is 00:04:38 that say to you before we kind of get into him as a player? He wants to be challenged. He wants to be competitive and he has no fear. I love that stuff, brother. That's the kind of guy you want in your locker room and on your depth chart. He had offers from a bunch of the Mac. Those are the kind of places. So as a prospect, when you watch him take off the nameplate on the back, right? You take away that Fitzgerald. What do you see from him as a quarterback? He's got a really nice delivery. He's got a little bit of size, doesn't have a gun, but he's accurate. He can throw it in the middle of the field and not get picked off all the time. And he's just consistent.

Starting point is 00:05:14 Like his motion is really, really natural. So I think he's a guy that you would see like as a fifth year senior at Central Michigan or something like that, go to the big house and give them fits. He's that kind of guy. Now, whether or not he can play at Iowa, I don't know because, you know, how much patience he has and what offense they're going to run. We're still trying to figure that out with Iowa football, but I don't see anything wrong with his throwing motion. He just needs to get a little bigger and stronger. And obviously, can you imagine the football conversations he's been a part of? I mean, it's either your dad is a head coach or he's not.

Starting point is 00:05:46 So he's got a way, way, way higher ceiling in that regard. He's coming in with a lot more info. So he'll know playbooks quickly, and he'll be able to help them in some way, shape, or form. Yeah, definitely an interesting one and one to keep an eye on in the future. Well, his high school teammate from Loyola there in the Chicagoland area, Drew McPherson, excuse me, also committed a safety prospect, Iowa, has a long history of those defensive backs and putting them in the league.

Starting point is 00:06:11 And what do you see from McPherson when he put in the tape? First thing I noticed is he played a little bit of everything. Like he was the receiver, makes great catches. He's got incredible hand-eye coordination. A pet peeve of mine is when DBs, especially like a free safety, gets an overthrow right to him and they drop it. Drives me bananas. This is a kid that's going to catch the football.

Starting point is 00:06:31 And he's a guy that's always going to be around it. Has good timing. Understands when to jump. I just think that's a natural thing. Either you don't have it or you do. I was surprised he didn't have a few more offers to be honest with you and he's playing Chicago it's not like there weren't people it was a little surprising to me he's not a burner or anything but like I don't know what the deal was anyway

Starting point is 00:06:55 I like him and for what he's trying to do athletically like Iowa's too high scheme is a great fit so he'll end up playing for Iowa. Yeah. He's just another one of these guys. And we've gotten to the point, I know as Hawkeye fans, where when it comes to defensive back, what Phil Parker has done over the last quarter century of putting guys in the league under recruited guys and guys that stick for a long time, guys that become all big 10 players.

Starting point is 00:07:20 You look at some of the walk-on safeties that they have had and just all the success that they have. It's a guy you look at some of the walk-on safeties that they've had and just all the success that they have. It's a guy you look at the offer list. There's not another power four offer for him on his list of 24 seven. Yet you say it's all right because it's Phil Parker. I mean, we have grown accustomed

Starting point is 00:07:36 to that and I'm sure you guys in the national landscape are the same kind of thing. I mean, we've heard the stories where he's stashing guys. He's telling them, hey, don't tell them that you have an Iowa offer doing those kind of things late in the recruiting process. He finds those guys every single time, and I'm sure you guys on the national landscape also eyes are open. Why is Iowa the only guy liking this kid?

Starting point is 00:07:55 I don't understand how he's able to do it. Number one, he's just a great coach. I've got to give Phil a lot of credit. But they recruit to a scheme that is as old as it gets. Cover two is not a new, you know, Iowa just does it better than anybody. So why is he able to identify kids that can play in that better than anybody else? I want somebody to explain that to him. I don't, I don't know what it is, but like your guess is good as mine. It's fascinating. We do talk about it. like uh had a conversation with

Starting point is 00:08:25 john garcia recently like at one point and it may still be true iowa had more dbs in the league than even like bama um it was there like if you're even in the conversation though that puts things in perspective they were pulling from two different apple carts so athletically like i see the kids that bama gets at all these camps and combines but where the players end up after three or four years is not much different. That's, that's, what's amazing. So the strength and conditioning program at Iowa needs to be given some credit too, but I don't know what it is, man. Like I don't understand it. Nobody and the recruiting animals get it either.

Starting point is 00:09:00 Cause I was the one that takes the kid and does it and other schools don't. So their development's got to be better than anybody's. Well, knowing the little bit of practice that we see, it is fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. It is boring. It's hand placements. It's just those little things, and they coach it incredibly well. Couple with the strength and conditioning program that's definitely built those guys

Starting point is 00:09:19 up. They have a good thing, and Phil Parker, he gets the most out of his guys. Well, that is a look towards the future. Let's talk about the not-too-d we continue Brian Smith joining us we're going to talk about a couple of guys in the class of 2024 they're going through their high school graduation right now getting ready to make their way to the Iowa campus two freshmen at the skilled position and we know Iowa certainly needs help at the skilled positions can they help out next year we'll talk a little bit about Reese Vandersee, the wide receiver, and Brevin Dahl, who had an incredible state track tournament.

Starting point is 00:09:48 We'll talk about that as we continue with Brian Smith. This is Locked on Hawkeyes. Let's get straight to the point. You want to grow your portfolio to deal with the rising costs of inflation to pay off your debt or your mortgage. Pretty much anything standing in the way of you and financial freedom, right? With Yahoo Finance, you can get access to the news, data, and tools that you need in order to reach that financial freedom. For more than 25 years, Yahoo Finance has been the brand behind every great investor. Whether you're a seasoned investor or you're looking for that extra guidance,

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Starting point is 00:10:56 investor, yahoofinance.com. The number one financial destination is yahoofinance.com. That's yahoofinance.com. That's yahoofinance.com. Back with you once again here on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. Brian Smith joining us here as we're talking some football recruiting. Let's talk about a couple of guys that will be making their way to campus in the next couple of weeks, not early enrollees. Reese Van Der Zee, an interesting one, an outstanding baseball prospect. And we do it different here. We are the only state that plays summer baseball the way that it should be in my mind. I call a ton of high school baseball here. Van Der Zee is

Starting point is 00:11:39 going to go through his final season of baseball. So he won't finish up if his team makes a state tournament until late July. If that happens, you have to figure a little bit behind the curve. You'll get there before August camp begins, but let's just start with him as a prospect. When you look at that big, tall receiver in Reese Van Der Zee, get from up in Northwest Iowa, small school football, maybe you're thinking a little bit of a Cooper to Jean type. And we've had plenty of those guys coming up from the northwest part of the state. What do you see from Reese Vanderzee? He's got really good ball skills, and he should at 6'4", 6'5".

Starting point is 00:12:10 But he's not just a plodding guy. He can move. He's got pretty good ability to sink his hips and change direction after he gets the football in his hands. And I just think he's a more physical player than what many will probably give him credit for. Again, a lot of these guys are going to have to interfere with him at the high school level. They can't guard him. So he fought through it, has excellent hands. Now my only question is, how will they use him right away as compared to where will he finish? 190, 200-ish is my guess of where he's at. Playing baseball,

Starting point is 00:12:42 he's probably not going to gain a whole lot of weight because you've got to do so much cardio for that. But I'd imagine he's going to play at 220 by the time he's a senior. I guess it doesn't matter what you call him, but he might be a flex tight end by the time he's done. It's not like that'd be the first time that's happened at the University of Iowa. And what you're labeled and what you do really have nothing to do with the final outcome of the scoreboard either.

Starting point is 00:13:03 But I think they can move him around. Definitely a boundary guy. Up on the line, you need a bigger, stronger kid, and he's going to fit that. But he's a little twitchier than some other guys. They might be able to move him to slot at some point once he learns Iowa's passing scheme. They could use him in a lot of ways.

Starting point is 00:13:18 This is a kid that really kind of fits it, doesn't it, Trent? Like getting the kid for Northwest Iowa, nobody else recruits him, but maybe Kansas State or something like he has a handful of offers and then he ends up as a junior and senior like he's third team all big 10 or something would you be surprised I wouldn't so this is a great story and it's why Iowa football is always entertaining to me looking at the backstories you know one of the guys that I think a comp would make a whole lot of sense in the way that he used him is going back about four or five years is Brandon Smith, the guy from down in the south, a Mississippi kid, was a great track athlete,

Starting point is 00:13:51 and they used him as that X receiver, the outside guy. Now, he's not nearly as tall as Vander Zee is. He was about 6'1", 6'2", right in that range. But Brandon Smith's the guy that bounced around the NFL for a little bit. Now, Iowa, I know the last two and a half years have just completely changed the perception of what Iowa football is. But they have been able to throw the football and throw it to wide receivers. It's just been so awful the last two and a half years. We forget that.

Starting point is 00:14:14 Now, when they had Brandon Smith and Amir Smith-Marset a couple years back, they threw 30 touchdowns in a season. They were able to do that, which is crazy to think about now. I think they can get back to that. But you look at their wide receiver, it's not a real deep position as is for Iowa, and they need to get those numbers up. But most importantly, probably their top two guys, Caleb Brown, the Ohio State transfer that certainly showed glimpses a year ago, making that transformation in from Ohio State, a high school running back, and moving to wide receiver, but he's more of a slot guy. Same thing that you see when you look at, like a Seth Anderson, at least not a real big guy, Flipper Anderson's son that transferred in from Charleston

Starting point is 00:14:48 Southern. Well, you don't have that prototypical X guy. It's not going to be for 60 snaps a game, but can you come in even with a limited knowledge of the playbook and play that X receiver 15, 18 snaps a game? Is that a realistic expectation for Vanderzee this year? Well, number one, it's not how many snaps. It's how many snaps you got to make post-snap reads. Like if they keep it simple with him, they should be good. And he's a bigger kid, so he should be able to run block at least a little bit better than most freshmen.

Starting point is 00:15:17 And at the end, I mean, I know this isn't the most friendly conversation, but it's not like Iowa's depth chart is loaded with guys in front of him. So if he doesn't play, that's more on the player than it is Iowa staff. Got to be able to block, got to be able to know the playbook. If he does those two things, how many other six, five, 200 pound receivers are walking around on their campus? He has to play.

Starting point is 00:15:39 Yeah. I think 18 is a conservative number. You should, I would hope that he can get against teams that they need him to play at least, big 10 games. If he plays 25 to 30 snaps at a game, you shouldn't be shocked. And another else, he's a depth piece that you can rotate in if other guys step up. It's a win for Iowa across the board. Well, another guy for the class of 2024, and he goes into a position that is loaded right now. All the guys coming back at the

Starting point is 00:16:03 running back position, four of them a year ago, I thought all showed some glimpses. Caleb Johnson, if he's healthy this year, I think has a chance to be an absolute star. The size and the power that he has. We saw LaShawn Williams, just a good, solid running back. The two freshmen both popped last year. Kamari Moulton, the guy that you know from down to your neck of the woods, he had a couple of glimpses a year ago.

Starting point is 00:16:24 So you got four guys coming back. Yeah, but another guy in the room that you know from down to your neck of the woods, he had a couple of glimpses a year ago. So you've got four guys coming back. Yeah, but another guy in the room that at least looks to have an ability. Now you're bringing in two more running backs. But Brevin Dahl, he's a guy that a track star, set state records again this week at the state track meet. An absolute burner, good size to him. He's absolutely yoked. I mean, he's got the physicality that goes along with it.

Starting point is 00:16:44 What you see from him, though, when you put in in the tape and there's not a lot of it, he lost his senior season, broke his arm in a game that I was calling, which I felt terrible about, was broadcast in the game and he broke his arm early in the second quarter of that one. So didn't get obviously a full season, but when you put in the film of Brevin Dahl, before we get into the speed component, what do you see? Number one, he's got pretty good instincts. He doesn't put himself in bad spots. He's a speed guy. You don't want to try to be a tractor. You want to be the Ferrari. So he makes guys miss. He uses his vision to set up his speed. And when he gets a little space between him and another guy, that's when the hips and the ability to break down and make guys miss comes into play.

Starting point is 00:17:25 Of course, guys that run under 10, eight and a hundred meters. And he's even hit 10, four before that. That's an opportunity. Like I know he's they're deep. They have to find a way to get him on the field. I wouldn't be surprised if they even tried him a little bit at receiver.

Starting point is 00:17:39 Cause like, I don't know how you do it because I was just so shorthanded outside the numbers compared to what other schools. I got to find a way to do this. And maybe this young man only wants to play running back. But you're going to say, look, you can wait through this depth chart a couple of years or you can play right away over here. I think they should at least move him around. And don't discount him playing kick return, punt return either at some point. Way too much speed.

Starting point is 00:18:03 Yeah, that was a direction i was certainly going with you is thinking about that potential one of those running backs they moved during the spring terrell washington a kid from texas i played last year as a true freshman they moved him out kind of that slot thing and the other thing that i don't know if everybody realizes with brevin doll he's six one right in that range his dad's six6", and I know his parents very well grew up with them. Asked them last summer, we were together, and they said he was over in Iowa City going through a work through after the hip injury he had last track season. His growth plates were still open. So all of a sudden, you get that one more growth spurt, and you go from 6'1 to 6'3".

Starting point is 00:18:41 Well, A, you don't see many 6'3 running backs, but you couple that with, that may be wide receiver makes a whole lot of sense. And we just talked about, Iowa struggled to find that X receiver the last couple of years. You throw a kid like that with that kind of speed of wide receiver, that's a pretty good problem to have. Well, Iowa never really struggles to find running backs, but receiver again, especially if he gets taller, I agree with you, Trent, you at least got to consider it and if he can play running back at 6-3 blessing you know what that's great but receiver would make more sense to me final thing for you and talking about this upcoming season and the wide receiver

Starting point is 00:19:16 position jacob gill comes in from northwestern 19 career catches he was injured last season does have two years of eligibility obviously comes in in with Brendan Sullivan, the transfer quarterback from Northwestern that looks like he'll be backing up Cade McNamara. We'll see what kind of actual push we're going to have come August camp between those two guys fighting for the starting spot. But Jacob Gill, Iowa needs help. They need guys. Is he a guy that can help them out? At least at minimum, a rotational piece. Do you see anything from Gill? I don't know like northwestern's passing game wasn't exactly san francisco 49ers 1988 either yeah i need to see him play under a different system i'm open-ended so northwestern was pedestrian the last several years so if iowa is truly going to throw the football some, and I know that's the big

Starting point is 00:20:05 conversation in your neck of the woods, maybe this kid gets 10, 15 balls. Maybe he gets 20. I'm not going against him. And here's the thing. He's been through a strength and conditioning program for multiple years. He understands like fits. If you can say whatever you want about him, much like Iowa, that's a technical program. He's not going to come in not knowing how to run routes. Yeah. I will have something to work with. I think he'll contribute. I just don't know if he can be dominant against someone like the upper echelon teams.

Starting point is 00:20:32 We'll have to see on that, but I bet he contributes. Good stuff. Hey, Brian, appreciate your time as always. Always good catching up. Closer to that June time, we'll have a lot more 2025 conversations there. We've talked about, I think, most of the guys that already committed for that class, but we'll have some new prospects to talk about. And another glimpse or two back at the guys that will be coming in and making their way in June.

Starting point is 00:20:53 Brian Smith, you can find him on Twitter at FBScout underscore Florida. Brian, as always, thanks for your time. Thank you, sir. Appreciate it. Brian Smith joining us as we talk a little recruiting with Iowa football. We continue Locked On Hawkeyes, a big one coming up today. Iowa baseball looking to keep their season alive. What's it going to take to knock off the Illini? We'll do that as we continue.

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Starting point is 00:21:58 Taking a look, is it going to be a bounce back from the Timberwolves in game number two? Can the Indiana Pacers bounce back in game two. We got game one coming up tonight with the Stars, the Dallas Stars, which should have left the name in Minnesota, but that's another thing. Visit FanDuel.com slash LockedOn and make every playoff shot count. That's FanDuel.com slash LockedOn. FanDuel, America's number one sportsbook. Trent Conant back with you one final time here on the Lockdown Hawkeyes

Starting point is 00:22:28 podcast. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. It'll be Cade Mueller, Ober Mueller coming up later today as the Hawkeyes face off against top seeded Illinois in the big 10 tournament. It's an elimination game. Iowa needs to be perfect and they got a long road now in front of them. If they're going to make the Ten tournament. It's an elimination game. Iowa needs to be perfect, and they got a long road now in front of them if they're going to make the NCAA tournament.

Starting point is 00:22:49 Yesterday, the bats just weren't there, and though I saw a couple of big hits, Ben Wilmiss came up with one to tie the game up at two. The depth of this roster has taken a hit. The injuries that have happened, all those kind of things. But not only do I want Iowa to win this baseball game, for obvious reasons. We're all Hawkeye fans. We want to see that.

Starting point is 00:23:09 I just want to see what they do in game three if they get there. If they knock off Illinois and send the Illini packing an 0-2, Iowa will then bounce back. It'll either be Penn State or Michigan again in the next round. And with the victory, kind of what happens with this Iowa team in that third game is it Marcus Morgan who has struggled mightily and has had a lot certainly on his plate a lot of frustrations that are there what is going to happen on that front is it a bullpen game do they go that direction do they use one of the arms that they used at times this year in some

Starting point is 00:23:39 of the midweek games to open things up and go from there and now knowing that with your back against the wall you also have to conserve some arms yes you have to get to the next day and that's the only way to advance on. But this task was incredibly difficult coming in. And when you lose that opening game in any conference baseball tournament, it just gets that much steeper. We'll keep an eye on that one. We got you covered coming up tomorrow. We yesterday did a lot jumping around a bunch of different sports, kind of just gave a cursory glance at a lot of different things and have some other areas want to jump into here throughout the course of the week. We got you covered your team every day. That's what

Starting point is 00:24:13 we do here on the Lockdown Network. We got you covered on the Hawkeye front, but it doesn't matter your team. Professionally, maybe you're a Twins fan like myself, a Cubs fan, White Sox, on and on and on. We have you covered there with Locked On MLB. Every team, Major League Baseball, NFL, you're an NHL fan. We got you covered there. And the NBA, make Locked On your first listen every day. Are you watching FS1 or ESPN all day long? Do you have to turn down the volume because of all that shouting?

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Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Iowa Football Recruiting: Can Brevin Doll & Reece Vander Zee help this year? 2025 prospects

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