Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - RECRUITMENT SHOCKER? Iowa Leads for Top-10 Stud Cayden Daughtry—Can They SEAL the Deal?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Ben McCullum and Iowa basketball is on the cusp of maybe the biggest recruiting win in decades. Tom Kaker from Hawker Report breaks down the recruitment of Caden Doherty for the Hawkeye. You are Locked on Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day. And I'm Trent Condon, and this is the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast, your daily Iowa Hawkeye podcast. Today's episode is brought to you by Fanduel. The biggest stage in world soccer is here. Let there be goals on Fandual.

Starting point is 00:00:40 Visit Fandual.com to get started now. It is an exciting time as Iowa basketball is at the forefront of maybe one of their biggest recruiting wins in decades. We're going to talk about that. Some Iowa football as well. Bold predictions for Iowa football coming up this season, as we'll be joined by Tom Kaker from hawkeye report.com on today's episode of Lockdown Hawkeyes. And here he is Tom Kaker from hawkeye report.com. Tom, kind enough to join us here after a busy week in Las Vegas.

Starting point is 00:01:12 And boy, listening to your podcast earlier today, Tom, didn't sound like he had all that much fun time in Vegas. You were actually working out there. I was actually working in the gym either, you know, Friday night. I was at Summer League watching Bennett Sturts and Peyton Sanford and Josh Dix. And then, you know, three days before that, I was over at the Nike EYBL event for a good chunk of the day and evening.

Starting point is 00:01:42 So, yeah, it was, you know, coaches were there. The last two days I was there. So you have the convergence of the NBA people, the agents, and college basketball coaches were all there. And, you know, even Bennett Sturts came over to the Nike EYBL events and doing a little recruiting of his own. that was really interesting. And to paint the picture there, Caden, Dottery, not to be confused with

Starting point is 00:02:10 Dohery kid that they already got a commitment from. This is though the apple of Ben McCollum's eye at this point. He is, what, a top 10 player, a couple of recruiting services. I think rivals has the composite of him now number nine in the country. Iowa basketball hasn't been involved with many prospects of this kind of stature at this point in time.

Starting point is 00:02:29 There's been some good ones. And you being in the recruiting world know about a lot of a heartache, but boy, this one just feels a whole lot different. And it doesn't hurt when he got a first round NBA pick that started at the D2 level coming over and helping out Ben McCollum a little bit. Yeah, it was, it was interesting because it was Thursday afternoon and there's Bennett Sturtz standing there, getting ready to watch this kid play basketball. And he's been active in talking about point guards.

Starting point is 00:03:00 Hey, if you're a point guard and you want to come here and get the belt, I mean, he's still to assist several times this year, come to Iowa because they'll develop you. Look at, he's a classic example of it, a kid who started at the D2 level, went to Drake, was the Mo Valley player of the year, and then, you know, an all Big Ten first round draft pick this year for the Iowa Hawkeyes. So he's the poster boy for this, and they have sold him on this development of players going back to Trevor Hudgens at Northwest Missouri State. and now with Bennett. And you talk to any of these point guards that they're involved with, particularly with Caden Dautry and he'll tell you,

Starting point is 00:03:40 they will all tell you that's the story that they've been sold. And it is resonating with them to a high level. So yeah, he's got a, Bennett was there. And then he came back on Friday. And he was also watching Ben McCollum's son Tate play for Kingdom hoops but um you know after i think it was after they got done watching um after benna got done watching uh tape mccallum play uh he the doughtry kind of mozied over to him and just engaged in the conversation with him and just asked him about iowa playing for mccala what it's

Starting point is 00:04:23 all like and and bennett is a straight shooter and he said i i shot straight with him i just told him what it's like. I told him that's where he should go. And, you know, it'd be a great pit for him. And Bennett's really impressed with him. He's like, he's really good. And just, you know, he's watched him play a little bit of two games. So, yeah, it's kind of a, you know, Bennett had a lot of assists at Iowa last year. He might have another one after his playing time, too, if they can end up landing him. This is a big time prospect. I mean, we're talking about one of the best players in the country. I mentioned on yesterday's podcast. I was just listening to the Ion college basketball podcast with the CBS guys in Orlando and Parrish. And they just mentioned him in passing.

Starting point is 00:05:06 And it's crazy. Hey, I know that kid. I was recruiting that kid. And I was got a real shot. That's the part of it now. Put on your recruiting hat and what you hear inside the industry. It's one thing when it was Michigan. Well, now Michigan's got a new coach. And you got the home state schools in Florida state, Miami. Then Yukon starts stepping around in Tennessee. But it sounds like listening to you and reading the message boards over at Hawkeye Report that Iowa definitely looked at as the leader in his recruitment? Yeah. Yeah. Right now, you know, our algorithm has an Iowa at almost 40% chance to get in, which is much higher that's, you know, double than anybody else, more than double than anybody else on the list right now. So they have the visit, the only visit he has

Starting point is 00:05:53 scheduled right now is to go see Iowa City for the Iowa State game. And he picked that game specifically because he knows that it's going to be a really good environment. And he wants to see what that environment is like for a big game in Iowa City for football. So that's why he's coming in then. I think they hope that they can get this deal done and get him, you know, at least committed verbally at that point. And if not, then they've got other options. So he's, but he's the real deal. I mean, he's as good as there is out there right now. His plays for the, he played on the U-S. U-17 team and was one of the better players on that team,

Starting point is 00:06:38 won a state title this year in Florida. And his EYBL team, the Florida Rebels, lost their first game of the year back in April, had won 13 straight until they lost their last. game in Vegas. So they're going to be one of the favorites. He wants to kind of cap his AAU career as summer with with a peach jam title this week in North Augusta, South Carolina. So we'll see if you can get that done. But yeah, it's every everywhere I walked in that gym. And I know a lot of people through aAU basketball and people will come up to me and they'll like, hey, I hear Dautry. Hear a lot about Dautry in Iowa. And I'm not.

Starting point is 00:07:23 soliciting those conversations. They're just kind of coming up and they know me that I cover Iowa and they're just kind of saying and they're not guys that are associated with them. But everybody around there just seems to think that this kid is certainly leaning towards Iowa. That is great, great news on that front. Well, what the change in five for five? That means that a couple of guys on this roster this season have a couple more, another year of eligibility than we initially thought. And that is Kale Combs, who's likely the starting point guard this year, and Ken Manmeow,

Starting point is 00:07:54 who it's great to see that everybody's starting to fall in line with my thinking a month ago, when I had him in the starting line up along with McKeever, and maybe we're treading that direction. But that aside, Tom, with those two guys, what does that mean? With a couple years of eligibility for both of those players, McKeever

Starting point is 00:08:11 with an extra year, those kind of things, kind of what does that mean for recruiting outside of dottery of what they're looking at and is it point guard, and then they're going to stop in this recruiting class? Yeah, and they'll be full. And I think they'll be solidly full. But you never know what's going to happen then in the spring.

Starting point is 00:08:29 If somebody decides to leave, you could have a transfer, and then you go hunting for something if you need it. But it's pretty interesting and exciting, I think, to think about, hey, you could have, you know, the team that's going to be here this year, fully back next year, plus you'll throw, you know, potentially a four or five star point guard into that mix at a position that you probably need. So, and I know they're really pleased with what they've got from the new guys with the freshman. Ethan Harris is really impressed.

Starting point is 00:09:09 Jaden Coon, Uber athletic. wing player that can just elevate out of the gym and both of the transfers with Tyree Coleman and McKeever are going to help them this year too. So there's a wealth of talent. It's really good so far in Iowa City this summer. Siding time, definitely for basketball and tickets going on sale. I know with some single game tickets right around the corner. Got football coming up as well on that front.

Starting point is 00:09:39 Good time to be a Hawkeye. Well, speaking to that Iowa football team, We're going to talk about that next with Tom Kaker. He just made his bold predictions for the season. We're getting to get into that along with his fearless forecast that is released each and every year on the 4th of July where Tom Kaker sees the Hawkeyes going. That's next as we continue. Stay right there.

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Starting point is 00:10:55 That's Fandual.com slash locked on. L-O-C-E-D-O-N to get Fandul.com slash locked on. Trent, I'm back with you once again, joined by Tom Kaker from hawkeye report.com. As we talk a little Iowa football now, Tom. And an exciting offseason, we have a quarterback race. As you know, we're both in the content industry. Quarterback moves some needle like anything else.

Starting point is 00:11:26 You felt like after the spring, we went into spring, talked to you every Friday on my radio show and knew, all right. Hecklinsky, look, he won the backup job in the middle of the year. That's something almost unheard of in the 26 years at that time of Kirk Farrants. It's something like that happens at a backup quarterback spot. He's got the buzz. And then as spring continues and afterwards, you were one of the first people I heard saying,

Starting point is 00:11:48 this thing's not over and maybe even give the slight edge to Hank Brown at that point in time. We got a couple more weeks before camp's going to start. Chicago Big Ten Media Days. We'll get Iowa Football Media Day there before Kids Day in the middle of August. But is that where you're feeling right now? If you had to make a pick of what Kirk Farrant's and Tim Lester are going to pick right now, slight edge Hank Brown? Yeah, but it's wide open going into camp.

Starting point is 00:12:12 I mean, it can certainly change within two weeks, you know, within a week. It could change. It's going to go back and forth, I think. But I think after spring, if they had to pick somebody, it would have probably been Hank. But it was razor thin. It was very, very close. So I still think it's wide open. I still think it's a coin flip. But eventually you've got to settle on somebody. And I don't think Kirk wants to go through the start of the 08. season again with, you know, bouncing back between, oh, we're going to play half with Jay Christensen and then half with Rick Stanzy. It's just, I don't think he wants to do that, that dance again. And in fact, he said that before, so I don't think he would want to do that again. Also heard him mention before that maybe he pulled the plug a little bit too late on the Jake Christensen front and Ricky Stansy.

Starting point is 00:13:12 And we've heard that from him before. There's something different about the quarterback position. I think it's the leadership part of it. It's the investment that is there. But these guys, though, they've been part of the program now the last couple of years, not the same kind of investment. And I guess not the same kind of background that they have here that maybe it would be easier if they do need to make a change at the quarterback spot.

Starting point is 00:13:32 But obviously something we're keeping a close tab on. Your fearless forecast is out over at Hawkeye Report. And Tom, yeah, the Hawkeyes at 9 and 3. Now that cruises over the total of 7.5 that is currently out there at Fandul, not in three season for the Hawkeye. and yet there's a part of to say that's great, I'd sign up for that. And yet if you're that close, you also say, man, a loss in the second to last game of the year against Illinois as you have in your forecast there.

Starting point is 00:13:57 Boy, that would be a stinger to be that close to be a playoff bid. Yeah, because I think we realize that if you go 10 and 2 in the Big 10 or the SEC, you're going to the playoff. I think that's just pretty much assured. There may be a conversation about it. You know, people might say, oh, your schedule's not tough enough or whatever, depending on what school it is. But 10 and 2 should get you into the playoffs.

Starting point is 00:14:22 So that would be kind of a, you know, a disappointment for sure. But this schedule is just, it's fascinating to me. I think the first three Iowa should win. I think Iowa State's going to be down a bit. But and the other game, you and I, and I, they should win comfortably. I would think. But that opening three weeks can really, in the Big Ten, is really, I think, going to define the season from a Big Ten perspective. Because you've just, you've got to try to figure out a way not to open up O and three and dig that hole that way.

Starting point is 00:15:06 You can survive one and two, but going O and three would be really tough. But they're not going to be, they're probably not going to be favored in any of those three. games, I would think, right? No. You know, not at Washington and against Ohio State. I can't remember a time when Iowa's been favorite against Ohio State anytime, really. And Michigan, at Michigan will be tough. But I kind of think they'll get one of those games.

Starting point is 00:15:39 But then you come off of that, you got to buy, but so does Minnesota. And you got to go up there and face, you know, our buddy PJ Fleck. And even though I was dominated that series, you know, PJ is going to have them ready. And I think Minnesota's going to be a pretty decent club this year. That last half of the season is so funny because it's all the old Big Ten West this year. There's no Rutgers or Maryland or anything in there.

Starting point is 00:16:07 It's the Big Ten West getting back together again. And Iowa did well against the Big Ten West. So maybe they will. they will continue that. It's not like there's any games in that stretch where I think Iowa's going to be an underdog in any of those games. Maybe Illinois, maybe Minnesota, depending on where things are for both teams. But Iowa should be, I think, even money to favorites in those last six games. You know, looking at that and kind of posing the question, I looked at Bill Connolly's projections for this year, using his projections.

Starting point is 00:16:44 home field advantage. I was going to be about a six point underdog against Michigan, about a four point dog at Washington, and at home against the Buckeyes, a huge underdog in that one. They have it about 16. And I think that a fan duel had 17 and a half for that matchup. So that paints the picture of just how difficult it is. You did give a win, though, and it's the one that I pointed to two. I think the most realistic victory in that opening gauntlet is the road game against Michigan. Bryce Underwood, still trying to get his feet underneath them figuring that out. There's been some rumblings that maybe Kyle Whittingham not exactly enamored with Price Underwood and the price tag that goes along with it with that. I think that is the most winnable of those first three games and you have it down as a victory for the Hawks.

Starting point is 00:17:24 Yeah, because I think they're still going to be stuck on the Bryce Wonderwood train at that point too. And if he's struggling, you know, the big game that they have before that is the Oklahoma game and that's up in Ann Arbor too. So, but if I don't think they would pull the plug on him at that point. But, you know, we'll see. You get them early enough. And maybe you, you know, I always joke that, you know, that Whittingham is sort of, and Kirk Ferrence are sort of that Spider-Man meme where they're pointing at each other. Because they're kind of the same guy.

Starting point is 00:18:01 Yep. In terms of how they operate. So they're buttoned up operation, very old school. So it'll be an interesting game that Iowa is going to have to grow up quickly because this is a really inexperienced team. There's only 10 seniors on the Iowa roster, and a lot of them are not like what I would call key contributors, you know, star player kind of guys. So a lot of these young players, especially up front on the defensive line, are going to have to develop quickly and be sturdy against the run because you know Michigan. Ohio State and even Washington are going to run the football. So I want to get to your bold predictions because there's a couple that jumped out to me.

Starting point is 00:18:47 The first one, and it's just unbelievable, that Iowa has not had a 500-yard receiver since 2019. Wide receiver. Yeah, wide receiver. It's just. Tight ends they've had. Yes, tight ends they've had, but yes, a wide receiver, which is just, it's an incredible number. And he talked about Vander Z getting there, Tony Diaz, and I'm buying all the hype, and I'm jumping in. head first into this one.

Starting point is 00:19:09 And we'll see if I get a concussion like I did with Caleb Brown. But I'm going to get with the Tony Diaz too. Still, the one thing that I think is the most bold out of everything that you stated here is that Reese Vandersi is going to be healthy this season. That might be even more bold that he gets to 500 yards this season because we've seen his first two years on campus. And he's got bigger. He's 220.

Starting point is 00:19:29 We've seen this so often. For whatever reason, they're just certain guys. You hope that's not the case for Vander Z. But if that one comes to fruition and he has. has a healthy season. I think everybody knows. Reese Vander Zee's going to have a really nice year. Yeah, he is. And you could have a really pretty, I think, potent passing game for Iowa, or at least the receiver position when you've got Fandersey, Tony Diaz. I know they're really high

Starting point is 00:19:56 on Evan James, too, the transfer. He's, you know, slide a frame too. And that's going to be the thing with Diaz and with James is that they've got to see how they hold up. up against the Big Ten with slider frames. And then remember, you've got throw DJ Bonamay out there as a tight end who's a, you know, a difference maker at that position. Thomas Meyer will be a guy to watch at the other, you know, one of the other tight end positions. I think he's going to be a guide that's going to be an impactful player. And they've got a lot of other wide receivers that I think they feel pretty good about. So they're going to have some weapons.

Starting point is 00:20:40 Now, the quarterback position is still up in the air. They've got to figure that out. But if they can find a guy that can deliver the ball to them, you're going to have, I think, an attack that can make some plays in the air this year. So the offense this year, figure out quarterback, but I feel great about the offensive line. I think they're going to be really good again this season. The stable that they have in the running back room is absolutely incredible.

Starting point is 00:21:05 I think Kamari Moulton's got another level. We talk about wide receiver, tight end is deep, figuring out quarterback, but there does feel like that this is going to be a year. There's going to be times they're going to have to outscore people to beat a Michigan on the road, to beat a Washington, to even go to Illinois and win. It's not just skating by and trying to win 1713. There's going to be half the games that maybe they win 3127 and do it in that fashion because there are so many more questions that we're used to defensively,

Starting point is 00:21:30 specifically a defensive tackle. I guess the good news in Blair Sanderson, as he always does, did a great job of updating the roster and getting us all the weight gains. Seeing Brad Fitzgibbon up 23 pounds, up to 288. That was big. How about Alibad Bajou coming in from North Dakota? He's up to 314 now. You got the two walk-ons there that at least have a little bit of experience.

Starting point is 00:21:51 Obviously Hawthorne is the most experience to those guys. But I got a little pumped up. I saw Devin Kennedy's added some weight. You know, I absolutely love his upside of what he can be. Maybe my concerns a defensive tackle were greatly exaggerating. I still have concern there. You can put on the weight. It's about experience and performance at this point. And do I think they can get there? Yeah, I do. But I'm going to have to see it. And I want to see them figure out the rotation. I think they'll have a larger rotation this year than normal, where it was been like just eight guys generally that would play snaps at the along the defensive line. I think they might get to 10. maybe even 11 just because I think they want to find out who's ready to go or who can go. And then eventually you'll taper down to get back down to eight.

Starting point is 00:22:47 But they've got to figure things out there on how to stop the run. And right now, I'm curious what it looks like. Hopefully they'll have to grow up really fast, especially early in the year with those three. really tough games against the Big 10 teams early on in the season. I don't think for you, Tom Kaker, joining us from hawkeye report.com, Tom, and that is the Swarm Collective is no more. Brad, who I know you know incredibly well. I made that announcement.

Starting point is 00:23:20 A lot of us got the email that were supporters of it and it's just the changing environment of NIL. Learfield has kind of taken everything with the flight funds, almost in-house, if you will, with the athletic department and the way that it's set up. But when you kind of look at that, going forward, It's how impactful any kind of impact to the athletic department and how you see in a guy that Brad put a lot of sweat equity and real equity also behind that endeavor. Yeah, Brad did. You know, I jokingly said, and we're really kind of serious too, that he saved Iowa football because there was nobody that was stepping forward with an organized effort when NIL was becoming something.

Starting point is 00:24:00 and had he not done what he did and get things organized and make some contacts with people to get some money flowing in, there's a real possibility that guys would have started to lead from the football program and the basketball program. And you would have, that can crater a program. It really can if you saw a bunch of guys leave just because, hey, they don't have any money for them. now you're getting money from the university side of things. So it's a little bit different. But in those early years, when you had to use collectives, you had to find ways to get them financial resources to the players and get players to the team.

Starting point is 00:24:46 And Brad played a vital role in that. And, you know, he really saved Iowa football for sure, probably Iowa basketball a little bit too. in Iowa women's basketball. I mean, he's talked about helping them to get Lucy Olson. Yeah. To come in after Caitlin was gone. So he, you know, did a lot for the University of Iowa. And it's too bad that this is how things have to be.

Starting point is 00:25:19 But with that NILGO program that you have to go through everything with that, with the CSC, it's just, that's how it's got a, they're making it difficult to, they're trying to run collectives out of business. And so this is this is what happens. Tom Kaker, hawkerreport.com. You can see Tom, all his work over there, along with the whole crew, putting out great content each and every day at Hawkeye Report.

Starting point is 00:25:42 Tom, as always, thanks for the time. Good catching up with you. And I'll now get rested up. I know those Vegas vacations can tax you just a little bit. Yeah, I need some need to catch up on my sleep. But it's always, always good to be on with you, Trent. Thanks for having me on. You bet.

Starting point is 00:25:57 That's Tom Kaker from Hawkeye Report. Well, Tom, we talked about his bold predictions. I got a bold football prediction for you when we come back. Stay right there. This is Locked on Hawkeyes. Trent, kind of back with you one final time here on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast, your daily Iowa Hawkeye podcast. Get your daily Lockdown Hawkeye Fix completely ad-free by joining the Everydayer Club today.

Starting point is 00:26:28 Start your seven-day free trial right now and get closer to the Hawkeyes without the interruptions. Click on the link in the show notes or go to Lockdownhawkeyes. dot supercast.com to claim your free trial. That's locked on hawkeyes. Dot supercast.com. Wrapping things up in bold predictions. So we talked to Tom and about some of the bold predictions that he had this season.

Starting point is 00:26:50 Talked about Cam Buffington leading the team in tackles. All right. I'm not sure how bold that one is. Offensive side of the ball, Kamari Moulton going over 1,000 yards this season. That's a good one. Definitely. We talked about the wide receiver position,

Starting point is 00:27:03 going over 500 yards for the first time since 2019, just absolutely unthinkable. I have a bold prediction for you, and I was going to win a game by throwing the football. It is going to be a game this year that I was going to win a football game by throwing for over 300 yards. Another long list that goes back the last time. In fact, a year ago, it took all the way to the final game before they even went over 200 yards. Hank Brown, Jeremy Keglinsky, I'm not making a prediction on that one here in the middle of July, but what I am making a prediction, I was going to go north,

Starting point is 00:27:37 not just a 200 yards passing in a game this year, north of 300 years. I believe in DJ Vonami. I believe in Thomas Meyer. I believe in Tony Diaz and Reese Vanderzy and Evan James, and there's going to be enough there coupled with, I think this offensive line is going to be able to protect at a high level. Maybe it's Hank.

Starting point is 00:27:55 Maybe it's heck. One of the two is going to be the starting quarterback. Whoever it is, one of those two guys is going to go over 300 yards and lead the team to a victory through the air. That has been a long, long time coming. Lockdown Hawkeyes here, your daily Lockdown Hawkeyes fix for you. And you can always find me on Twitter at Trent Condon. And you can find the show as well at Lockedon, Iowa is where you can find us on there.

Starting point is 00:28:21 We're also on social media on Facebook. You can find us over there as we have updates, daily clips, all kinds of things on our Facebook page. Make sure you hit that. If you're watching us on YouTube, hit the subscribe. button helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans. And on the podcast side, five star reviews, all that helps us get in front of more Iowa fans out there. Thanks for being with us. We'll be back with you tomorrow here on your daily Hawkeye podcast, Locked on Hawkeyes. Thanks for being with us. Go Hawks.

Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - RECRUITMENT SHOCKER? Iowa Leads for Top-10 Stud Cayden Daughtry—Can They SEAL the Deal?

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