Howe: Iowa Football Finishing Strong in Recruiting

Hawkeyes Overcome Slow Start in Building Solid Group

'22 Lansing (KS) Defensive End Caden Crawford at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on Oct. 9, 2021. (Rob Howe/HawkeyeNation.com)

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Iowa Football's recruiting in the 2022 Class lagged behind much of the competition six months ago. The Hawkeyes sat with six verbal commitments at the end of June and missed out on some top targets that month. 

Director of recruiting Tyler Barnes voiced frustration with negative recruiting against the program. Head coach Kirk Ferentz acknowledged the struggles and indicated Iowa would do what it could in '22, while focusing more on building strong classes in future cycles. 

The Hawkeyes were rebounding from a pair of reports that showed racial bias in their facility. The turmoil hit during the pandemic and while college football recruiting across the country dealt with a 15-month long dead period. 

When the stoppage ended on June 1, Iowa tried rebuilding its reputation by being proactive with prospects. It showed how it addressed the bias in making the program more inclusive. It benefitted from looking them in eyes, answering tough questions and having current players share their experiences. 

Slowly, the Hawkeyes emerged from the muck. And when the first signing period kicked off on Wednesday, the 12-man '22 group looked promising. With recruiting, that's the idea as star rankings are a projection not an absolute. 

How it came together bodes well for the future. Captain Obvious knows you need good players. No great coach wins with inferior talent. 

Iowa is off to a solid start in its next two classes as well and enjoys recruiting momentum following a 10-win regular season with a Big Ten West Championship this fall. While it remains a developmental program, the transfer portal creates more emphasis on landing more ready-made athletes. 

The Hawkeyes secured pledges from at least two potential instant-impact prospects in Pleasant Hill (IA) Southeast Polk safety Xavier Nwankpa and Aaron Graves, a defensive end from Gowrie (IA) Southeast Valley. They both won state championships last month in their respective classes. 

Graves committed as a freshman. Nwankpa chose the Hawkeyes last week ahead of offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State and just about every other college in the country. He told me during the summer of '20 that he believed Iowa would address the racial bias and improve as a program. 

Good on the Hawkeyes for locking up two in-state gems, but the true test of progress was convincing prospects to come from distance. They sure did that in this group. 

With a need at running back, they flipped Ohio's Kaleb Johnson from his Cal verbal and dipped into Florida for Jaziun Patterson, who reported offers from Alabama, Auburn, Michigan, Penn State, Texas A&M and others. At 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, Johnson brings the thunder, while Patterson (5-10, 182) provides the lightning. 

Iowa grabbed talent from Wisconsin (Jack Dotzler, Jayden Montgomery, Addison Ostrenga), Kansas (Caden Crawford), Oklahoma (Carson May), Illinois (Jacob Bostick), Indiana (Cael Vanderbush) and Iowa (Graves, Nwankpa, Kale Krogh). The class was poised to add more states like Tennessee, Michigan and California on Wednesday, when a group of prospects announced. 

The Hawkeyes did well in identifying uncommitted talent in the senior class. Tight ends Ostrenga and Vanderbush fell into that class along with several prospects who officially visited this past weekend. 

Odds were good that they closed on Michigan cornerback Olando Trader, who was committed to Central Michigan, Tennessee defensive lineman Keyron Crawford and California cornerback TJ Hall, who had been pledged to Washington. That trio was set to announce their final decisions on Wednesday. 

Boyden Hull-Rock Valley Athlete Landyn Kekerix (6-2, 210) caught the coaches' attention this fall and picked up a scholarship offer. He was set to pick between Iowa, South Dakota and South Dakota State Wednesday. Perhaps he becomes the late, in-state addition that blossoms like Josey Jewell, Brandon Myers and others did. 

The Hawkeyes did well in pulling the class together the last six months. Credit the coaches, current players and those guys already committed for chipping in. Their job was more difficult than many of their counterparts across the country, but they got it done.