Iowa football thriving in Texas, at least on paper
IOWA CITY, Iowa – With five players from Texas already committed to the Iowa football team’s 2017 recruiting class, including two four-star prospects, Kirk Ferentz right now is having arguably his greatest success recruiting in the Lone Star State.
At least, on paper.
The real truth won’t be known until after the five players have completed their college careers. But for now, there is reason to be encouraged by Iowa’s recruiting presence in Texas.
"You’ve got to go down there because the Midwest is somewhat drying up," veteran recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said of recruiting in Texas. "There are still good players in the Midwest, but it’s not like it used to be."
There are two ways to evaluate a recruiting class, or a group of recruits that share something in common – before and after.
The before evaluation is based on high school accomplishments and on rankings by recruiting services such as Rivals, Scout and 247Sports, while the after is based solely on performance in college.
Since 2001, Iowa has signed 30 players from Texas, led by the 2003 and 2015 classes with four apiece.
The group from Texas in 2003 didn’t have the same before star power as the 2017 group, which is led by four-star running back Eno Benjamin and four-star defensive back Chevin Calloway.
But what it lacked in star power, the 2003 group made up for with success in college. The group consisted of quarterback Drew Tate, defensive end Kenny Iwebema, receiver Scott Chandler and athlete Champ Davis, who played mostly fullback at Iowa.
Tate and Iwebema both made first-team all-Big Ten at least once as a Hawkeye, while Chandler made second-team as a senior in 2006. Tate earned first-team accolades as a sophomore in 2004, along with being named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year that season. The Baytown native also led Iowa to a share of the Big Ten title in 2004 and completed one of the most famous passes in school history, a 56-yard touchdown pass to receiver Warren Holloway that lifted Iowa to a victory over Louisiana State as time expired in the Capital One Bowl.
Davis was no slouch, either, lettering four times from 2003-06 while playing extensively at fullback.
Tate was the only four-star recruit in the group. Chandler was only a two-star recruit when he followed his older brother, Nathan Chandler, to Iowa.
Nathan Chandler was Iowa’s starting quarterback as a senior in 2003, while Tate served as his backup.
So it’s not as if the recent recruiting flurry in Texas is anything new or unusual for Ferentz.
Texas always has been on Iowa’s radar to a certain extent. Circumstances often determine how aggressive the coaches are in Texas.
It makes sense that Iowa would make Texas a priority at the present time, considering offensive coordinator Greg Davis and receiver coach Bobby Kennedy both have ties to the Lone Star State.
It also helps that Iowa is coming off a 12-2 season in which it set a school record for most victories in a single season.
"They’ve got everything going for them," Lemming said of the Iowa coaches as recruiters. "They’ve got great coaching, great facilities and a lot of guys in the NFL."
Lemming also points out that the northern part of Texas is closer to Iowa City than Florida and California, which are two other recruiting hot spots. So maybe it’s not a coincidence that all five of the Texas natives in Iowa’s 2017 class are from the northern part of the state, either from or near Dallas.
"The closest big state to Iowa is Texas," Lemming said. "So I think it’s important."
Iowa has taken a cyclical approach to recruiting in Texas under Ferentz. At times, the results have changed drastically from year to year.
Consider the past two years for example when Iowa had four players from Texas in its 2015 class, but then none in the 2016 class.
The results from recruiting in Texas have been mixed.
While each of the four Texas natives in the 2003 class had success at Iowa, none of three Texas natives in Iowa’s heralded 2005 class finished their career as a Hawkeye.
Calloway was the latest player to commit to Iowa’s 2017 class on July 11, announcing his decision on Periscope. He picked Iowa over more than two dozen scholarship offers from some of the top programs in the country, including Alabama, Notre Dame and Texas.
"He’s an All-American, he’s an outstanding cover corner," Lemming said of the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Calloway. "I’ve seen him the last three years out of Dallas, and I’ve just really liked him a lot. I thought he was big time.
"It’s a big catch for them."
Iowa’s Texas Pipeline
name, position, height-weight, hometown, star ranking
2017
Eno Benjamin, RB, 5-9, 203, Wylie, 4-star
Chevin Calloway, DB, 5-10, 180, Dallas, 4-star
Matt Hankins, DB, 6-1, 160, Flower Mound, 3-star
Peyton Mansell, QB, 6-2, 195, Belton, 2-star
Gavin Holmes, WR, 5-11, 180, Justin, 3-star
2016
No players from Texas signed with Iowa that year.
2015
Angelo Garbutt, LB, 6-2, 210, Carrollton, 3-star
Jerminic Smith, 6-1, 175, Garland, 3-star
Emmanuel Ogwo, WR, 6-0, 175, Mesquite, 3-star
Justin Jinning, LB, 6-1, 210, The Colony, 2-star
2014
Josh Jackson, DB, 6-1, 175, Corinth, 2-star
Mick Ellis, K, 5-10, 182, Lucas, 2-star
2013
Anjeus Jones, WR, 6-3, 195, Dallas 2-star
Nik Shiminek, QB, 6-4, 185, Corsicana, 3-star
2012
Anthony Gair, DB, 6-1, 185, Plano, 3-star
2011
Damon Bullock, RB, 5-11, 195, Mansfield, 2-star
Jacob Hillyer, WR, 6-4, 190, Somerset, 3-star
Melvin Spears, LB, 6-2, 230, Allen, 3-star
2010
Donovan Johnson, DT, 6-2, 245, Arlington, 3-star
2009
No players from Texas signed
2008
David Cato, DB, 5-10, 190, Mansfield, 3-star
Jonathan Gimm, TE, 6-3, 235, Spring, 3-star
2007
Jacody Coleman, LB, 6-2, 229, Beaumont, 3-star
2006
James Cleveland WR, 6-2, 180, Baytown, 3-star
2005
Justin Edwards, DB, 6-2, 180, Garland, 2-star
Corey Robinson, RB, 6-1, 205, Denison, 3-star
Justin Collins, DT, 6-2, 250, Fort Worth, 2-star
2004
Charles Godfrey, DB, 6-1, 205, Baytown, 2-star
2003
Drew Tate, QB, 6-0, 170, Baytown, 4-star
Kenny Iwebema, DE, 6-4, 223, Arlington, 3-star
Champ Davis, ATH, 6-3, 210, Plano, 3-star
Scott Chandler, WR, 6-6, 212, Southlake, 2-star
2002
Clinton Solomon, WR, 6-4, 182, Fort Worth, 2-star
Wesley Thibeaux, DL, 6-3, 290, Blinn, 2-star
2001
Lee Gray, DL/OL, 6-6, 270, Dallas
Jermire Roberts, DB, 6-2, 210, Port Arthur
Aldolphus Shelton, DB, 5-10, 165, Dallas
Note: Star rankings according to Rivals