Recruits blown away by night-time atmosphere at Kinnick
IOWA CITY, Iowa – From a recruiting standpoint, the Iowa football team’s 42-3 demolition of Iowa State in a rare night game at Kinnick Stadium and before a color-coordinated audience was about as good as it gets.
It was so good that the Iowa men’s basketball team landed a top recruit with 2017 center Luka Garza committing to the Hawkeyes shortly before Saturday’s kickoff.
The 6-foot-10 Garza was part of the crowd that packed Kinnick Stadium to watch the latest chapter in the football rivalry between Iowa and Iowa State.
And so were about 40 football recruits from the 2017, 2018 and 2019 classes, including Mid-Prairie defensive end Levi Duwa, who already is committed to Iowa’s 2017 class.
“If the people and the atmosphere from last night doesn’t bring them to Iowa, then I don’t know what will,” Duwa said of potential recruits. “Who wouldn’t want to play in front of fans like that?”
Duwa is among 16 high school seniors who are committed to Iowa’s 2017 recruiting class.
Texas quarterback Peyton Mansell is also part of the class. He couldn’t attend Saturday’s game, but he still kept up with the action.
Mansell was impressed with how his future college team dominated in the trenches and with how Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard and receiver Matt VandeBerg worked together on the field.
Beathard passed for 235 yards and three touchdowns, while VandeBerg had seven receptions for 129 yards and one touchdown.
“I got to watch part of it on my phone,” said Mansell, who is from Belton, Texas. “It was really great to watch how dominant the offensive line and defensive line played. Also C.J. and VandeBerg played really well. It makes me pumped up to get to Iowa City."
Iowa currently has five players from Texas committed to its 2017 class. That number could grow as the Iowa coaches continue to recruit in the Lone Star State.
Receiver Beau Corrales, who is from Georgetown, Texas, visited Iowa City this weekend after recently receiving a scholarship offer from Iowa. Corrales had been committed to Texas State, but backed away from his commitment shortly after receiving the Iowa offer.
He also was impressed by the atmosphere inside Kinnick Stadium on Saturday night.
"It was insane," Corrales said. "Everyone that I’e met has just been really great and genuine. The football atmosphere is absolutely insane, and the facilities were second to none. I had a really great time."
Duwa said he expected the annual battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy to be much closer because that is usually the script when Iowa and Iowa square off in football.
“Judging from past games I was thinking that it was going to be a pretty close game,” Duwa said. “Iowa just came out and they were ready to play. We could pretty much do whatever we wanted to them. It was fun to see the trophy stay in Iowa City two years in a row."
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is prohibited under NCAA rules from commenting on a specific recruit before the recruit has signed a national letter of intent.
But Ferentz knows that fan support helps to make a nice sales pitch to recruits. Iowa had plenty of fan support on Saturday and they were dressed for the occasion, with each section of fans dressed in either black or gold.
“That was just a tremendous crowd,” Ferentz said after Saturday’s victory. “Kinnick’s a special place anyway. But night games in Kinnick, fantastic. Tonight was certainly no exception.
“I really appreciate the students, too. They were there early, made a lot of noise and stayed late. So we certainly appreciate that.”
Some of the Iowa fans recognized the recruits and acknowledged their presence at Kinnick Stadium. The attention made a big impression on 2018 four-star receiver Micah Jones.
“It was fun to see that some of them knew me,” said Jones, who is from Gurnee, Ill.
Iowa legacy commit A.J. Epenesa attended Saturday’s game with his father, former Iowa defensive lineman Eppy Epenesa. The younger Epenesa, who is from Edwardsville, Ill., plays defensive end and is considered one of the top recruits in the 2017 class.
He expressed his excitement on Twitter on Saturday while surrounded by Iowa fans.
C'mon now state…you never had a chance. Had a great time in Iowa City yesterday and I'm hyped to come back! pic.twitter.com/LpfyYS148x
— AJ Epenesa (@ajepenesa24) September 11, 2016
Tyler Devine contributed to this report