Kirk Ferentz’s no-visit policy isn’t fully to blame for losing Texas recruits
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – From the very beginning of Eno Benjamin’s time as an Iowa football recruit, something just didn’t feel right.
His love for all things Hawkeye seemed too good to be true. It seemed more for show than genuine.
Because if it were genuine, Benjamin wouldn’t have felt the need to keep shopping around after he made a verbal commitment to Iowa in April.
The four-star running back from Wylie, Texas had to realize he was putting his scholarship offer at risk by secretly visiting at least two other schools because Kirk Ferentz has a no-visit policy for committed players.
I don’t agree entirely with Ferentz’s no-visit policy because it puts Iowa at a disadvantage compared to some schools, especially with regard to highly-acclaimed recruits who have multiple options from which to choose. But I also don’t agree with recruits who think they can commit to a school, but still shop around without consequences.
The goal with recruiting from both sides is to find the right fit. The process leaves much to be desired, considering the number of recruits who de-commit and the number of players who transfer after entering college.
As it turns out, Benjamin was not the right fit for Iowa and vice versa. Both sides are better off to have severed ties before the relationship became official.
It’s the same with the other three players from Texas who have de-committed from Iowa’s 2017 recruiting class, the latest being receiver Gavin Holmes on Tuesday. His de-commitment, which he announced on Twitter by issuing a long and critical statement about Ferentz’s handling of Benjamin’s recruitment, came just four days after fellow Texas receiver Beau Corrales also de-committed from Iowa.
“You've got to have good recruits to be successful, I get that,” Ferentz said to reporters on Tuesday and just a few hours after Holmes had announced his de-commitment. “What's really important is identifying and finding players that are going to fit here in our program and thrive in our environment. And it's not for everybody.
“Ultimately, that's what we have to do. I encourage all recruits to do the same thing. If you're not sure, look around. Because we try to be straight up front about who we are and what we are, and how we do things. One thing, you can't promise too much, other than opportunity.”
Hawkeye fans adored Benjamin for helping to convince five other Texas natives to join him in Iowa’s 2017 recruiting class. It was exciting watching the Texas pipeline gush with talent.
But now many of those same fans are ripping Ferentz for allowing the Texas pipeline to dissolve.
Quarterback Peyton Mansell and defensive back Matt Hankins are all that’s left from the original Texas six pack.
Fans have a right to be concerned because a class that once stood tall with 17 recruits has been cut to 13 players, including just one receiver, which is a position of need, as the current season has so painfully demonstrated.
But those who criticize Ferentz for destroying the program by allowing future stars to get away are making a huge assumption about stardom. There is no guarantee that any of the six recruits from Texas will be stars in college.
If we’ve learned anything about recruiting under Ferentz, it’s not to assume anything.
Iowa has signed some mega-recruits who had the can’t-miss label, and yet, somehow they missed out on stardom, whereas many unheralded recruits have thrived under Ferentz.
The unraveling of the Texas pipeline looks bad from a perception standpoint because Ferentz has been made out to be a stubborn villain who practices a double standard by recruiting players who are committed to other schools, while not allowing his committed players to look around.
Holmes criticized Ferentz for being a hypocrite. But in truth, Ferentz is being consistent in that he feels anybody who still shops around despite being committed to a school isn’t ready to be married, as Ferentz likes to put it.
A recruit who commits to a school, but then still shops around is fair game to Ferentz, including those who commit to Iowa.
The four recruits from Texas who de-committed, which also includes four-star defensive back Chevin Calloway, apparently weren’t ready to get married and they showed it by flirting with other schools.
It’s important to remember that these are just kids trying to make probably the most important decision in their lives up to this point. Teenagers are impulsive and they love the flavor of the day.
My theory is that Benjamin got bored with being an Iowa commit for so long and decided to look around, partly for attention. Recruiting is covered so extensively and by so many different outlets that prospects become teenage celebrities almost overnight, and they love the attention.
Recruiting is me-first, whereas college football is team first. Sometimes, those two mindsets collide.
I still say if Benjamin had been more transparent and honest with Ferentz that Benjamin might still be a Hawkeye recruit.
Despite what some of you might think, Ferentz doesn’t rule with an iron fist, nor does he refuse to change.
His no-visit policy has some wiggle room if a recruit handles it the right way.
“I think it's like discipline, every case, in your kids at home, same way, every case is unique and different,” Ferentz said. “There are a lot of things you can consider. I've got 100-plus players I'm responsible for.
“So if one walks into my office with an issue, and two hours later another guy, you know, one guy may have a lot of credit in the bank, the other guy may not have much credit. Those kind of things. Those all weigh in. It's all human stuff.”
Holmes also said in his statement on Twitter that the Iowa offense wasn't a good fit for him and he didn't expect it to change just for him. What's strange about that comment is the Iowa offense really hasn't changed much at all under Ferentz. The offense is the same as when Holmes committed to Iowa a few months ago.
We’re always quick to blame somebody when a positive turns into a negative. Some Iowa fans blame Ferentz for being too unforgiving with his no-visit policy, while others blame Benjamin and the other Texas recruits who de-committed for being disloyal and having a sense of entitlement.
I prefer to look at this whole Texas recruiting drama as one of those things that just wasn’t meant to be for lots of reasons, including fit.
The Eno Effect was fun while it lasted, but was fragile from the beginning because he wasn't the right fit for Iowa.