California punter Ryan Stonehouse has punting in his blood and interest from Iowa
By Tyler Devine
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Iowa football coaches are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to land potential difference-makers in the 2017 recruiting class.
Punter Ryan Stonehouse, a native of Santa Ana, Calif., received a visit from Iowa linebackers coach Seth Wallace on Monday. Stonehouse said Wallace spent as much time getting to know him on a personal level as he did talking about football.
"He watched me punt today in the morning and we talked for a while," Stonehouse said. "Basically, he talked to me about their punt team, what they were running and how he sees it fit for me. We talked a lot about my family background and my dad and uncles. He wanted to really get to know me today, and I think that’s what the meeting was all about.
"He obviously knows my ability and skill, so he wanted to see that in play. But most importantly, he wanted to see me as a person and I think that’s what the meeting was about today.”
The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Ryan Stonehouse is hoping for a scholarship offer from Iowa as it has everything he is looking for in a university. He also holds offers from Cornell, Eastern Washington, Texas-San Antonio and Wyoming.
"To be honest, that would mean that it would put Iowa in a lot of perspective for me," Ryan Stonehouse said. "Obviously, a scholarship is what I’m looking for and an offer would really jump out to me. And I think that’s where I’m at right now with my recruiting process is who’s going to offer the the spot and where am I going to see fit in that spot. Am I going to look at a school like Iowa for its education? Yes. So Iowa really does check off all the boxes for me including an offer.
"If Iowa does offer me a scholarship, I will immediately take a visit, I will take a visit on the 27th. In terms of signing day, I currently look to publicly announce my commitment on signing day. I will probably commit to a school before signing day but I would announce it on signing day. It’ll probably be the weekend after my visit that I make a commitment to a school.”
Though Iowa has recently parted ways with specials teams and running backs coach Chris White, Ryan Stonehouse is not concerned about the uncertainty with the Iowa staff. Stonehouse knows that Iowa needs a punter with Ron Coluzzi having used up his eligibility this past season.
Stonehouse said Wallace and Iowa director of recruiting Tyler Barnes both have stressed to him the importance of adding a punter.
"I'm not concerned," Ryan Stonehouse said. "And the reason I say it is because what coach Wallace and coach Barnes have put out in front of me is they are basically in charge of the punt team and they will do whatever it takes to rally around their punter. For example, if I don’t know how to Australian-style punt, they’re going to help me learn how to do it but they’re really going to rally around my strong points, they would rally around my pro-style punting.
"I think that if you have coaches like that that trust you and trust what you’re doing I think that’s all the more benefit to not only a special teams coach but a punting or kicking coach or as coach Wallace is, not really a punter. He’s never really done that before but he understands what it is. I think that when they do bring in a coordinator he’s going to help out a lot on special teams and stuff but Iowa has really developed their punt game and I think that’s the positive even though there’s not a special teams coordinator there already.”
As a punter, Stonehouse has no shortage of mentors.
According to Rivals, Stonehouse is the next in a long line of punters in his family. His father and two of his uncles all punted for Division I schools and all three have coaching experience.
In fact, Ryan Stonehouse's father, Paul Stonehouse, is his current kicking coach. Ryan Stonehouse likes having that knowledge and expertise in his own home.
"My dad punted at Stanford for four years," Ryan Stonehouse said. "His brother, John Stonehouse, punted for Southern California for four years. They used tor run kicking camps in Los Angeles and they coached my mom’s brother Jeff Banks who was the starting punter at Washington State for two years and is now the special teams coordinator at Texas A&M. I’ve had punting in my family forever.
"It’s helped me develop into a college punter and not necessarily just a high school punter. Where I’m at right now my dad is my full-time coach so that’s really helped me develop. A lot of kids around the country have coaches that they see maybe once or twice a month and then they have to work on their own. With my dad it’s easy to develop and get instant feedback. It’s been exciting because not only can I get instant feedback but I can get that honest feedback as well"
Being a coach's kid is often a tricky situation, but Ryan Stonehouse doesn't find it hard to separate coach from father. He sees it as more of a lesson in respect than in football and to not take criticism too personally."
Ryan Stonehouse is used to be critiqued by his father and his uncles and he doesn't take it personally when their feedback is negative.
"It’s actually really interesting because a lot of times you think your dad is going to be hard on you or how do you cope with your dad being a coach, but for me it’s more about how can I learn from him," Ryan Stonehouse said. "How can I separate coach from father. That’s really what has helped me. And also my uncle being at Texas A&M has really influenced me in the fact that he’s influenced my thinking about scholarships. He’s influenced my thinking about preferred walk-ons. He’s really helped me with developing my insight into college football.
"What it’s really come down to is that you have to not take what he’s saying personally on the field. You have to be open and learning because a lot of times it gets frustrating, especially with punting when you go through your ups and downs and you’re training it’s not always going to be perfect every day so you can’t take it personally when coaches coach you. I’ve had outside coaches coaching me and you don’t take it personally because you’re on the field with a coach and you have to respect that coach. Of course, with my father it’s all about respect and it’s all about learning. Some days and some times it’s harder, but the main core of separating is taking it either personally or not personally on and off the field."