By Tyler Devine

IOWA CITY, Iowa – To say that Southeast Polk sophomore running back Gavin Williams was surprised about receiving a scholarship offer from Iowa during a visit on Saturday would be an understatement.

The 6-foot, 195-pound Williams had difficulty finding the words to describe how it felt to receive the offer, which he didn’t expect to come this early.

“It’s pretty crazy,” Williams said. “I don’t really know. It’s overwhelming. I didn’t think they were going to offer until the end of my junior year maybe.”

Williams had the opportunity to speak with Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz before the Hawkeyes crushed Ohio State 55-24 on Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.

Brian Ferentz told Williams that he personifies and has the characteristics and talent that the Iowa program looks for in a player.

Williams rushed for 732 yards and scored 12 touchdowns as as sophomore this season.

“Brian Ferentz came down and was talking to me and was saying this is why Iowa is going to offer you a scholarship,” Williams said. “He was talking about how they were trying to find players who don’t like losing and kids who are willing to work hard and sacrifice themselves for the team. Also players who have good character and who are wiling to do the right thing.”

Williams also has a scholarship offer from Iowa State, but he said Sunday that he doesn't favor either instate school at this stage. 

He also said Iowa and Iowa State are the only schools to show interest so far.

Davis hopeful for offer: High school junior running back Julius Davis hopes that Iowa will be the second school to offer him a scholarship.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Davis already has an offer from Buffalo and he said an Iowa offer might prove to other schools that he is capable of playing at the Big Ten level.

“(An offer from Iowa) would be insane,” Davis said. “That would be once in a lifetime. I think that would show other colleges that I’m good enough to play at that level. I’d like it if they would offer me. I think it would be pretty cool. They would be the favorite as of right now (were they to offer).”

A native of Menomonee Falls, Wis., Davis attended the Ohio State game on Saturday and saw up close how how electric the atmosphere is at Kinnick Stadium on game day.

Davis has been to several Wisconsin games, but he said Sunday that he's never experienced anything like the atmosphere inside Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, especially Iowa’s newest tradition of waving to the kids in the children’s hospital next door.

Davis said he was even getting high-fives from the Iowa fans because of the lanyard he was wearing that indicated he was a visiting recruit.

“It was a really good experience, one of a kind,” Davis said. “I really liked it. I’ve never seen fans like that, even going to Badger games, the fans were insane. I was getting high five by a whole bunch of the fans walking out of the game just because I was wearing one of those lanyards. 

“I thought it was pretty cool. How they took time out of the game to wave to the kids I thought was pretty cool. The coaches were nice too. (Offensive line) coach (Tim) Polasek talked to me for a bit about the recruiting and that they’re going to keep recruiting me hard.”

Davis said the Iowa coaches questioned his speed at first, but are no longer concerned after watching him on film, where the coaches apparently said he drew comparisons to Iowa running back Akrum Wadley.

“A lot of people say I’m like their current running back Wadley,” Davis said. “They said at first they were questioning my speed but after watching a couple games

they said they thought I had it.”

Davis said he plans to visit South Dakota State and Central Michigan soon.

Iowa currently has four players committed to its 2019 recruiting class.

Iowa’s 2019 recruiting class

Larry Tracy, DB, 5-11, 175, Indianapolis, Ind.

Tyler Endres, OL, 6-6, 280, Norwalk, Iowa

Logan Lee, TE, 6-5, 225, Orion, Ill.

Ezra Miller, OL, 6-6, 310, Holstein, Iowa