By Tyler Devine

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Gabriel Rubio’s visit to Iowa over the weekend ended even better than expected.

The 2021 defensive lineman left Iowa City with his fifth scholarship offer.

“I felt very excited because getting an offer from any school is tough work to do,” Rubio said. “It feels very rewarding whenever you finally get one from one of the big schools. It just feels great.”

Rubio, a native of St. Peter’s, Mo. enjoyed the opportunity to build on his relationship with the Iowa coaching staff and take in a practice.

“What stood out most to me was how high tempo the practices were, how everything just seemed like it was a game,” Rubio said. “(Also) how personable the coaches were to me. They care about you not just as a player, not just as an athlete but as a person off the field as well. They want to see you grow in that respect as well.”

The 6-foot-5, 280-pound Rubio also got an opportunity to check out the sights and sounds of the Iowa campus.

“One of my favorite things that we saw was we went around the campus and got to look at all the new dorms and everything on our own,” Rubio said. ”And we got to see how the campus is spread out on two sides of that river and how everything looks so historic.”

Even though Rubio plays both sides of the ball for his high school team, he said he already knows on which side of the ball he belongs.

“I’ve always been a defensive kind of guy,” Rubio said. “I’ve always loved to hit. I’ve always loved to go full out, balls to the wall. I think defense is my calling because I get to go out and hit people every play and be relentless.

“While I was there, Coach Ferentz came over to us and said the offensive line coach and defensive line coach would get into a fight over what side of the ball I’d get to play on.”

Rubio also has offers from Illinois, Kentucky, Louisville and Nebraska.