By Tyler Devine

IOWA CITY, Iowa – It’s been almost a year since three-star quarterback Deuce Hogan became the first player to commit to Iowa’s 2020 recruiting class.

Schools like Georgia, Tennessee and Texas A&M have tried to sway the Grapevine, Texas native away from Iowa, but Hogan’s commitment has never wavered.

While other players might be tempted to take a look at other schools, Hogan is just the opposite.

“The longer I’m committed, the better the relationships I get to build with the people at Iowa,” Hogan said. “It’s never disappointing to get a letter from a school and stuff, that’s always fun. You get to talk to coaches and always being able to build relationships is good, but I wouldn’t say it’s tempting, not at all.”

Head coach Kirk Ferentz and his staff also have had a lot to do with keeping Hogan committed.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Hogan said that other than taking visits to campus, he has been in frequent contact with the Iowa staff.

“I talk to (quarterbacks) coach (Ken) O’Keefe every week,” Hogan said. “I talk with (director of recruiting) Tyler Barnes and (special teams) coach LeVar Woods every couple of weeks and constantly over Twitter. I’ve been trying to recruit other kids over Twitter and that kind of stuff. Coach Ferentz writes to me every couple of weeks. It’s pretty cool, there’s just constant contact and a constant conversation going on.”

The quarterback position is arguably the toughest to play in all of sports and requires a great deal of confidence to excel.

And confidence is something that Hogan has in spades.

“First of all, just a winner,” Hogan said. “From elementary P.E. to varsity football games I’ve just won wherever I’ve stepped on the field. Don’t take that as coming across as cocky in any way, but I’m very confident I’m going to win games. That’s just who I am. Secondly, in terms of how I’m going to play the game, I’m a pro-style passer, that’s who I am.

“It’s going to be a mind game. I’m going to make the defensive coordinator at Ohio State pull his hair out. I’m going to enjoy it, that’s what I’m going to do. I love the whole chess game of it. The Iowa system is going to fit great and it’s going to translate to the next level for me. They’re going to get a pro-style quarterback and definitely somebody that’s going to win football games.”

To go along with that confidence, Hogan has set himself some lofty goals for his time at Iowa and beyond, including the chance to play in the National Football League.

“For me it’s a lot more team oriented,” Hogan said. “Personally, I want to play in the NFL, that’s what it is and they’re a translatable system. My personal goal is to do what I need to do to get to the next level, then Big Ten records, Iowa records, that would be great. Heisman Trophy, Davey O’Brien, that’s what I dream about. But I want to go, I want to win the Big Ten championship and get the opportunity to get to play in the College Football Playoff. There’s going to be big dogs we’re going to have to get through.

“I said I was a winner, but it’s very rare that I have the best team. We won the state title my freshman year and that team was truly great. But a lot of the times while I’ve grown up, the odds are not always in my favor. There’s nothing better than stepping into a hostile environment where you’re the underdog and coming out on top. That’s what I intend to do, win championships.”