Three-star defensive lineman Caden Crawford discusses commitment to Iowa
Kansas native is second player to commit to Iowa's 2022 recruiting class
By Tyler Devine
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Like many high school prospects during the COVID-19 pandemic, three-star defensive lineman Caden Crawford decided to verbally commit to a school he had never seen in person.
The Lansing, Kansas, native announced his committed to the Hawkeyes on Wednesday via Twitter.
“I just was really comfortable with (defensive line) coach (Kelvin) Bell,” Crawford said. “And I really believed I fit well in their program with everything they’re doing. I feel like the development of players, they’re almost second-to-none nationally. I just really thought that it would be the best fit for me program wise and school wise, too.”
The NCAA recently extended its recruiting dead period through May 31 which prohibits in-person contact between coaches and recruits.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Crawford said the decision was difficult, but he ultimately decided it was the right time.
Crawford said he hopes to visit Iowa sometime in March.
“I visited Nebraska and Kansas State and I’ve been to both of those places before I did my self-guided tour a few weeks ago for both those places,” Crawford said. “I just kind of thought about it. I was sitting there, and I knew scholarships were going to be low because of the eligibility clock freezing. And I thought to myself, ‘This is where you want to go’.”
Crawford joins four-star defensive lineman Aaron Graves in the class.
Graves, a native of Gowrie, Iowa, announced his verbal commitment to the Hawkeyes in June 2019 and has been an integral part in the recruitment of Crawford.
“He was huge,” Crawford said. “He was texting me all the time. When I first got offered he texted me either that day or the next day, and we’ve been close pretty much ever since. We’ve been talking for about six months and I just think he’s really helped me learn a lot about the program and told me some stuff. He sent me videos and talked about the coaching staff and the history of the program. He’s been really helpful throughout this process.”