Sometimes you see something you like and go right after it. That was the case with Iowa when it watched Dima Petrov kick a football last week. The Hawkeyes offered a full-ride scholarship to the specialist.

While the days of top kickers and punters walking on in hopes of maybe earning a scholarship when they were upperclassmen are gone, a junior picking up a scholarship is still uncommon. Iowa doing it gives it a leg up on whatever the competition might end up being.

“Iowa is definitely my No. 1 school at the moment,” he said. “Although it’s too early for me to make any big decisions, the likelihood of me becoming a Hawkeye is very high.”

Petrov (6-2, 190) also worked out for Wake Forest and UConn this month. The Hanover (N.H.) High all-stater was invited to camp at Virginia Tech, Arizona, Michigan State, Florida State and others. Interest in him is on the rise.

“Right now, it’s too early for me to make any big decisions. My plan is to commit in the next year or so, as soon as I’m 100 percent certain that I’ve found the right place. A lot of factors go into that, with the most significant one being education,” he said.

Petrov plans on majoring in Business. Iowa has a good one in the Tippie Business School.

“That was what my parents studied and then built their careers in, and I see my future in that same sphere,” he said.

The Hawkeyes did well in impressing a prospect visiting a state half a country away from his home.  

“I had a fantastic time exploring all the incredible facilities and campus. Coach (Chris) Polizzi and the rest of the Hawkeyes’ special teams staff were absolutely amazing and made the visit unforgettable. I also loved how proud and passionate the whole city seemed about the program, which is something that you don’t see often.”

Access to advanced technology at Iowa also stood out.

“The workout with the Trackman system helped me identify other areas for improvement in my kicking by providing precise numbers,” he said.

After leaving Iowa, Petrov was invited to the Chris Sailer Kicking Showcase on Sunday. Following his performance, he’s now the second-ranked kicker nationally in the 2028 Class. Perhaps more offers will be on the way.

For now, the Hawkeyes are the leaders in the clubhouse. Petrov is looking forward to visiting them again.

“I can’t wait to come back to Iowa, hopefully very soon. I’d love to go on a game-day visit and see how electric Kinnick (Stadium) gets. Although I don’t know the exact dates yet, my plan is to be back there in the next few months,” he said.