Iowa 4-star recruit Chevin Calloway still considering other schools
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz would prefer that football have an early signing period that is similar to what basketball has in November.
“There are some changes that need to be made,” Ferentz said. “Recruiting has changed. Hopefully, it will get done.”
Ferentz made that comment in July 2015, but more than a year later, nothing has changed.
College football still has just one national signing period that starts on the first Wednesday in February and lasts for one month.
The question is will prize defensive back recruit Chevin Calloway still be committed to Iowa in February? The four-star recruit from Dallas, Texas made a verbal commitment to Iowa on July 11 shortly after visiting the UI campus.
But he hasn’t stopped looking at other schools, including Arkansas where head coach Bret Bielema is trying to convince Calloway to switch his commitment to the Razorbacks.
“We’re real tight right now,” Calloway told Richard Davenport from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. “Coach Bielema hits me up a lot.”
It isn’t just Arkansas that has caught Calloway’s interest. He also told Davenport that he plans to take official visits to Iowa, Arkansas, Mississippi, Nebraska and Texas before making a final decision.
Arkansas could have an advantage, considering Calloway was born there and moved to Texas when he was 3-years old. Calloway told Davenport that he still has relatives in Arkansas who would like him to become a Razorback.
The Arkansas program has been on the upswing since Bielema, a former Iowa defensive lineman and assistant coach, was hired before the 2013 season.
Bielema excels as a recruiter and was instrumental in bringing in some of the key players who helped rebuild the Iowa program under Ferentz. Bielema coached at Iowa from 1994 to 2001, working under Ferentz for the last three seasons.
Bielema also was the head coach at Wisconsin from 2006 to 2012 before taking the Arkansas job.
Calloway, who attends Bishop Dunne High School in Dallas, is among six Texas natives who are currently committed to Iowa’s 2017 recruiting class.
He raved about Iowa shortly after making his verbal commitment live on Periscope.
"I wasn’t pressured by any players, commits or coaches because I’ve been getting that a lot from other colleges," Calloway said of his commitment to Iowa. "Instead, with research and prayer, I felt like this is the right school for me and I will love to make a difference and have a big impact on the team."
Verbal commitments aren’t official, so there is nothing to stop a prospect from switching his commitment before he signs a national letter of intent.
NCAA rules prohibit college coaches from commenting on a specific recruit before the recruit has signed a letter of intent.