Iowa Hawkeye Football Camp 8/11/11 & NFL Hawkeye Notes

The NFL season has finally arrived and 44 former Hawkeyes are preparing for their season just as the current Hawks are getting ready for Tennessee Tech.  Make sure to tune in and catch the following games and former Hawkeyes tonight:

7:30 PM - Miami Dolphins (AJ Edds) @ Atlanta Falcons (Jonathan Babineaux, Rob Bruggeman & Andrew Schulze)
7:30 PM - Cincinnati Bengals @ Detroit Lions (Amari Spievey & Ryan Donahue)
7:30 PM - Pittsburgh Steelers (Brett Greenwood) @ Washington Redskins
8:00 PM - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Adrian Clayborn) @ Kansas City Chiefs (Ricky Stanzi, Tony Moeaki & Casey Wiegmann)
8:00 PM - San Francisco 49ers @ New Orleans Saints (Mitch King & Jeremiha Hunter)


The Hawkeyes completed their 8th practice of Fall Camp yesterday and have practices number 9 and 10 today.  We have again included some flip cam footage from practice number 8 yesterday.  Make sure to stay tuned and check back later today for some footage from this mornings practice as the Big Ten Network is in town. 
 

Iowa Hawkeye Football Camp 8/9/11

The Iowa Hawkeye Football team took the field in full pads for the first time this fall.  The Hawkeyes were lucky to have two football greats from the state of Iowa attend practice today. 

Jared DeVries, former Hawkeye Consensus All-American was on hand to watch practice tonight as well as legendary Iowa native Chad Hennings. 

Hennings went to Benton Community High School and was coached by current Hawkeye O-Line coach Reese Morgan.  Hennings went on to play college football at the United States Air Force Academy where he would go on to win the Outland Trophy in his senior year as the nation's top interior lineman.  Hennings would eventually end up playing football for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990's and was part of the legendary Cowboy team that won 3 Super Bowls in 4 years.  In 2006, Hennings was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.  Providing great insight and details about his success, Hennings addressed the Hawkeye Football team on Tuesday night following practice and gave them words of encouragement for their upcoming season.

Below, we have linked some more flip cam footage of the Hawkeye's 5th practice of fall camp.  Stay tuned for more camp coverage over the next couple of weeks.

Iowa Hawkeye Football Camp 8/5/11

The Iowa Football season has officially begun and the Hawkeyes have concluded their first practice of the 2011 Fall Camp.  For those of you who have been waiting patiently for the last 7 months and cannot wait for the season to begin, we took a flip cam out to practice today and have linked some footage of the Iowa Quarterbacks and Wide Receivers below.  Keep checking the GoHawks Blog throughout fall camp for more updates, pictures and videos.  Go Hawks!

Hawkeye Draft Tidbits

When it comes to developing Football Players, Coach Ferentz and his Staff seem to have for the job.  For the second consecutive year, the Iowa Hawkeye Football program saw 6 players get drafted.  The Hawkeyes led the Big Ten in Draft Picks for the 2nd year in a row and the 6 Hawkeyes drafted were tied for 5th best in the nation.  Over the past two years, Iowa has now had 12 players drafted  and this number is good enough for third best in the nation, trailing only USC and Miami (FL).

Here is a little background and history of the Hawkeyes & the NFL Draft under Coach Ferentz:

• WIth Julian Vandervelde taken in the 5th round by the Philadelphia Eagles, Iowa now ranks atop the list of Offensive Linemen taken in the NFL Draft since 2003.  Both teams have had 11 offensive linemen drafted in the past 9 NFL Drafts.
• With 6 players being drafted this year, Coach Ferentz has now had 45 players drafted in the NFL Draft.  He has also had 52 players sign Free Agent contracts and this number does not include the Hawks who will go on to sign Free Agent contracts this year after the NFL comes to terms with the CBA.  That is a total of 97 former Hawks who have either been drafted or signed a Free Agent deal under Coach Ferentz.
• 26 different NFL Franchises have drafted a Hawkeye at some point in the past 12 NFL Drafts.  Only 6 NFL teams have not drafted a Hawkeye in that same time frame.
  
  Hawkeyes Drafted by Round under Coach Ferentz
  1st Round - 5
  2nd Round - 7
  3rd Round - 8
  4th Round - 6
  5th Round - 7
  6th Round - 8
  7th Round - 4
  Total Hawkeyes Drafted since 2000 NFL Draft - 45
  
  Number of Hawkeyes Drafted by Team under Coach Ferentz
  3 - Green Bay Packers
  3 - Indianapolis Colts
  3 - Oakland Raiders
  3 - St. Louis Rams
  2 - Atlanta Falcons
  2 - Buffalo Bills
  2 - Carolina Panthes
  2 - Denver Broncos
  2 - Kansas City Chiefs
  2 - Miami Dolphins
  2 - Minnesota Vikings
  2 - New York Jets
  2 - Philadelphia Eagles
  2 - San Diego Chargers
  2 - Tennessee Titans
  1 - Arizona Cardinals
  1 - Baltimore Ravens
  1 - Cincinnati Bengals
  1 - Detroit Lions
  1 - New England Patriots
  1 - New Orleans Saints
  1 - New York Giants
  1 - Pittsburgh Steelers
  1 - Seattle Seahawks
  1 - Tampa Bay Bucs
  1 - Washington Redskins
  0 - Chicago Bears
  0 - Cleveland Browns
  0 - Dallas Cowboys
  0 - Houston Texans
  0 - Jacksonville Jaguars
  0 - San Francisco 49ers
  

The 2011 NFL Draft is just hours away

The 2011 NFL Draft is almost upon us and there will be several Hawkeyes who will be waiting to hear their name called this weekend.  In last year's draft, Iowa had 6 players selected and had 1 more player sign as a free agent.  The 6 Iowa players drafted last year were the most Hawkeyes taken in an NFL draft under Coach Ferentz. 

With 9 Hawkeyes participating in the NFL Combine just a few months ago, the Hawks look to compete with that draft number from last year.  Here at Iowa Football, we put together a little pre-draft video and we want to wish all the former Hawkeyes good luck this weekend.  Hawkeye nation will be watching and following the draft all weekend long.

Coaches vs. Seniors Annual Softball Game

On Wednesday afternoon, the Iowa Coaches and Seniors got together for their annual softball game. Due to rain, the game was forced to take place inside the bubble this year. As always, the coaches edged out the seniors 4-3 in extra innings this year. Coach Ferentz got the win as the pitcher for the coaches while Markus Zusevics received the loss for the seniors. Senior Punter Eric Guthrie had all 3 RBIs for the seniors in an unlikely inside the park home run. The play of the night was a tie, going to Coach Wilson for turning a double play (which never happens in this game) and Coach Doyle for driving in the game winning run in extra innings. We have included some video clips below from the game. 
 

In case you missed Dallas Clark on Criminal Minds Wednesday Night...

Last night, former Hawkeye Tight End and current Indianapolis Colts Tight End Dallas Clark, made his acting debut on Criminal Minds.  Take a look at this video created by ESPN for a behind the scenes peak with Dallas. 

Spring Ball is winding down...

With 12 practices in the books, the Hawkeyes look to wrap up their final week of spring ball. Per NCAA rules, each division 1 football team is allowed 15 practices in the spring. Coach Ferentz and the Hawkeyes will utilize Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday for their final 3 practices.

On Saturday at noon sharp, the Hawkeyes will take the field at Kinnick Stadium for the last time this spring as the annual Spring Game will take place. As usual, the entry fee for the Spring Game will be 1 non-perishable canned good (a minor cost to see a couple of hours of Hawkeye Football if you ask me). If you are in or around town, make sure to head over to Kinnick and support the Hawks.

Make sure to check back on Thursday night for some updates and video from the Wednesday and Thursday practices.

Go Hawks Mobile App

For those of you with IPads or any type of mobile tablets, the Iowa Football Program partnered with Blue Chip Athletic Solutions to design the Go Hawks Football Mobile App.  This App is now available on ITunes if you would like to download it.  The App is free of charge and the mobile phone version will become available around April 8th.  Below are some screen shots of the App...be sure to check it out.

Hawkeyes involved in the Community

A special thanks to Darren Miller and Hawkeyesports.com for a great piece on the Hawkeye Football Players and their involvement in the Community.

Check out the article with the link below
http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/032411aab.html

Don't forget to check out the Photo Gallery as well
 http://www.hawkeyesports.com/view.gal?id=90373

Iowa Pro Day Interview with Rick Stanzi

Former Hawkeye Quarterback Rick Stanzi has been hard at work everyday since his Insight Bowl Victory in December.  Stanzi finished his career at Iowa with 26 wins, ranking second best among Iowa quarterbacks.  Stanzi also became the first quarterback in Iowa history to start and win 3 consecutive bowl games.  Rick was 1 of 14 former Hawkeyes that got the chance to show off their talent in front of 40 different NFL Scouts and coaches on Monday at the Iowa Pro Day.  We were able to catch up with Rick for a bit after the event and ask him a few questions about Pro Day and how he has prepared for the event.

Iowa Pro Day Interview with Strength & Conditioning Coach Chris Doyle

On several occassions during Pro Day, scouts were commenting about how professional and how well organized the Iowa Football Pro Day is in comparison with other programs.  This is all possible because of the work that Coach Doyle and his strength & conditioning staff put in.  When it comes to strenght & conditioning, many know that Coach Doyle is one of the best in the business.  Take a look at the video below to see what Coach Doyle had to say after the Iowa Pro Day.

Iowa Pro Day - News & Notes

Year in and year out, there is always news of former Hawkeyes making their mark in the NFL.  NFL personnel and coaching staffs alike are no strangers to the Hawkeye Football program and know what type of players they can expect to get out of Iowa.  In his 12 years at Iowa, Coach Ferentz and his staff have earned plenty of respect from NFL franchises all over the league.

"Typically with IOWA players, we get character, work ethic, dedication and football intangibles...it runs deep in this program and it's preached to these players.  The majority of players that you get out of this program are going to come into the NFL and not miss a beat.  That's a tribute to Kirk Ferentz and his staff, to strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle and his staff, and to the players."   - Scott Studwell (Director of College Scouting, Minnesota Vikings) 

The Iowa Hawkeyes hosted their NFL Pro Day just two days ago inside the Hayden Fry Football Complex.  NFL Scouts and Coaches representing all 32 NFL Franchises were in town to take a look at the 14 former Hawkeyes who participated in the Pro Day activities.

Among the 14 participants were:
QB - Rick Stanzi
FB - Brett Morse
TE - Allen Reisner
OL - Julian Vandervelde
DE - Adrian Clayborn
DL - Christian Ballard
DT - Karl Klug
LB - Jeremiha Hunter
LB - Troy Johnson
LB - Jeff Tarpinian
S - Brett Greenwood
S - Tyler Sash
LS - Andrew Schulze
P - Ryan Donahue


NFL Scouts and Coaches get some information from Coach Doyle prior to the start of Pro Day


Former Hawkeye Defensive End Adrian Clayborn attempting the Vertical Jump


Coach Ferentz takes some time to talk with NFL Personnel during the Pro Day event


Former Hawkeye Defensive Lineman Christian Ballard attempting the Vertical Jump


Adrian Clayborn working out as a Tight End?  Just kidding, Adrian working in some defensive drills for the scouts and defensive line coaches that were in attendance.

Make sure to check back regularly throughout the day today as we will be posting more pictures and several interviews with Coach Ferentz, Coach Doyle, Rick Stanzi and Christian Ballard following the Pro Day event.

Quick Interview with Former Hawkeye TE Tony Moeaki

 

We were able to catch up with former Hawkeye / current Kansas City Chief Tight End Tony Moeaki this past week.  Watch the video to see what he had to say about his future plans and the advice he would give to some of the younger guys who are going through training for the NFL right now. 

Check Back over Spring Break for interviews with Former Hawkeyes

Over the next week, we will be posting some short interviews with former Hawkeyes.  We will be talking with players that are currently in the NFL as well as some players who are currently training for the upcoming Pro Day at Iowa.

Hawkeye Defensive Linemen showing well at the 2011 NFL Combine

With the 2011 NFL Combine in its last day today, we will be posting links to various articles highlighting how the Hawkeyes faired at the combine.  This first article was written by Matt Bowen, a former Hawkeye Defensive Back at Iowa and a 6-year NFL Veteran. 

www.nationalfootballpost.com/Will-Iowa-produce-two-firstround-picks.html

Combine TV lineup on the NFL Network

For those of you that have the NFL Network, here is the TV lineup for this weekend.  Make sure to tune in and follow the 9 Hawkeyes that are going to be in Indianapolis displaying their talents for all 32 NFL Franchises. 

Saturday, February 26th
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Kickers, Offensive Linemen & Tight Ends
(Ryan Donahue, Julian Vandervelde & Allen Reisner)

Sunday, February 27th
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Running Backs, Quarterbacks & Wide Receivers
(Ricky Stanzi)

Monday, February 28th
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Linebackers & Defensive Linemen
(Jeremiah Hunter, Adrian Clayborn, Christian Ballard & Karl Klug)

Tuesday, March 1st
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Defensive Backs
(Tyler Sash)

Allen Reisner at the NFL Combine

Check out this video of Allen Reisner in a brief interview at the NFL Combine.  Special thanks to our friends at Hawkeye Report for posting this video.  

 iowa.rivals.com/content.asp

The Combine is Upon Us...

Today is officially the 2nd full day of the NFL Combine.  Yesterday, 3 Hawkeyes left for the Combine (Allen Reisner, Julian Vandervelde & Ryan Donahue).  Today, Iowa Quarterback Ricky Stanzi will leave for Indianapolis as well.  Stay tuned as we will post the television schedule and workout schedule for all of our guys at the Combine this week.

Former Hawkeye Bryan Bulaga is a Super Bowl Champion

Not only did Bryan Bulaga make history this past Sunday, he also joined an elite group of former Hawkeyes that have won the Super Bowl.

Bulaga became the youngest player to ever start a Super Bowl contest at the ripe old age of 21 years and 322 days old.  Bulaga played in all 20 games for the Packers this year, starting 16 of those games at Right Tackle. 

Bulaga joins Dallas Clark & Bob Sanders (2007 Super Bowl Champions - Indianapolis Colts), Erik Jensen (2006 Super Bowl Champion - Pittsburgh Steelers), and Kevin Kasper & Zeron Flemister (2005 Super Bowl Champions - New England Patriots) as the only Hawkeyes that played under Head Coach Kirk Ferentz to go on and win a Super Bowl. 

Hawkeyes top the Big Ten in number of 2011 NFL Combine Invitees

For the second straight year, the Iowa Hawkeye Football Team has lead the Big Ten Conference in number of NFL Combine Invitees.  9 Hawkeyes will be invited to Indianapolis to showcase their talent for NFL Scouts, General Managers and Owners.  The 9 Hawkeyes invited to the NFL combine is the second most in the nation, only trailing UNC.

Last year, the Hawkeyes had 7 players invited to the NFL Combine and saw 6 of those players drafted in the 2010 NFL Draft.

The 2011 NFL Combine will take place February 23rd through March 1st and live coverage will be available on the NFL Network.  Make sure to tune in and follow your favorite Hawkeyes in the week long event.

The list of Hawkeyes includes:
QB - Ricky Stanzi
TE - Allen Reisner
OL - Julian Vandervelde
DL- Christian Ballard
DE - Adrian Clayborn
DT - Karl Klug
LB - Jeremiah Hunter
S - Tyler Sash
P - Ryan Donahue

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Damon Bullock

Damon Bullock

Running Back

6-0, 195, Freshman

Mansfield, TX

(Mansfield HS)

High school honors - - Named to Top 50 Player list in Dallas/Fort Worth area as a senior . . . named 5-A District and team Most Valuable Offensive Player as a senior . . . Career - - three year letterman in football and track . . . team captain as a senior, leading team to 8-2 record and into the state playoffs . . . holds school record with six touchdowns in a game . . . set personal best of 248 rushing yards in a game as a senior . . . had 235 rushing attempts for 1,606 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior . . . played in just three games as a junior due to injury, rushing for 350 yards and scoring four touchdowns.
Personal - - Born 4/29/93 in Baltimore, MD . . . sports marketing major . . . member of National Society of High School Scholars . . . parents are Kimberly and Roscoe Handy . . . high school coach was Jeff Hulme.

2011 Commit Class Notes

Notes on the Newest 23 Iowa Hawkeyes

• QB Jake Rudock played for prep team that was named national champion in two of the last three years
• Eight of the 23 players were selected to national all-star games
• Five of the 23 players played on teams that won state championships
• 18 of the 23 players earned all-state honors
• 20 of the 23 players helped their teams to the state playoffs
• 19 of the 23 players were team captain as seniors
• 14 of the 23 players earned academic honors
• The 23 players come from 12 different states

2011 Iowa Football Recruits by Position

Defensive Back (4)

Torrey Campbell

Cole Fisher

Nico Law

Jordan Lomax

Defensive Line (3)

Darian Cooper

Riley McMinn

John Raymon

Linebacker (3)

Quinton Alston

Marcus Collins

Melvin Spears

Offensive Line (3)

Austin Blythe

Dan Heiar

Jordan Walsh

Quarterback (1)

Jake Rudock

Running Back (4)

Damon Bullock
Jordan Canzeri
Rodney Coe

Mika’il McCall

Tight End (3)

Jake Duzey

Ray Hamilton

Henry Krieger-Coble

Wide Receiver (2)

Marcus Grant

Jacob Hillyer

 

2011 Iowa Football Recruits by State

Florida (2)

Torrey Campbell

Jake Rudock

Illinois (4)

Rodney Coe

Mika’il McCall

Riley McMinn

Jordan Walsh 

Iowa (3)

Austin Blythe

Dan Heiar

Henry Krieger-Coble 

Massachusetts (1)

Marcus Grant

Maryland (3)

Darian Cooper

Nico Law

Jordan Lomax 

Michigan (1)

Jake Duzey

Nebraska (1)

Cole Fisher

New Jersey (1)

Quinton Alston 

New York (1)

Jordan Canzeri 

Ohio (1)

Ray Hamilton

Pennsylvania (2)

Marcus Collins

John Raymon 

Texas (3)

Damon Bullock
Jacob Hillyer

Melvin Spears

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Darian Cooper

Darian Cooper

Defensive Line

6-2, 280 - Freshman

Elkridge, MD

(DeMatha HS)

High school honors - - Two-time third team all-conference honoree . . . All-Conference first team selection senior year . . . All-Metro Defensive MVP senior year . . . All-State first team selection senior year. . . DeMatha High School Defensive MVP senior year . . . Career - - helped prep squad to an 11-1 record in his senior year and a 9-3 record his junior year . . . team captain as a senior . . . completed career with 30 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 5 batted passes. . . had 12 sacks and 2 batted passes as a junior . . . had 10 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 3 batted passes as a senior . . . earned varsity letters in football (3) and track (4).
Personal - - Born 1/5/93 . . . business major . . . mother is Catherine Cooper-Grogans . . . high school coach was Bill McGregor. Attended the same high school as current Hawkeye, Marcus Coker and future Hawkeye, Jordan Lomax.

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit John Raymon

John Raymon

Defensive End

6-5, 240, Freshman

Richboro, PA

(Council Rock North HS)

High school honors - - Named to Lemming’s Prep Football All-American team as a senior . . . Career - - played in just three games as a senior due to injury, recording 28 tackles . . . returned to action in final two games of the season, recording eight tackle on defense and eight pancake blocks on offense in final game . . . recorded 59 tackles as a junior, including four sacks, and collected eight pass break-ups . . . two-year letterman in football as defensive end and tight end . . . also earned three letters in basketball and two in track.
Personal - - Born 6/6/92 . . . open major . . . parents are Trish and Jack Finney . . . high school coach was Adam Collachi.

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Jordan Canzeri

Jordan Canzeri

Running Back

5-9, 177 - Freshman

Troy, NY

(Troy HS)

High school honors - - All-Area punt returner his junior year . . . New York Section 2 Class A Player of the Year junior year . . . New York Section 2 Southeast All-Star Division Player of the Year junior year . . . Third Team All-State junior year . . . Offensive MVP of the State Semi-final game senior year . . . Offensive MVP of the Regional Playoffs senior year . . . First Team All-State Running Back senior year. . . Career - - helped prep squad to state championship game in 2010, compiling a 12-1 record, as well as a 9-1 record in his junior year . . . team captain as a senior . . . rushed for 1,252 yards in junior year . . . had 2,048 yards rushing, 33 rushing TD’s, 3 special teams TD’s in senior season . . . was the first running back to rush for 1,000 yards in back to back seasons in his school history, also the first running back to rush for over 2,000 yards in one season in his school’s history . . . set a school record for most rushing TD’s (33) and overall TD’s (36) in a single season . . . earned varsity letters in football (2) and track (4). 

Personal - - Born 2/18/93 . . . sociology/criminal justice interest . . . NYSPHSAA Scholar Athlete Team Award senior year . . . parents are Brian and Regina Canzeri . . . high school coach was Jack Burger.

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Marcus Collins

Marcus Collins

Linebacker

6-0, 215, Freshman

Yeadon, PA


(Monsignor Bonner HS)

High school honors - - Named Best Defensive Player in Philadelphia Catholic League as a senior . . . second team all-state as a senior . . . Earned first team all-Catholic League and first team all-County as a senior . . . Career - - earned three letters in football as outside linebacker . . . recorded 87 tackles as a senior, including 15 QB sacks, in helping team advance to state playoffs . . . also had three forced fumbles and two interceptions . . . collected 30 tackles as a junior and 25 stops as a sophomore . . . also earned four letters in track and three in wrestling . . . district wrestling champion as a junior.

Personal - - Born 9/18/92 . . . marketing major . . . parents are Allison Collins and Michael Collins . . . high school coach was Tom Oropeza.

Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Austin Blythe

Austin Blythe (BLYTH)

Offensive Line

6-3, 285, Freshman

Williamsburg, IA

(Williamsburg HS)

High school honors - - Two-time first team all-state honoree . . . three-time first team all-district selection . . . Ed Thomas Award nominee . . . Career - - helped prep squad to state playoff appearances in 2008, 2009 and 2010, compiling 28-5 overall record . . . team captain as a senior . . . completed career with 123 tackles, 40 tackles for loss, 14 QB sacks and three fumble recoveries . . . had 20 tackles, five tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries as a sophomore . . . collected 40 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and five QB sacks as a junior . . . had 63 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and nine QB sacks as a senior . . . earned state heavyweight wrestling title as a sophomore and junior . . . earned varsity letters in football (3), wrestling (4) and track (4).

Personal - - Born 6/16/92 . . . undecided on a major . . . member of prep Honor Roll and National Honor Society . . . parents are Mary and Curt Blythe . . . high school coach was Curt Richie.

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Mika'il McCall

Mika’il McCall (Mik-a-el)

Running Back

6-0, 215, Freshman

Dolton, IL

(Thornridge HS)

High school honors - - Earned honorable mention all-state honors as a junior . . . was first team all-conference as a junior and senior . . . Career - - rushed for 1,328 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior . . . gained 962 yards and scored 16 touchdowns as a junior . . . scored 12 touchdowns while rushing for 1,208 yards as a sophomore . . . rushed for 1,072 yards and 10 touchdowns as a freshman . . . also lettered in track and basketball.

Personal - - Born 2/14/93 in Martinsville, VA . . . athletic training major . . . mother is Shirley Watson . . . father, Oliver, is former heavyweight boxing champion . . . high school coach was Mike Morrissey.

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Recruit Nico Law

Nico Law

Defensive Back

6-1, 180, Freshman

Clinton, MD

(Bishop McNamara)

High school honors - - First team all-state, first team WCAC all-conference, second team all-metro, Big School second team defense and Catholic All-American third team as a senior . . . second team WCAC all-conference and honorable mention Big School all-state as a junior . . . Career - - led team with 106 tackles as a senior, 31 tackles for loss and four interceptions, while playing both cornerback and safety . . . also scored three touchdowns as wide receiver . . . finished with 67 tackles, four QB sacks and two interceptions as a junior . . . helped team to the playoffs in 2009, finishing with an 8-3 record . . . team captain as a senior . . . lettered in both football and track.

Personal - - Born 5/12/93 . . . given name is Nicholas . . . open major . . . member of prep Honor Roll, graduating cum laude . . . parents are Melody and Harry Thornton . . . high school coach was Bryce Bevill.

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Melvin Spears

Melvin Spears

Linebacker

6-2, 224, Freshman

Allen, TX

(Allen HS)

High school honors - - Two-time unanimous first team all-conference selection . . . 2010 district defensive Most Valuable Player . . . 2010 Collin County Defensive Most Valuable Player . . . Dallas Morning News Defensive Player of the Year finalist . . . all-Dallas/Fort Worth first team linebacker . . . second team all-conference selection as a sophomore . . . Career - - finished with 250 tackles (159 solo), 16 tackles for loss, seven QB sacks, three interceptions and five forced fumbles during his three-year varsity career . . . helped team post a 35-5 record, which included an 18-1 district mark, and a 2008 state championship . . . led team to Bi-District title as both a junior and senior . . . team captain as a senior . . . totaled 105 tackles (67 solo), with four tackles for loss, two QB sacks, five forced fumbles and three interceptions as a senior . . . collected 91 tackles (57 solo) with 10 tackles for loss and two QB sacks as a junior . . . recorded 54 tackles (35 solo), with three QB sacks, as a sophomore.

Personal - - Born 11/6/92 . . . engineering major . . . member of the National Honor Society, graduating with a 3.50 GPA . . . parents are Christi and Melvin Spears . . . high school coach was Tom Westerberg.

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Ray Hamilton

Ray Hamilton

Tight End

6-5, 235, Freshman

Strongsville, OH

(Strongsville HS)

High school honors - - DVT Sports High School and U.S. Air Force All-American . . . nominated for the US Army All-American Bowl/Under Armor All-American game . . . participated in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in Myrtle Beach, S.C . . . preseason All-American by The Sporting News . . . named Post Newspaper 2010 Player of the Year . . . first team all-state as a senior . . . third team all-state as a junior . . . three time Sun Newspaper all-area team and three-time first team all-conference selection . . . named to the Cleveland Plain Dealer all-Northwest Ohio team . . . Career - - had 119 career receptions for 1,189 yards and 23 touchdowns . . . averaged 15.2 yards per catch . . . had 55 receptions for 887 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior . . . had 22 receptions as a sophomore and 20 as a junior before missing part of season due to injury . . . team captain as a senior . . . led team to conference title and state regional semifinal in 2008 . . . four year letterman in both football and basketball.

Personal - - 10/28/92 . . . open major . . . three-time academic all-conference selection in both football and basketball . . . parents are Liz and Tom Hamilton . . . high school coach was Russ Jacques.

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Jake Duzey

Jake Duzey (DO-zee)

Tight End

6-4, 224, Freshman

Troy, MI

(Athens HS)

High school honors - - Named to Rivals.com all-state Dream Team as a senior . . . first team all-state, all-conference, all-region and all-area as a senior . . . first team all-conference and all-area and second team all-region as a junior . . . second team all-area and all-region as a sophomore . . . named Count on Me Player of the Year, team MVP and Hawk of the Year as a senior . . . ranked No. 10 Michigan Blue Chip Player by Detroit News . . . nominated for Mr. Football and Detroit Athletic Club Michigan High School Athlete of the Year . . . team offensive Player of the Year as a junior . . . Career - - started at both wide receiver and defensive end as a senior . . . holds school records for receptions, receiving yards, touchdown receptions, average per reception, all-purpose yards and all-purpose yards per game . . . ranks second in career touchdown receptions . . . three-year football letterman as tight end, wide receiver, defensive end and safety . . . 38 receptions for 629 yards and four touchdowns as senior, along with 34 rushing attempts for 173 yards . . . also used on punt and kickoff returns, with one kickoff return touchdown . . . 37 receptions for 535 yards and six touchdowns as a junior . . . gained 271 yards on 16 receptions and had two touchdowns as a sophomore . . . team captain as a junior and senior . . . also lettered three years in basketball and one year in baseball.

Personal - - Born 1/17/93 . . . science major . . . Honor Roll and Scholar Athlete for four years . . . parents are Laura Duzey and the late Greg Duzey . . . high school coach was Josh Heppner.

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Henry Krieger-Coble

Henry Krieger-Coble (CREE-gir COE-ble)

Tight End

6-4, 210, Freshman

Mount Pleasant, IA

(Mount Pleasant HS)

High school honors - - Elite all-state and first team 3A all-state honoree as a senior . . . three-time first team all-district selection . . . Career - - helped team to 2008 state quarterfinals and to 2010 playoffs . . . finished with an 11-1 overall record as a sophomore . . . was a 2010 team leader as a senior . . . had 35 receptions for 612 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior . . . recorded 108 tackles on defense (57 solo), including eight tackles for loss, and had three interceptions . . . had 34 receptions for 491 yards and six touchdowns in five games as a junior . . . recorded 38 tackles (18 solo), defensively . . . had 34 catches for 661 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore . . . recorded 102 tackles (34 solo) and one interception . . . earned varsity letters in football (3), basketball (4) and baseball (4).

Personal - - Born 6/12/92 . . . open major . . . academic all-conference honoree . . . parents are Amy Krieger and Mark Coble… mother, Amy, played softball at Iowa . . . relatives Jess Settles, Brad Carlson, Emma Krieger-Kittle and Bruce Kittle all competed for the Hawkeyes . . . high school coach was Bob Jensen.

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Cole Fisher

Cole Fisher

 

Defensive Back

6-2, 195, Freshman

Omaha, NE

(Millard North HS)

High school honors - - Was an all-class first team super state selection and a two-time Class A first team all-state honoree . . . twice named first team all-conference . . . Career - - collected 246 tackles and three interceptions during his three-year prep career, playing running back and free safety . . . team captain as a junior and senior . . . led team to 2010 state championship, finishing with an 11-2 record . . . also guided team to 2009 state playoffs . . . recorded 62 tackles as a sophomore . . . had 90 tackles and one interception as a junior . . . finished with 94 tackles, three interceptions and scored one touchdown as a senior . . . earned varsity letters in football (4) and basketball (1).

Personal - - Born 8/12/92 . . . engineering major . . . earned four academic letters . . . parents are Cathy and Todd Fisher . . . high school coach was Fred Petito.

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Jordan Walsh

Jordan Walsh

Offensive Line

6-4, 260, Freshman

Glendale Heights, IL

(Glenbard West HS)

High school honors - - Offense-Defense All-American and second team Rivals All-American as a senior . . . named first team all-state by the Illinois Coaches Association, Rivals and Chicago Tribune as both a junior and senior . . . named to six all-area teams, including the Pioneer Press, DuPage County Daily Herald, Tom Lemming/NCSA, Chicago Sun Times and ESPN Chicago, as a junior and senior . . . two-time first team all-conference selection by the West Suburban Silver coaches . . . was a junior All-American by MaxPreps . . . named the Chicago Sun Times and Sportspower.com Player of the Week during junior campaign . . . Career - - three-year starter in offensive line at either guard or tackle, helping prep team post three-year record of 35-4 . . . led prep team to three consecutive conference championship and a runner-up state finish as a junior, a semifinal appearance as a sophomore and a quarterfinal showing as a senior . . . had 206 pancake blocks and did not allow a sack during three-year varsity career . . . earned varsity letters in football, wrestling and track.

Personal - - Born 12/11/92 . . . open major . . . parents are Natalie and Orlando Walsh… high school coach was Chad Hetlet.

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Riley McMinn

Riley McMinn

Defensive End

6-7, 219, Freshman

Rochester, IL

(Rochester HS)

High school honors - - First team Chicago Tribune all-state, second team Chicago Sun Times all-state and first team all-state selection as a senior . . . three-time first team all-conference honoree . . . Career - - three-year starter, finishing with 196 tackles, 28.5 QB sacks, 33 tackles for loss and three blocked punts . . . led team to a three playoff appearances and a 33-4 record during three-year prep career . . . guided team to 2010 state title, finishing with a perfect 14-0 record . . . team captain as a junior and senior . . . compiled 49 tackles and 5.5 QB sacks as a sophomore . . . recorded 67 tackles, 10 QB sacks, 16 tackles for loss and three blocked punts as a junior . . . totaled 80 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 13 QB sacks as a senior.

Personal - - Born 7/7/92 . . . journalism major . . . named to pre Honor Roll all four years, finishing with a 4.0 GPA . . . academic all-conference selection . . . member of National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society . . . parents are Janet and Drew McMinn . . . high school coach was Derek Leonard.

2011 Commit Class Highlights

All of the highlight videos that are available on the blog will also be made available on our YouTube page (search GoHawksTV) as soon as each commit becomes official.

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Jake Rudock

Jake Rudock (RUE-dock)

Quarterback

6-3, 185, Freshman

Weston, FL

(St. Thomas Aquinas HS)

High school honors - - Named Broward County Player of the Year as a senior . . . South Florida Player of the Year by South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Scion South Florida High School Football Show . . . named to All-Southern USA team . . . Old Spice USA Player of the Year by USA Today . . . first team all-county by South Florida Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald . . . Player of the Year nominee as a junior and second team all-county by South Florida Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald . . . three-time Player of the Week by South Florida Sun-Sentinel . . . Career - - led prep team to district, regional state and national championship as a senior with perfect 15-0 record . . . team earned district and regional titles with 14-1 record as a junior . . . team posted 15-0 mark as a sophomore, earning district, regional, state and national championship . . . team posted 14-1 record as a freshman, earning district, regional and state titles . . . holds single game school records for passing yards (333) and touchdowns (5) . . . holds single season school records for passing yards (2,827), touchdown passes (36), pass completions (157), pass attempts (242), completion percentage (65%) and efficiency rating (210%) . . . holds career records for total yards (5,082), touchdown passes (73), completions (301), attempts (467), completion percentage (64%), efficiency rating (200%), wins as starting quarterback (31), state championships (3) and national titles (2) . . . completed 157-242 pass attempts for 2,827 yards and 36 touchdowns, with three interceptions as a senior . . . completed 15-20 passes for 333 yards and four touchdowns in nationally televised contest . . . as a junior completed 128-197 attempts for 1,945 yards and 34 touchdowns, with five interceptions . . . team captain . . . earned four letters in football and three in baseball, playing shortstop and first base . . . member of youth baseball team that twice won both Florida and national titles.

Personal - - Born 1/21/93 . . . pre-medicine major . . . Principle Honors, 2007-11 . . . National Honor Society, 2009-11 . . . 2010 United States Marine Corps honor . . . Courage and Commitment Award . . . 2010 Florida High School Athletic Association Orange Bowl Committee Scholar Athlete Award . . . parents are Kathy and Bob Rudock. . . high school coach was George Smith.

Signing Day and a Snow Day = Great Day

For those of you who are stuck at home and snowed in, we hope we can make your day a bit more exciting with the updates on all of our Future Hawkeyes...if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to tweet them to HawkeyeFootball (http://twitter.com/hawkeyefootball).

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Torrey Campbell

Torrey Campbell (TOR-ee)

Defensive Back

5-11, 183, Freshman

Naples, FL

(Barron Collier HS)

High school honors - - Named first team all-conference as a freshman and sophomore . . . Career - - team advanced to state playoffs as a junior and senior, posting a 24-9 over his final three seasons . . . rushed 37 times for 300 yards and four touchdowns as a senior . . . recorded 48 tackles, 10 pass break-ups and one tackle for loss on defense . . . rushed for 552 yards and six touchdowns on 73 attempts as a junior . . . rushed 159 times for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore . . . team captain as a senior . . . earned four varsity letters as running back and defensive back . . . also lettered four times in track (hurdles and sprints).

Personal - - Born 11/27/92 . . . open major . . . parents are Jennifer and Charlie Campbell . . . high school coach was Mark Ivey.

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Rodney Coe

Rodney Coe

Running Back

6-3, 238, Freshman

Glen Carbon, IL

(Edwardsville HS)

High school honors - - Participated in U.S. Army All-American game . . . 2009 Alton Telegraph Player of the Year . . . two-time first team all-conference selection as a running back . . . third team all-conference linebacker as a junior . . . second team all-conference running back as a sophomore and second team News Democrat honoree . . . named to the 2009 ESPN 150 Watch List and was a MaxPreps sophomore All-American . . . Career - - rushed for 2,515 yards, with 32 touchdowns and had 13 catches for 208 yards with three touchdowns . . . recorded 65 tackles, with six QB sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception . . . helped team to a state playoff appearance as a junior . . . rushed 14 times for 151 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman . . . had 118 attempts for 912 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore . . . rushed for 898 yards and 13 touchdowns on 106 carries as a junior . . . had 102 carries for 554 yards and six touchdowns as a senior, along with 10 catches for 185 yards with three touchdowns.

Personal - - Born 5/18/93 . . . open major . . . parents are Lois and Floyd Ramsey . . . high school coaches were Mark Bliss and Matt Martin.

More to come...

These are the first four guys who have sent papers in as of 7:30 AM.  We will keep posting updates as the papers come in throughout the day

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Jacob Hillyer

Jacob Hillyer (HILL-yur)

Wide Receiver

6-4, 195, Freshman

Somerset, TX

(Somerset HS)

High school honors - - First team all-state selection as a senior . . . named first team all-conference as a junior and senior . . . second team all-conference as a sophomore . . . Career - - completed prep career with 180 receptions for 2,879 yards and 27 touchdowns . . . holds Somerset HS career records in all three categories . . . ranks second all-time in San Antonio area in career receiving yards and catches . . . led team to state quarterfinals in 2010 and bi-districts in 2008 . . . team captain as a junior and senior . . . recorded 87 catches for 1,647 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior . . . had 72 catches for 1,024 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior . . . had 16 catches for 208 yards and one touchdown as a sophomore . . . earned letters in football, basketball and track . . . member of 4x400-meter relay team that holds school record with a time of 4:27.20 . . . ran third leg in 50.57.

Personal - - Born 12/17/91 . . . open major . . . parents are Jeanna and Lee-Roy Hillyer . . . high school coach was Sonney Detmer.

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Jordan Lomax

Jordan Lomax

Defensive Back

5-10, 185, Freshman

Upper Marlboro, MD

(DeMatha HS)

High school honors - - Selected for Chesapeake Senior Bowl as a senior . . . named honorable mention all-Metro, second team all-county and first team all-conference as a senior . . . third team all-conference as a junior . . . Career - - played cornerback and contributed on special teams throughout career . . . recorded 52 tackles, six pass break-ups and two interceptions as a senior, with one touchdown . . . recorded 56 tackles, eight pass break-ups, one interception and two fumble recoveries as a junior . . . team captain as a senior . . . helped team advance to state playoffs in last three seasons . . . team won conference title his sophomore year and placed second as junior and senior . . . also lettered in track as sprinter, running on 4 x 400-meter relay team that ranked second in the U.S.

Personal - - Born 10/13/93 in Fairfax, VA . . . open major . . . Principle’s List, 2010 and Academic Honors Student with 4.0 GPA . . . parents are Pamela and Earnest Lomax. . . high school coach was Bill McGregor.

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Recruit Quinton Alston

Quinton Alston

Linebacker

6-1, 220, Freshman

Sicklerville, NJ

(Timber Creek Regional HS)

High school honors - - Selected to compete in Chesapeake Bowl as a regional all-star as a senior, despite missing majority of final season due to injury . . . first team all-Group III and all-conference as a junior, while earning second team all-state honors . . . Career - - saw action in just two games as a senior due to injury . . . recorded 80 tackles, including four QB sacks and 12 tackles for loss, as a junior . . . recorded six tackles while playing for North team in Chesapeake Bowl . . . two-year team captain while helping team make three straight playoff appearances . . . earned three letters in football as linebacker, defensive end and running back.

Personal - - Born 9/7/93 in Philadelphia, PA . . . business or pre-physical therapy major . . . earned academic recognition in each of last four years . . . parents are Connie and Quinton Alston . . . high school coach was Rob Hinson.

2011 Iowa Hawkeye Football Commit Marcus Grant

Marcus Grant

Wide Receiver

6-3, 195, Freshman

North Carver, MA

(Lawrence Academy)

High school honors - - ESPN Boston Top 10 student-athlete as a senior . . . two-time all-New England selection . . . three-time first team all-conference honoree . . . honorable mention all-conference as a freshman . . . two-time Boston Herald all-Scholastic selection . . . played in the NVC All World Football Classic . . . Career - - led team to a 35-4 record during his prep career . . . helped team to one New England championship, one New England runner-up showing and two league titles . . . two-time team captain . . . had 22 catches for 413 yards and six touchdowns as a junior, along with 25 rushes for 394 yards and four touchdowns … also had two punt returns for touchdowns . . . had 26 catches for 557 yards and eight scores, to go along with 13 rushes for 132 yards, as a senior . . . also threw two touchdown passes during senior campaign . . . also was a basketball letterman.

Personal - - Born 2/28/92 . . . open major . . . Honor Roll student, with a 3.1 grade point average . . . parents are Roberta and Michael Grant . . . high school coach was Mike Taylor.

Signing Day is upon us...

After taking that long and dangerous drive, we are in the football office and waiting for our compliance staff to give us the go to officially release the recruit info

Signing Day is less than a day away...

What could be better than a snow day on Signing Day??  The office has settled down a bit as coaches and staff are trying to put the final touches on this year's recruiting class.

2011 Iowa Football Commit - Dan Heiar

Dan Heiar

Offensive Line

6-5, 285, Sophomore

Charlotte, IA (NE Goose Lake HS)

(Iowa Western CC)

Junior College honors -- First team all-Midwest Football Conference selection as a sophomore… second team all-region XI honoree as a freshman… Career -- helped Iowa Western claim the Midwest Football Conference Championship, finishing with a 9-2 overall record in 2010, which included an appearance in the Zions Top of the Mountain Bowl… ranked the 21st best junior college prospect by 247 Sports for the class of 2011.

High school honors -- Second team all-state honoree as a senior… three-time first team all-conference selection… Career -- helped prep team to a 22-8 record during three years on varsity, which included state playoff appearances in 2008 and 2009… team posted a 10-1 mark as a junior and a 7-3 record as a senior… earned varsity letters in football (3), basketball (3) and track and field (1).

Personal -- Born 11/14/90… open major… parents are Paul and Lynn Heiar… high school coach was Jeremy Moiser… junior college coach was Scott Strohmeier.