IOWA CITY, Iowa — A slow start to recruiting in June ends in a flourish this week with a dozen commits signing their letters of intent and a handful more projected to select Iowa as their next home.
The start of the early signing period comes 11 days from the Hawkeyes’ forgettable performance in the Big Ten championship game and 17 from a date with Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl. Highly ranked prospects like safety Xavier Nwankpa and defensive lineman Aaron Graves officially will join the program as will some development projects.
Let’s take a look at where Iowa stands before the day unfolds.
Come home 🐤🐤 pic.twitter.com/CV2PX2X2Mr
— Xavier “X” Nwankpa (@xaviernwankpa01) December 13, 2021
Status check
According to 247Sports composite rankings, Iowa enters signing day at No. 40 nationally and ninth in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes have 12 pledges and all plan to sign letters of intent Wednesday.
There likely will be a handful of additional signings Wednesday after decisions are made by several prospects. It’s possible a few other players will exit the program after the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, and a few seniors could return for an extra season. The staff will re-evaluate any available high school seniors for the traditional signing day on Feb. 2, as well as potential transfer portal candidates.
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Recruiting director Tyler Barnes has put together a recruiting chart that he and the staff references almost daily to make sure they are on target at all positions.
“It’s extremely fluid, but it’s something that I enjoy doing,” Barnes said. “I kind of look at that chart every single day and especially as we get later into the process where we’re talking about, ‘Hey, maybe we only need to take one linebacker in this class, but we’ve got two guys we feel really good about. How’s this going to affect our numbers and where are we taking the spot from? Who’s going to be light next year, what position is going to be light?
“We’ve got a great staff and they all understand it, and they get it and they’re good with it if we need to rob Peter to pay Paul at one position. The numbers are never perfect. They’re never, ever on goal. I try my hardest. It’s never going to be perfect, but you can’t get too far away from those numbers.”
Six Iowa players have left the program this fall so far. They include junior receiver Tyrone Tracy, sophom*ores Josiah Miamen (TE) and Desmond Huston (WR) and redshirt freshmen Deuce Hogan (QB), Quavon Matthews (WR) and Isaiah Bruce (DL). In addition, running back Tyler Goodson declared for the NFL draft.
The Hawkeyes currently have 76 players on scholarship but 13 are seniors. Four current seniors used their extra year of eligibility this season, and potential super-senior candidate Riley Moss accepted his Senior Bowl invitation. It’s undetermined yet if any of the other eight seniors will return for an extra year.
Iowa 2022 scholarship breakdown
| Pos. | Commits | T-Fr. | R-Fr. | So. | Jr. | Sr. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
QB | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
RB | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
WR | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
TE | 2 | 2 | 1 | |||
OL | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
DL | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
LB | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
DB | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
ST | 1 | 3 | ||||
Totals | 12 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 17 | 13 |
Potential commits
Iowa has targeted six players who will sign their letters of intent Wednesday. They include:
CB Olando Trader will sign at 1:30 p.m. CT in the Jackson (Mich.) High School library. Trader, a first-team all-state performer remains a Central Michigan commit but took an official visit to Iowa last weekend and will choose between the programs.
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CB T.J. Hall Jr. will sign at 3 p.m. CT at San Joaquin Memorial High School gym in Fresno, Calif. Hall (6-0, 166) previously was committed to Arizona and has four Pac-12 offers. Hall visited Iowa officially in October and returned last weekend for an unofficial visit. It appears Iowa and Washington are the finalists.
DE Keyron Crawford (6-5, 235), from Briarcrest Christian School in Eads, Tenn., will commit and sign on Wednesday. Crawford visited Iowa this weekend and announced on Twitter his final two are Iowa and Arkansas State. Crawford had 78 tackles, 14 sacks and 24 hurries in 11 games this year.
DL Brian Allen (6-4, 260), a Chicago-area native attending St. Thomas More prep school in Oakdale, Conn., visited Iowa in June and then committed to Illinois. This fall, Allen decommitted and a few weeks ago, it seemed Oregon and Iowa emerged as his favorites. But after Oregon coach Mario Cristobal left for Miami, Iowa appears as the favorite. His school has a morning signing ceremony.
LB Landyn Van Kekerix, a do-it-all player at Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (Iowa), rushed for 707 yards, had 811 yards receiving, scored 26 offensive touchdowns and had 76 tackles with 11.5 for loss on defense. He also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in leading his team to the Class 3A state title game. Van Kekerix (6-2, 195), a two-star prospect, has no other high-major offers.
DB Koen Entringer (6-2, 200) will commit on Wednesday. His final four include Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and Boston College, and he has visited each school within the last four weeks. Entringer, who played at Walled Lake (Mich.) Western High School, was named second-team all-state in Michigan and finished with 88 tackles, three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, one interception and two kickoff returns for scores. He also had 444 receiving yards at 17 yards per catch and six touchdowns.
I’m ready and coming for it all. COMMITTED #GoHawks 🐤🐤 pic.twitter.com/nEXg05rBzG
— Xavier “X” Nwankpa (@xaviernwankpa01) December 8, 2021
Commits
Here are Iowa’s 12 current commitments entering national signing day.
Xavier Nwankpa, S
Hometown: Altoona, Iowa
High school: Southeast Polk
Ranking: No. 45 overall, No. 5 safety (four-star)
Date of commitment: Dec. 8, 2021
Notable: Nwankpa chose the Hawkeyes over Notre Dame and Ohio State. Nwankpa (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) is ranked as the nation’s top safety by both Rivals and 247Sports and is a top-20 recruit according to both outlets. He took official visits to all three programs, plus Texas A&M, but his familiarity with the Hawkeyes and the two-hour drive from the Des Moines area won out.
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Kaleb Johnson, RB
Hometown:Hamilton, Ohio
High school:Hamilton
Ranking: No. 432 overall, No. 33 RB (three-star)
Date of commitment:Oct. 13, 2021
Notable: Johnson (6-1, 210) initially listed Iowa among his top six, along with Pitt, Iowa State, Michigan, Michigan State and California. Johnson picked Cal after visiting in early June and canceled his June 25 visit to Iowa. Then on Oct. 9, Johnson visited Iowa, decommitted from Cal and picked the Hawkeyes four days later. Johnson rushed for 1,002 yards and 13 touchdowns this season and hosted Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz on Dec. 6. In his two previous seasons, Johnson compiled 1,664 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in his last two seasons. He has a physical running style with good speed and closely resembles current Iowa backup running back Leshon Williams in style.
Cael Vanderbush, TE
Hometown:Plainfield, Ind.
High school:Plainfield
Ranking: No. 731 overall, No. 37 TE (three-star)
Date of commitment:Sept. 27, 2021
Notable: Vanderbush (6-6, 200) had started to pick up interest recently with Utah offering him a week before the Hawkeyes. As a wide receiver this year, Vanderbush caught 35 passes for 736 yards (21.0 yards per catch) and eight touchdowns. Vanderbush uses his length well in competitive situations and displays outstanding speed to race away from smaller defenders in space. A quarterback as a high school sophom*ore, Vanderbush switched to receiver last fall and caught 44 passes for 743 yards and six scores. He also averaged 12.7 points per game last winter as a basketball player. Vanderbush projects to a tight end with the Hawkeyes.
Jaziun Patterson, RB
Hometown:Deerfield Beach, Fla.
High school:Deerfield Beach
Ranking: No. 629 overall, No. 49 RB (three-star)
Date of commitment:Aug. 17, 2021
Notable: A Rivals four-star, Patterson had an impressive list of suitors with Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Michigan, Oregon and Penn State among the teams extending scholarship offers, albeit to what degree remains undetermined. Patterson (5-foot-11, 190) chose Iowa over Florida State and was the first recruiting win for running backs coach Ladell Betts, who formerly coached high school football in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In a five-game season, Patterson rushed for 511 yards on 63 carries (8.1 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns. Patterson’s running style fits Iowa’s zone scheme. He displays quickness, burst and acceleration from the second level and beyond, reminiscent of current starter Tyler Goodson. This year, he helped renowned Deerfield Beach win two playoff games before bowing out of the postseason.
Addison Ostrenga, TE
Hometown:Sun Prairie, Wis.
High school:Sun Prairie
Ranking: N/A overall, No. 66 TE (three-star)
Date of commitment:July 16, 2021
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Notable: Ostrenga previously was committed to Iowa for baseball but was offered by the football staff and switched sports. With a big body (6-5, 220) and a frame capable of expansion, Ostrenga has developmental potential at Iowa. This fall, Ostrenga dominated in both sides of the line of scrimmage as both a receiver and defensive end. He caught 46 passes for 664 yards and eight touchdowns in helping Sun Prairie reach the Wisconsin state title game. On defense, he registered 17 tackles for loss, nine sacks and recorded two defensive touchdowns. In a shortened spring season, Ostrenga caught 19 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns as a wide receiver. He displays catching ability and flashes good speed against the competition. Ostrenga also plays defense and he showed enough toughness to believe he can make the transition to an important blocking position at Iowa.
Jacob Bostick, WR
Hometown:Palatine, Ill.
High school:Palatine
Ranking: No. 607 overall, No. 83 WR (three-star)
Date of commitment:July 1, 2021
Notable: Two aspects of Bostick’s athletic ability jump out right away. One, he’s long and wiry. Two, he has long strides and great speed. If there was no name attached to his highlight video, one could mistake Bostick (6-3, 170) for former Iowa receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette. One difference is Bostick has better technical skills than what Smith-Marsette showed at this stage. In the spring, Bostick caught 31 passes for 451 yards and nine touchdowns in only six games and showed big-play ability as a receiver and kick returner. Bostick, a Chicagoland product, also visited Illinois, Louisville and Cincinnati in June before coming to Iowa City on June 25. This fall, he was injured in the third game but returned in time for the state playoffs.
Carson May, QB
Hometown:Jones, Okla.
High school:Ballard
Ranking: No. 450 overall, No. 29 QB (three-star)
Date of commitment:June 29, 2021
Notable: One day after picking up an offer from Iowa, May announced his commitment. At 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, May has the big body and pro-style arm that Iowa covets from that position. He camped at several locations in June, including Iowa, Houston and Memphis, but was unrated by 247Sports’ composite until after committing to Iowa. May, a three-year starter at Jones (Okla.) High School, now has elevated to Rivals’ four-star status. This fall, May completed 180 of 287 passes for 2,754 yards, 32 touchdowns and four interceptions in leading Jones to the postseason. He also ran for 433 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 2020, May completed 60.1 percent of his passes for 3,020 yards, 26 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He also rushed for 650 yards and 14 scores. In 2019, May threw for 2,317 yards with a 65.5 completion percentage, 22 touchdowns and seven picks. He ran for 250 yards and five scores. He is scheduled to visit Iowa the weekend before the early signing period begins.
Kale Krogh, OL
Hometown:Huxley, Iowa
High school:Ballard
Ranking: No. 808 overall, No. 71 OT (three-star)
Date of commitment:June 15, 2021
Notable: Less than two weeks after picking up an Iowa offer, Krogh (6-6, 270) became the fifth commit in the 2022 class. Krogh previously had camped with Iowa State, which is located less than 10 miles from Huxley, but was not offered a scholarship. Minnesota recruited Krogh diligently and had set up an official visit before he pledged for the Hawkeyes. Krogh plays offensive tackle and defensive end for Ballard and was a second-team all-state choice last year and this year. He recorded 45.5 tackles in 2020 and visited Iowa officially on June 25.
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Jayden Montgomery, LB
Hometown:Green Bay, Wis.
High school:Bay Port
Ranking: N/A overall, No. 152 LB (three-star)
Date of commitment:June 8, 2021
Notable: Montgomery (5-11, 225) wasted no time thinking about Iowa’s proposal; he was offered and accepted in the same day. It was a rough fall for Montgomery, who tore his ACL in mid-September. In the spring, Montgomery played in four games for Bay Port (alma mater of starting Iowa left tackle Jack Plumb) and recorded 30 tackles, including 10 for loss. He also played running back for one game and recorded 52 yards on nine carries with two touchdowns. There’s a special connection with Iowa for Montgomery, who is the son of former Iowa defensive lineman and current Green Bay Packers defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery.
Jack Dotzler, OT
Hometown:Waunakee, Wis.
High school:Waunakee
Ranking: No. 866 overall, No. 76 OT (three-star)
Date of commitment:June 2, 2021
Notable: It was a challenging football year for Dotzler, who played games this spring. But it was a quick courtship with Iowa for the WisSports.net’s spring offensive lineman of the year. He grew up an Iowa fan and his parents graduated from the university. Dotzler (6-foot-7, 265 pounds) received an offer in early May, took an unofficial visit to Iowa City on June 1 and committed the next day. He took his official visit on June 25. He injured his ankle this fall but returned in time to help Waunakee win the Wisconsin Division 2 state title.
Caden Crawford, DL
Hometown:Lansing, Kan.
High school:Lansing
Ranking: No. 505 overall, No. 73 defensive lineman (three-star)
Date of commitment:Feb. 17, 2021
Notable: Crawford (6-5, 240) had a list of offers from regional competitors Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Nebraska and Minnesota but chose the Hawkeyes despite not visiting the school in advance of his commitment. He since has made two visits, including his official. Crawford’s length and power at the line of scrimmage make him a perfect fit for the Hawkeyes’ 4-3 scheme. At Lansing, Crawford is a stand-up edge defender who takes on blockers and chases down ball carriers. At Iowa, he will work with his hand in the turf. This fall, he had 103 tackles, including 17 for loss, in eight games.
Aaron Graves, DL
Hometown:Gowrie, Iowa
High school:Southeast Valley
Ranking: No. 99 overall, No. 16 defensive lineman (four-star)
Date of commitment:June 25, 2019
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Notable: One of the most dominant defensive linemen in Iowa prep football history, Graves (6-5, 260) left no ambiguity about which school he wanted to attend from the start of his recruitment. Although he lives about 60 miles northwest of Iowa State’s campus, Graves selected Iowa before his sophom*ore football season. In 2021, Graves registered 63 tackles, including 14 for loss, and 7.5 sacks despite often facing three blockers on every play and led the Jaguars to the Iowa Class 2A state title. Graves was among the state’s most dominant two-way players in 2020, finishing with 18.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in a first-team all-state season. It’s clear he has a motor and the perfect physical characteristics to play defensive line early in his career, perhaps as a true freshman.
(Top photo: Steven Branscombe / Getty Images)
