We'll never compete with the big dogs with a bunch of Iowa boys

[wartknight]

Chris Doyle is also huge in Iowa's success. His strength and training program can take average Iowa high school kids and turn them into starters. We need to have a strong strength program to compete at the level we want to be at

Totally agreed. We also need to get to the point where we can afford to have guys in the program for a few years to put that size and strength (and speed of course). We are still at the point where it seems like a lot of guys we are recruiting are being counted on to contribute in the first couple years. Time will tell with McKnight. Not familiar with his process right now.

[Tornado man]

Chris Doyle is also huge in Iowa's success. His strength and training program can take average Iowa high school kids and turn them into starters. We need to have a strong strength program to compete at the level we want to be at

Yes, Doyle is becoming a rock star. But many teams have great strength coaches - they just aren't as self-promoting. It seems that Doyle, though, has become a key recruiting tool for Iowa.
Our Yancy McKnight is very highly thought of.

[Senolcyc]

Iowa's best are very good. But it has about one DI FBS player for every fifteen in Texas. Football is a depth and numbers sport more than any other. How can a high school coach not know that?

Enjoy a special win, but don't lose your common sense over it.

[acgclone]

Obviously we'll never be able to do it with only Iowa (or Midwest for that matter) boys. But we definitely need a solid nucleolus of Iowa and Midwest players. This is what Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska and other Midwest powers do. We'll never be able to do it with just recruiting southern players. There are a lot of very talented players down there, but there are a lot of schools recruiting those players as well.

[CYinPA]

You can win without recruiting well from the South/Cal, but it makes it harder.
We do need to do a great job combing through Iowa high schools..and Minn, Missouri, Ok, Texas, Fl, Cal, etc.
A large reason why Iowa can put more "effort" into is because of money and relationships. Morgan works hard, but part of it is his connections and how many high school coaches in the state are hoks. Too many of them will tip off Iowa on a kid early on, then go to ISU.

[Tornado man]

A large reason why Iowa can put more "effort" into is because of money and relationships. Morgan works hard, but part of it is his connections and how many high school coaches in the state are hoks. Too many of them will tip off Iowa on a kid early on, then go to ISU.

I don't agree with this. Mac would intentionally hold his spring coaches clinic on the same weekend as Iowa's, and would conisistently attract more Iowa HS coaches, by a wide margin, than Fry and then Ferentz. They would make the decision to come to Ames.
It's about credibility, hard work, and relationship-building.

[CYinPA]

I don't agree with this. Mac would intentionally hold his spring coaches clinic on the same weekend as Iowa's, and would conisistently attract more Iowa HS coaches, by a wide margin, than Fry and then Ferentz. They would make the decision to come to Ames.
It's about credibility, hard work, and relationship-building.

I do not see anything here that disputes what I posted.
Relationships...yep.
Hard work...mentioned that too.
Your anecdote about the coaching clinic is nice (and hopefully accurate), but has nothing to do with who gets the first (and sometimes only) phone call about recruits.

[Tornado man]

I do not see anything here that disputes what I posted.
Relationships...yep.
Hard work...mentioned that too.
Your anecdote about the coaching clinic is nice (and hopefully accurate), but has nothing to do with who gets the first (and sometimes only) phone call about recruits.

I was mainly questioning your claim that Iowa gets kids because "many high school coaches in the state are hoks" and they tip them off, while keeping them secret from ISU. Sorry, I don't buy it.

[wartknight]

Iowa's best are very good. But it has about one DI FBS player for every fifteen in Texas. Football is a depth and numbers sport more than any other. How can a high school coach not know that?

Enjoy a special win, but don't lose your common sense over it.

Its probably closer to 20 or 30 actually, maybe even higher. Not disputing that at all. Please read everything I typed. I'll be honest with you, I think I would probably know just as well as anyone on here how important depth and numbers are.

[everyyard]

Signed-
Austen Arnaud
Alexander Robinson (Minnesota is close enough)
Ben Lamaak
Jake Williams
Josh Lenz
Micheal Oconnell
Kirby Vanderkamp
Jake Knott
Jeff Woody
Jake McDonough
Grant Mahoney
And plenty of other "Iowa Boys" who played big roles in yesterday's win at Big Bad Texas.

Listen, I don't discount the importance of recruiting the south, but I've heard way too many times from people (on this board too) who think our team begins and ends with recruiting in the south.
Sure, the numbers are greater down there, but I coach high school football here and travel around the country in the offseason to clinics and other schools, and can say the top talent here is as good as the top talent anywhere.
Throw in the tons of Iowa boys at that other school out east and you've got a pretty talented crew. In-state recruiting needs to be at the forefront especially with some incredible talent in the likes of Quentin James, Austin Ebertowski, and Amara Darboh making their choices over the course of the next year.
There's a bunch of others and with the Spread Offense finally becoming more prevalent here, you will find more players coming out of high school knowledgeable about zone schemes and passing than we've had in the past few years when half the kids in Iowa came from Wing-T or Double wing programs.

Yeah, we can just save a bunch of money and from now on only recruit Iowa. Right?

[wartknight]

I was mainly questioning your claim that Iowa gets kids because "many high school coaches in the state are hoks" and they tip them off, while keeping them secret from ISU. Sorry, I don't buy it.

Before McCarney came along, maybe. I just don't think that's the case anymore based on my interaction with other coaches. When it comes to colleges and recruiting, I'd like to think coaches have the best interest of the student athlete in mind

[CYinPA]

I was mainly questioning your claim that Iowa gets kids because "many high school coaches in the state are hoks" and they tip them off, while keeping them secret from ISU. Sorry, I don't buy it.

No need to buy it, because that is not what I am saying.

There is a big difference between keeping them "secret", and not equally promoting them.
(active vs passive promotion).

[isucy86]

It seems to me that Rhoads is working hard to recruit Iowa kids based on the kids we have committments from this year. Building relationships and making ISU an attractive option vs. the Hawks will take a couple years. Plus winning games doesn't hurt.

The OP is correct, ISU can't ignore Iowa HS kids. IMO because Iowa lacks population size, quality HS kids get overlooked because out-of-state coaches don't get to see kids other than the elite Iowa HS player.

For ISU to be a top program we need to get our share of the elite Iowa HS players and because of contacts ID the overlooked Iowa HS player that can become an All Big 12 player. The other 50-60% of the roster should be out-of-state kids.

[Tornado man]

Before McCarney came along, maybe. I just don't think that's the case anymore based on my interaction with other coaches. When it comes to colleges and recruiting, I'd like to think coaches have the best interest of the student athlete in mind

Exactly. I've come to know many, many Iowa high school coaches, and they have one basic thought in mind regarding giving advice (if asked for it) during the recruiting process: what is best for this individual player? When the dust settles after 4-5 years, will the player look back and say that I helped him make the right choice?

[Tornado man]

No need to buy it, because that is not what I am saying.

There is a big difference between keeping them "secret", and not equally promoting them.
(active vs passive promotion).

Do you have an example?