After a somewhat disappointing 8-5 season, the Iowa Hawkeye football team was anxious to improve over the offseason. Head coach Kirk Ferentz and his staff did exactly what one would expect them to do — build a tough offensive line. That’s of course what Hawkeye football is about, as they’ve had an offensive lineman drafted nearly every year — most recently Bryan Bulaga.
The Hawkeyes signed two top-20 guards with No. 13 Jordan Walsh and No. 19 Austin Blythe.
Ferentz is excited about the possibilities with these two recruits.
“Both Austin and Jordan are guys that I think are really excellent high school football players,” Ferentz said. “Jordan comes out of a tremendous program and we have tried to recruit players out of that program unsuccessfully and we are just really excited to get Jordan.”
Iowa is ranked No. 6 in the Big 10 for its 2011 recruiting class.
To see profiles of the recruits, click here.
Signing Day Notes:
Breakdown by Position: ATH (3), OLB (3), WR (3), G (2), TE (2), DE (2), DT (1), ILB (1), QB (1), CB (1), S (1), OT (1)
Breakdown by State: IL (4), MD (3), IA (3), TX (3), OH (2), FL (2), PA (2), NJ (1), MA (1), NE (1), MI (1), NY (1)
Other jottings:
This class includes three four-star recruits, along with 14 three-stars.
Many scouts believe three-star quarterback Jake Rudock is as fundamental as they come, but there are concerns with his general development. Ferentz believes along with the fundamentals, Rudock has everything a team could ask for in a quarterback.
“We are thrilled,” Ferentz said. “Just all of the intangible things that he possesses. You know, obviously we want guys that can throw the ball accurately and have to have requisite talent, but all of the things that made us feel good and the fact that he led his team to a state championship, I think is a real indicative to the young man he is.”
Former running back Adam Robinson, who was dismissed from the team in January shortly after being charged with possession of marijuana, isn’t going to rejoin the team any time soon, if ever.
“I made an announcement a while back and I have been really focused on recruiting so we will go from there,” Ferentz said.
After snagging the nation’s No. 6 tight end last season in C.J. Fiedorowicz, the Hawkeyes jumped back on the tight end train and landed No. 12 Ray Hamilton.
Hamilton is 6’5”, 225 pounds and turned down Big Ten schools such as Michigan and Wisconsin to become a Hawkeye.
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