Ahmad Wagner may be Turning in to a Major FBS Football Prospect

H

HawkIPA

Well-Known Member
Wagner just played the first varsity football game of his life a month ago and has received a scholarship offer from Kentucky. His high school football coach says he runs a low 4.5 or high 4.4 forty and plays WR for them at 6'6" 215 lbs. OSU, Michigan and Notre Dame took a look at him last week and are rumored to be interested now.

Not good comments coming from his high school football coach saying Wagner has the "fever for the pigskin back". This could get interesting.

And of course Calipari said he could walk on to play UK hoops if he ends up at Kentucky on a football scholly.
 
I don't see how a kid could play both D1 football and basketball. It takes soooo much time and dedication for both, and the season's overlap.

If I were Fran though, I would get on the phone with KF and ask him to go full bore on selling him on the football program as well.
 
He's going to turn into a stud basketball player then decide to play football at the last minute. Hashtag iowa luck.
 
PCHawk said:
He's going to turn into a stud basketball player then decide to play football at the last minute. Hashtag iowa luck.
Click to expand...


His first consideration as to whether he'll play basketball or football would likely be which sport he can make it to the pros in. Looking at his size/speed numbers and the fact he isn't a great shooter, you'd have to say football would be his best bet.
 
If he does ended up switching to football, then this will all be Fran's fault yet again, of course. :rolleyes:
 
SteveGarvey said:
His first consideration as to whether he'll play basketball or football would likely be which sport he can make it to the pros in. Looking at his size/speed numbers and the fact he isn't a great shooter, you'd have to say football would be his best bet.
Click to expand...

That's insane. There are WAY more options in pro basketball that you can make a very good living at than pro football. It's more than just NFL vs. NBA.
 
Cydkar said:
That's insane. There are WAY more options in pro basketball that you can make a very good living at than pro football. It's more than just NFL vs. NBA.
Click to expand...


The injury factor has a deep divide, many more serious injuries on the football field. Just takes one nasty hit to end a career. Hope Ahmad has a sense of loyalty and doesn't fall for playing football at Kentucky and walk on the basketball team. How much playing time do you think he would get, Calipari usually starts 4/5 freshman who are 5 star recruits and seldom plays more than a few on the bench and probably none of the walk ons unless they have a 50 point lead, considering his tendency to humiliate other teams, not unlike Urban Meyer.....

I really hope he honors his commitment to the Hawks.....

He would get immediate playing time and looks like a perfect fit for the Hawks, who are improving each year, and are on the way to former greatness and Ahmad could be a large part of the process....

:cool:
 
Last edited:
Sounds like the football coach doesn't want him coming to Iowa.....

Wouldn't consider that Fran's fault. Hope he isn't lured by the Kentucky basketball ploy and plays maybe 10 minutes a year for that cheating scum, Calipari.....
 
Cydkar said:
That's insane. There are WAY more options in pro basketball that you can make a very good living at than pro football. It's more than just NFL vs. NBA.
Click to expand...

My guess is the kid won't heavily consider overseas basketball options in determining his pro prospects. Unless you get signed into the higher quality Europeans leagues, that life is very unstable. And the high-level European leagues, not, have a lot of European born talent. Of recent vintage Hawkeyes, only Greg Brunner kept playing overseas for more than a couple years.

The kid probably has a higher football ceiling. Athletic, raw 6" 6' power forwards don't make a lot of money playing professional basketball.
 
drew003 said:
My guess is the kid won't heavily consider overseas basketball options in determining his pro prospects. Unless you get signed into the higher quality Europeans leagues, that life is very unstable. And the high-level European leagues, not, have a lot of European born talent. Of recent vintage Hawkeyes, only Greg Brunner kept playing overseas for more than a couple years.

The kid probably has a higher football ceiling. Athletic, raw 6" 6' power forwards don't make a lot of money playing professional basketball.
Click to expand...


I see him as a first round pick in the NFL draft, would be a wise decision for him to go to a pro farm team like Kentucky.....

:rolleyes:
 
Fran should make him watch the Big Ten and Beyond episode the other nite that featured Ben Uthect, former TE at Minny, and then at the Colts....he is only 29 yrs old, forcibally retired, after 5 concussions.....and is already experiencing major memory loss....he has brain damage. Stick with bb, Mr. Wagner....and live a long and happy life.
 
BTW tho, if he is 6'-7, 215 and can run a 4.5, he could be the next Megatron. Maybe Kirk should offer him so atleast if he doesn't play ball he can help us on the football field.
 
drew003 said:
My guess is the kid won't heavily consider overseas basketball options in determining his pro prospects. Unless you get signed into the higher quality Europeans leagues, that life is very unstable. And the high-level European leagues, not, have a lot of European born talent. Of recent vintage Hawkeyes, only Greg Brunner kept playing overseas for more than a couple years.

The kid probably has a higher football ceiling. Athletic, raw 6" 6' power forwards don't make a lot of money playing professional basketball.
Click to expand...

There are more than just brunner
 
There are a lot of basketball athletes that would make for great football prospects. Give the article below a read for several NFL athletes that played basketball in college. Some played football as well, while others only played basketball and turned into some solid NFL prospects. Who's to say that Wagner doesn't have the ability to be the next example? For Iowa's sake I hope he decides to stick with the Hawks, whether he plays football at Iowa or not.
~LINK~
 
drew003 said:
My guess is the kid won't heavily consider overseas basketball options in determining his pro prospects. Unless you get signed into the higher quality Europeans leagues, that life is very unstable. And the high-level European leagues, not, have a lot of European born talent. Of recent vintage Hawkeyes, only Greg Brunner kept playing overseas for more than a couple years.

The kid probably has a higher football ceiling. Athletic, raw 6" 6' power forwards don't make a lot of money playing professional basketball.
Click to expand...
Overseas ball is discussed quite early as an option. It would if trying to convince a kid to choose hoops over football.
 
His folks probably want him to stick with hoops... I don't know what a kid is to do in that situation. I mean if he seriously has the sky is the limit ability (has the size obviously) to be a NFL WR and he's just in HS now and he "loves" it then it's not an easy decision. I would love to see Iowa be proactive and have Ferentz get in on him as well. I think they'd be nuts to not let a kid with that talent to play both. Obviously Ferentz would get the better end of the deal with his hoops seasons being cut short and not starting till what late Nov early Dec with a bowl game mixed in there. But if your Fran getting him to still come and only playing part of a season is better then losing him all together. With the luck he's had recruiting lately losing him wouldn't be good at all
 
Hawkfnntn said:
His folks probably want him to stick with hoops... I don't know what a kid is to do in that situation. I mean if he seriously has the sky is the limit ability (has the size obviously) to be a NFL WR and he's just in HS now and he "loves" it then it's not an easy decision. I would love to see Iowa be proactive and have Ferentz get in on him as well. I think they'd be nuts to not let a kid with that talent to play both. Obviously Ferentz would get the better end of the deal with his hoops seasons being cut short and not starting till what late Nov early Dec with a bowl game mixed in there. But if your Fran getting him to still come and only playing part of a season is better then losing him all together. With the luck he's had recruiting lately losing him wouldn't be good at all
Click to expand...

His dad was a scholarship college football player. He probably knows all about how football could possibly hurt a college player or an NFL player for life. Playing football in high school is a lot different than playing football in college or the pros. I agree that his folks probably want him to stick with the hoops. Concussions can really screw somebody up.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top