New Hawkeye FB commit, on 10/15 ........

[HawgEyeState]

Michael Slater, LB from Chesterfield, MO (near St Louis).

Solid 3 star recruit, who will either play LB or perhaps DE in the
BiGTEn for the IOWA Hawkeyes

 

[OUTofTOWNHAWK]

Well done son. Get the heck out of St Louis that place is going down. Will be one of the worst cities soon.

 

[HawkWT]

It was nice to get a commitment, long dry spell. Sounds like he can develop into a hybrid LB/DE like Meier or put on some more bulk and play DT. He didn't have a lot of big offers but is a player Ferentz really likes.

 

[Hawk1960]

Good deal ... good size kid and looks like he is up to 265 lbs and 6' 3" so I think you're right, probably will be converted in to a DE.

Here are some videos. He looks very strong already the way he is throwing people around on the field ... and he likes to hit people.

http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1891639/highlights/113506375

 

[rollingthunder]

Michael Slater, LB from Chesterfield, MO (near St Louis).

Solid 3 star recruit,
s

He's a 2 star on Rivals with offers from Arkansas State, Buffalo, and Austn Peay. No major interest outside of Iowa.

 

[Hawk1960]

He's a 2 star on Rivals with offers from Arkansas State, Buffalo, and Austn Peay. No major interest outside of Iowa.

Check out the hits in his junior year video above when he was 245 lbs.. He's up to 265 now. This kid looks like he has a nasty streak which is perfect for a DE. He is playing out of position in HS at LB in my opinion and that may have impacted his star rating.

 

[DP5555]

I'm not going to make any guarantees, but I would be very surprised if he ends up being a linebacker. He's a big boy already and it doesn't look like he has the speed to play LB at the B10 level. Definitely like his potential with his hand in the dirt though.

Here's the thing... I know this isn't Earth shattering news or anything but when it comes to Iowa recruits I stopped looking at stars a long time ago. The best players on the Hawkeyes teams usually end up consisting of about half of them who were pretty highly recruited and half of them who were unheralded diamonds in the rough.

Just look at the current team for proof. Fairly highly recruited... Rudock, Hamilton, Carl Davis, Walsh, scherff, etc. Unheralded recruits... Lowdermilk, Trinca-Pasat, D. King, Weisman, Duzey, Jewell, Bower, etc.

The point is it's always a mixture of the two that end up making Iowa a good team. It all comes down to development. Just an FYI to the DBs out there who like to enter recruit threads and whine about lack of offers.

 

[GesterHawk]

I also feel better about any recruit that camps at Iowa and then verbals. Look at how many contributors we have had over the years that camped at Iowa and left IC with a scholarship offer.
Camping gives the coaches time with the recruit and the ability to evaluate them at positions that they might not be playing for their high schools.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

I also feel better about any recruit that camps at Iowa and then verbals. Look at how many contributors we have had over the years that camped at Iowa and left IC with a scholarship offer.
Camping gives the coaches time with the recruit and the ability to evaluate them at positions that they might not be playing for their high schools.

Bingo. For just as you said. They get to see him up close workout in shorts and see what he's got. Offering kids only off their highlight tapes although sometimes that's alright I'd say they prefer having both. Seeing them in game situations is big too. I think thats the underrated part of recruiting that is so tough to evaluate. Alot of these kids are head and shoulders the best on their teams and win most of the time. But how do they do under pressure when down or things aren't going their way? There's more to a football player then their height weight and speed that's for sure.

 

[Lazersharpe]

He's a 2 star on Rivals with offers from Arkansas State, Buffalo, and Austn Peay. No major interest outside of Iowa.

I think Iowa really likes recruiting these type of guys. They if he has any talent, the will end up playing with a chip on their shoulder.

Look at Desmond King. He did not get offered by Michigan or Michigan State. He came to Iowa wanting to prove he should have gotten a offer from his in state schools.

 

[thawks1]

He was recruited strictly as a DE at this point.

 

[HawkWT]

I also feel better about any recruit that camps at Iowa and then verbals. Look at how many contributors we have had over the years that camped at Iowa and left IC with a scholarship offer.
Camping gives the coaches time with the recruit and the ability to evaluate them at positions that they might not be playing for their high schools.

Great point. May be a key reason he didn't gain a lot of interest from other "BCS Conference" teams. Seeing what a player can do up close, in person is crucial.

 

[docholihawk]

Iowa develops players as well as anyone in the country. It's not wise to question the abilities of a player if KF has decided he wants him.

 

[docholihawk]

I think Iowa really likes recruiting these type of guys. They if he has any talent, the will end up playing with a chip on their shoulder.

Look at Desmond King. He did not get offered by Michigan or Michigan State. He came to Iowa wanting to prove he should have gotten a offer from his in state schools.

And as it turns out he should've.

 

[gohawkz]

He's a 2 star on Rivals with offers from Arkansas State, Buffalo, and Austn Peay. No major interest outside of Iowa.

I am not a fan of Ferentz in recent years. I think he's made mistakes and I think this team is not where it should be. I also believe that we should be doing a better job of recruiting.

That being said, one thing that I still give him credit for is finding guys who don't have a lot of stars and then they turn out to be good. When we get a commit I'm excited. I don't know if you're a Hawk fan or just a troll, but I can't imagine any Iowa fan talking bad about a kid who just committed to play here.

 

[deanvogs]

I am not a fan of Ferentz in recent years. I think he's made mistakes and I think this team is not where it should be. I also believe that we should be doing a better job of recruiting.

That being said, one thing that I still give him credit for is finding guys who don't have a lot of stars and then they turn out to be good. When we get a commit I'm excited. I don't know if you're a Hawk fan or just a troll, but I can't imagine any Iowa fan talking bad about a kid who just committed to play here.

Well said. I don't get how a thinking person can't see this. If we take a 2* this early in the process it it because the staff has evaluated them, and know he is a player. They could give a rip less that others are recruiting him or not, as they know he is gonna be a player. Waaaaaay more times than not, the staff has proven most of the time they are right, and "rivals" is wrong

 

[HawkinGoferLand]

he is 3-star on Scout and 247Sports BTW, and I agree with deanvogs ^ . Stars be damned, he had an offer in the spring so he's a guy we identified, offered, and months later received a verbal from.

 

[LG210]

I also feel better about any recruit that camps at Iowa and then verbals. Look at how many contributors we have had over the years that camped at Iowa and left IC with a scholarship offer.
Camping gives the coaches time with the recruit and the ability to evaluate them at positions that they might not be playing for their high schools.

 

[Hawk1960]

Well said. I don't get how a thinking person can't see this. If we take a 2* this early in the process it it because the staff has evaluated them, and know he is a player. They could give a rip less that others are recruiting him or not, as they know he is gonna be a player. Waaaaaay more times than not, the staff has proven most of the time they are right, and "rivals" is wrong

Very true. Who are these so called "experts" from Rivals and Scout anyway? Have they ever been on a college coaching staff and actually developed a kid out of high school in to a great college player and on to the NFL? Are they just number guys who play electronic games from EA Sports all day and grade HS talent from a few select highlights from edited YouTube videos?

 

[deanvogs]

Very true. Who are these so called "experts" from Rivals and Scout anyway? Have they ever been on a college coaching staff and actually developed a kid out of high school in to a great college player and on to the NFL? Are they just number guys who play electronic games from EA Sports all day and grade HS talent from a few select highlights from edited YouTube videos?

The coaches got to watch him up close and personal in camps. They have a 100x greater insight into this kid and his potential than "rivals", "247", or "scout" combined.