Exactly, it's not "absurdity" to discuss it - it's an in-state recruit. While it's unlikely XF is going to become a Hawkeye because of the other offers he's likely to receive, he's still an instate talent who grew up a Hawk fan by all accounts. It'd be crazy if the fans didn't talk, have level expectations and hope Iowa were to land him.
If he does commit, he will just drop in the rankings soon after. Then guys can still come on here and say we never get 5 stars. If Carton would have committed last year, he would still be a 3 star and fans would complain that Fran relies too much on instate kids.