 Marc MorehouseHi, I'm Marc Morehouse. I've covered sports for more than 15 years, mostly in Eastern Iowa. I've had Hayden Fry [...] |
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Canadian WR makes it 16 for the Hawkeyes
Newest commit could help steer friend, running back to Iowa
WR Tevaun Smith picked the Hawkeyes over Connecticut and Temple. The 6-2, 186-pounder is from Toronto, Canada, and spent this year at Kent School in Kent, Conn.
Iowa picked up its third commitment this week when wide receiver Tevaun Smith announced via Twitter on Thursday night that “Just made it official . . . I’m going to be a Hawkeye!”
Smith attended Chaminade College High School in Toronto before attending Kent, a prep school, this season hoping to gain more attention from FBS schools. Smith, 6-2, 186, picked the Hawkeyes over Connecticut and Temple. He’s also the second player in the 2012 class with origins in Canada. Defensive lineman Faith Ekakitie also is from Toronto.
According to HawkeyeReport.com, Miami (Fla.) also wanted Smith to visit. Smith also is an accomplished track athlete. He’s run an 11.05-second 100 meters.
This could end up being a package deal. Smith is friends with running back Akeel Lynch, a 6-0, 205-pounder from Athol Springs (N.Y.) St. Francis and Canada. The two played football together before high school. Lynch is committed to Boston College, but visited Iowa City last weekend.
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and offensive coordinator Ken O’Keefe made an east coast swing this week visiting Smith and Lynch.
“I’m going to tell him all of the good things I can about Iowa, but it’s his decision,” Smith told HawkeyeReport.com on Thursday night. “I don’t want to force anything, because I know how it feels to be confused about what school to go to, so I’m just going to let him make his own decision and not pressure him at all.”
Smith joined safety Anthony Morgan and cornerback Kevin Buford in committing to the Hawkeyes this week. Iowa now has 16 commitments with a final number in the 20 range. The national signing period begins Feb. 1.
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Mitch Keppy, OL, 6-5, 287, Riverdale High School (Port Byron, Ill.)
Cameron Wilson, WR, 6-2, 193, Jerome High School (Dublin, Ohio)
Drew Ott, DE, 6-4, 235, Giltner (Neb.) High School
Maurice Fleming Jr., CB, 6-1, 185, Curie High School (Chicago)
Connor Kornbrath, K/P, 6-7, 210, Bridgeport (W.V.) High School
Jaleel Johnson, DT, 6-4, 290, Montini High School (Westchester, Ill.)
Ryan Ward, OL, 6-6, 270, Providence Catholic (New Lenox, Ill.)
Michael Malloy, RB/WR, 6-0, 180, Sioux City Heelan
Laron Taylor, LB, 6-0, 205, Cass Tech (Detroit, Mich.)
Ruben Lile, S, 6-3, 200 Cass Tech (Detroit, Mich.)
Greg Mabin, WR, 6-2, 190 Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Daumantas Venckus, DE, 6-4, 220 Cypress Bay (Weston, Fla.)
Faith Ekakitie, DL, 6-3, 285 Lake Forest (Ill.) Academy
Kevin Buford, CB, 5-10, 165 Canton (Mich.) High School
Anthony Morgan, S, 6-1, 185 Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas)
Tevaun Smith, WR, 6-2, 186 Kent (Conn.) School/Chaminade College High School (Toronto)
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This is an exciting class with several prospects still on the fence……after reading a tweet here on your site Marc, I do have a question for anyone.
How can a man who after 13 years here has the 2nd most NFL alumni in the Big 10/12 and one of the 12, 13 or 14 best in the nation be considered anything but a very good recruiter at the least. What could possibly be debatable about it. Of course player development is involved but not to this degree. Give the kids and the staff the credit they deserve for finding talent.
Honestly it baffles me….I saw some on Hawkeyenation as well lamenting the ranking and why Iowa isn’t at least in the top 50 to which the usual suspects chimed in with the…….”this class sucks” chants…., really?
Which the ranking question is fair if you look at the totality of who is ahead of Iowa and their apparent signees, but all the same, the point is, what are our fans really seeing. I suppose its fair to wonder about the coaching (I don’t agree but I get it) but the reality of the NFL can NOT be disputed.
Chad
Finally got around to watching the Cass Tech championship game for Michigan Division 1. IMO we got the best most versatile player off that team in Rueben Lile. I think the only reason he wasn’t a 4 star is it is truly hard to define what position to put him at. He could play sfty or WR with equal aplomb and maybe even bulk up to Lber.
As for LARON Taylor he is very stout and quicker than his listed time suggests. Undersized for sure, but tenacious and hits hard. Very good players….
Cass Tech had a true Frosh QB, Jayru Campbell, that will turn some heads……
I also got a chance to watch Nathaniel Lohn play in his team’s championship game recently in Missouri 5A I think it was. Same team that had the Jr QB Iowa just offered (Hostick) who was impressive. The thing about Lohn I noticed right off was his sheer frame and length. He could really be HUGE at some time. He is quick enuff, but he didn’t jump off the film. With that said, I have no clue if he goes with us or Stanford, so I’m not posturing one way or another. And for that matter if the staff wants him I’m excited, but as an example…last year I watched Riley McMinn play in his teams state championship game and he jumped off the film. He too had a big frame but he was clearly too thin to contribute right away, but he was quick, explosive and highly disruptive. It was exciting to envision what he could be by year 2 or 3, because he was very obvious. Lohn, not so much…
As a class however I am jacked up about this one and the lasts several for that matter..….very impressive speed numbers and versatility and eventually we will see it on the field.
Chad
PS…..on a side note I watched the North Allegheny/Upper St Clair (PA) championship game (wow what a game) and they have a Jr CB by the name of Brendon Coniker (number 1, I think) who is a stud in waiting. After watching it, I rushed to the computer hoping to find Iowa recruiting him. Think maybe he was one of those hidden gems that still so regularly get missed. When I saw he was a Jr I knew he’d be highly profiled and likely end up being a 4-star he was that impressive. Defended at least 2 if not 3 passes that were catches had he not got a hand on them and caught a long td(Actually was OB on replay, but they gave it to him)