Dominique Booth, WR from Indiana

Sorry for the lateness. I got this Thursday night and just stayed away from the computer on Friday.

Apologies.

Some of the info is from the past weekend.

One thing I have seen on HawkeyeReport.com is 2014 commit/grayshirt Matt VandeBerg will visit Wisconsin this weekend. It’s also in this post from the Sioux Falls (SD) Argus Leader. Earlier this fall, VandeBerg agreed to a grayshirt deal with Iowa, meaning he would pay his own way next fall and then go on scholarship in January, technically making him Iowa’s first commit for the 2014 class.

The grayshirt thing is tenuous. A team could always come in with a full offer and sweep a kid off his feet. Long way to go, but VandeBerg looks legit, at 6-1, 170 pounds with a 40 timed just under 4.5 seconds.

HawkeyeReport.com also reported this week that running back Andre Hunt, 6-foot, 200 pounds, will walk on at Iowa and begin classes in January. Hunt’s journey started in Minnesota where he graduated from Cretin-Derham Hall in 2011 and rushed for 1,202 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior. From there, he went to prep school at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia where he had more success, but still no scholarship offers followed. So, Hunt returned home to the Twin Cities and started looking at walk-on opportunities..

Thanks to Tom! Hopefully, I time it better next week.

Hawkeyes hosting visitors

After back to back road games the Iowa Football team will be back in Kinnick Stadium this weekend. The return to their home turf will also allow the Hawkeye coaches to get back to hosting a few recruits when they host Purdue on Saturday.

Leading the list of visitors this weekend is Illinois commit Reggie Spearman. The 6-foot-2 and 220 pound linebacker from Chicago verbally committed to his home state school back in August, but it now appears that he is weighing his options. It should be noted that at one point, Spearman was also committed to Indiana, so could another commitment flip be coming?

Joining Spearman on the trip to Iowa City will be Chicago Simeon teammate Devante Lee. The Hawkeyes are certainly looking to add a defensive end and Lee fits the bill at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds.  Lee already holds offers from San Diego State and Western Kentucky with interest from Iowa, Syracuse, Maryland, Boise State, and Tulane. With the recent de-commitment of David Kenney, he could be getting a long look from the Hawkeye coaches.

Speaking of Kenney, perhaps the biggest name visiting this weekend is 2014 prospect Dominique Booth, who attends Pike High School in Indiana with the former commit. Booth will be making his second trip to the University of Iowa on Saturday and his play has already generated offers from Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Missouri, Mississippi State, Indiana, Illinois, Cal, Iowa State, Kentucky, and Purdue.  The 6-foot-1 wide receiver will be one of the top prospects at his position in the Midwest in the Class of 2014.

Booth isn’t the only 2014 visitor this weekend. Iowa will be hosting 2014 running back James Butler, who sat out this past season after transferring to St. Francis High School in Wheaton, IL. This will be his second visit to Iowa this fall. Joining him will be Shane Evans, a 6-foot-5 and 280 pound offensive lineman from Crystal Lake, IL. Evans is already getting interest from Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Northwestern.

One in-state prospect in the Class of 2013 to continue to follow is LaPorte City Union athlete Trev Hadacheck. The 5-foot-11 and 170 athlete could project to a number of positions on the football field and will be in Iowa City this weekend on an unofficial visit. Hadacheck currently holds offers from North Dakota, South Dakota State, and Eastern Illinois and is looking for that first FCS level offer.

How Many Signees in 2013

The Hawkeyes currently sit at 15 verbal commitments in the Class of 2013 and the Iowa coaches expect to add to that total before signing day on Wednesday, February 6^th.  Kirk Ferentz said this week that the number he expects to sign this year is in the high teens. Best guess is that number is 18-19 prospects, so Iowa has only a few spots to fill. One reminder, that total can always change as we get closer to signing day and since he arrived at Iowa, Ferentz has never signed a class under 20 prospects.

Hoops Signing Day Approaches

The early signing day for basketball is rapidly approaching and Coach Fran McCaffery will be signing one prospect. Signing day begins on November 14^th and the Hawkeyes will be receiving a national letter of intent from West Des Moines Valley swingman Peter Jok, who committed to Iowa earlier this fall.

With Jok’s signing and the addition of Jarrod Uthoff being put on scholarship starting next fall, if the current roster holds, the Hawkeye will move their full attention to the Class of 2014, where they will have three scholarships to fill.