 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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Union’s Scheel becomes third Iowa commit for ’14
Scheel commitment with some other tidbits
Union quarterback Jay Scheel (2) is upended by Decorah's Josey Jewell (42) during the first half of their 2011 Iowa High School Athletics Association Class 3A State Championship game Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011 at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls. (Brian Ray/ SourceMedia Group News)
Iowa’s quarterback cabinet is stocked with pro-style types.
Jake Rudock, Cody Sokol and C.J. Beathard will fight it out to replace James Vandenberg. Texas freshman Nic Shimonek will join them next fall. They all fit the pro-style mold, ranging from 6-2 to 6-4 in height and with just hints of a talent for running the ball in their backgrounds.
If Union High School’s Jay Scheel ends up at quarterback for the Hawkeyes, he would be the only legit dual-threat QB on the roster. Scheel, who rushed for 1,291 yards and passed for another 1,593 yards last season, committed to the Hawkeyes this weekend. Scheel, 6-1, 170, becomes the third Iowa commitment for the 2014 class, joining Cedar Falls O-lineman Ross Pierschbacher and South Dakota WR Matt VandeBerg.
As it stands now, Iowa is open to whatever position Scheel, also offered by Iowa State, Nebraska and Minnesota, wants to play.
So, it’s a wait-and-see.
“Well, I talked to coach Greg Davis, the offensive coordinator, and he said that he really feels like I can excel at receiver, but if I want to give quarterback a shot, I could,” Scheel told HawkeyeReport.com. “Coach [Kirk] Ferentz also said that, so I’m not so sure I shouldn’t give quarterback a shot, but we’ll see what I want to do and what they prefer once I get there.
“I’m okay with playing anything really. Part of the reason the coaches want me to play receiver is it’s a better chance to see the field, but I think I could do well at either position. We’ll just wait and see.”
Union coach Joe Hadachek said Scheel is a “multi-talented” quarterback.
“He does a lot of things with the zone read and the power-read type game,” Hadachek said. “He’s also good in the play-action pass and the naked bootleg game. He gives you the run-pass option as a QB.”
Oregon, the place to be for a run-pass QB, visited Union last spring and had a “deep” interest in Scheel, inviting him to the QB camp in Eugene.
Staying in Iowa was a priority for Scheel, Hadachek said, and it came down to Iowa or Iowa State. Scheel’s family is from Mount Auburn, near La Porte City.
Iowa was the place. Scheel is willing to wait and see what position.
“Quarterback or wide receiver. (Iowa) said I could play, either,” Scheel said. “So we’ll see. I like them both.”
Union won the Class 3A state title in 2010, when Scheel was a sophomore. Scheel was elevated to QB after starting his sophomore season at wide receiver. Trev Hadachek, Joe’s son, was Union’s QB but suffered shoulder injury. Hadachek couldn’t throw, but was otherwise healthy. So, Scheel and Hadachek switched and it’s stayed that way.
By the way, Trev Hadachek has been invited to walk on at Iowa and Iowa State. He has offers from FCS Eastern Illinois, North Dakota and South Dakota State with Northern Iowa on the verge of an offer. So, he’s also an athlete with bona fide skills.
“Those two started connecting than they were the other way around,” Joe Hadachek said. “Trev became the go-to wideout and Jay became the quarterback. They developed into this story where we won the 3A title without ever having been to the UNI-Dome before.”
Hadachek said Scheel isn’t one for the spotlight and so isn’t crazy about the recruiting grind. Scheel wanted to announce his commitment, which won’t become official until February 2014, well before his senior football season at Union.
He is set on Iowa, but Scheel isn’t set on a position.
“If you want an athletic guy back there, he presents an opportunity for change,” Hadachek said. “The Brad Banks or Colin Kaepernick style of play, he’s that type of kid. He weighs 170 pounds, his 6-1 or 6-2 and can jump out of the gym on the basketball court. You’ve got an electrifying guy, the only question is how many touches can you get him?”
Other Iowa recruiting tidbits:
– Scheel attended Iowa’s “Junior Day” for 11th-grade recruits on Sunday, along with Cedar Rapids Xavier’s Matt Nelson, among others. Nelson is a 6-8, 245-pound tight end/OL prospect. Nelson told HawkeyeReport.com that he enjoyed visiting with Iowa’s TE coach D.J. Hernandez.
– According to HawkeyeReport.com, wide receiver Andrew Stone will walk on at Iowa next fall. The 5-10, 175-pounder had a productive season at Iowa Western Community College last fall, catching 60 passes for 685 yards and nine TDs. Stone, a former Cedar Falls prep, will join kicker Alden Haffar, long snapper Tyler Kluver, D-lineman Corbin Blythe and OL Boone Myers as walk-ons next fall.
– Indianola OL Keegan Render (6-3, 310) visited Iowa for junior day and also attended Saturday night’s basketball game between the Hawkeyes and Wisconsin. Render, also a 2014 recruit, has offers from Iowa and Iowa State. Render told HawkeyeReport that he’s in no hurry to commit.
– Missouri junior RB prospect Dalvin Warmack told HawkeyeReport that Iowa’s running backs coach Lester Erb wasn’t at junior day. For what it’s worth.
– Iowa’s 2013 class remains at 15.
2014 commitments
Matt VandeBerg, WR/FS 6-1, 170 Brandon Valley (South Dakota) High School
Ross Pierschbacher, OL, 6-4, 275 Cedar Falls High School
Jay Scheel, ATH, 6-1, 170 Union High School
Union quarterback Jay Scheel (2) tosses a pass during the first half of their 2011 Iowa High School Athletics Association Class 3A State Championship game against Decorah Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011 at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls. (Brian Ray/ SourceMedia Group News)
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It would be nice to see him get a chance to play QB, and not get shunted to WR or DB because Ferentz is too hidebound to allow the possibility of an athletic, play-making quarterback. Here’s hoping, anyway.
Yeah, because Ferentz didn’t let that Brad Banks guy ever play quarterback.
Not like that guy ever lead Iowa to a BCS bowl game and a B1G championship season, right, Paul?
I’ll wait for you to open mouth and insert your foot now..
That was ten years ago, and Ferentz has ossified to the point that for the last nine years we have had an impressive array of statuary in the pocket that could not escape a sack if their lives depended on it. Nathan Chandler. Drew Tate. Jake Christensen. Ricky Stanzi. James Vandenburg. Todd, when did you ever hear any of these guys, or Kyle McCann, who preceded Banks, called “mobile”? One year out of 14. Wow, you really told me, didn’t you? And how many Bifg Ten championships have we won since? One, and that was based on a smothering defense, that had to survive the play of the quarterback. Remember the Orange Bowl when the defense shut down Georgia Tech and Stanzi gave them their first points with a pick six? I’m not the one who needs to put my foot in my mouth. I did my homework. How about you?
Hey Paul,
Do you remember watching Drew Tate play? He was definitely mobile and he was pretty good the year we won the Big Ten – he wasnt a run 1st QB by any means but he could make plays with his feet. I dont recall the defense having to “survive” the play of our QB to win the title that year. We had a great defense but Tate was great as he played the bulk of the year with Sam Brownlee as his #1 rb.
Yeah..sure..Drew Tate, Ricky Stanzi, Nathan Chandler..yeah those guys were all terrible quarterbacks at Iowa. Iowa never went to any bowls..never won any BCS games, never won any B1G titles with any of those QB’s, Paul…
That Ferentz guy..yeah he’s just a terrible coach. Its not like he’s lead that team to 10 bowl games in his 14 years at Iowa. Its not like he’s not been named B1G coach of the year 3 times and National Coach of the year..
I’m so tired of bandwagon fans like you, Paul. Iowa “fans” like you are exactly like Nebraska fans who scream bloody murder if they’re not undefeated every year, calling for everyone to be fired, criticizing every little thing that goes on in the program.
But hey, if you think you can do a better job coaching the Hawkeyes–please submit your resume to Gary Barta. I’m sure he could use a good laugh.
Qualifications–”That guy on the Gazette comment section who knows everything about football”.
Marc,
It looks like he will have the opportunity to “test” several positions. IMO as a QB, he mirrors Cain Kolter (similar size as well), WR maybe a DJK/KMM-esque type, or a Micah Hyde 2.0. All guys are around that 6′ 1″ mark and he probably will end up in the 190 ish range, give or take.
I know this is a tough question, but what position do you think he ultimately ends up at? Seems like they have recruited a lot of receivers the past two years, QB is kind of crowded, and the secondary might be the most open.
What say you?
Right now, I think QB. His early commit and everything that’s been said leads me to believe he’s happy with the plan. So, I think QB, that is until I’m wrong, of course.
I’m intrigued with Scheel as a QB, but I also like your observation of Micah Hyde. I would say build-wise, that’s the closest comparison. Same type of prep career, too.
With four pro-style QBs on the farm, it can’t hurt to have a run-pass possibility, even if it’s in a two-QB system. That might be a longshot. KF has done that once in 14 seasons.
I’m stuck on QB, but I also might be basing that on what I saw in the NFL playoffs with pistol/zone read types.
What gives Scheel the best shot at the NFL? That right there probably answers the question. That could very well be WR or FS.
And thanks for the question, John. Much preferred over rants.
Thanks for the response! Mindless rants are getting played out. Iowa has issues and the past few seasons have disappointed.. yada, yada, yada. We all know Kirk needs to produce or there will be change. Just glad seeing some great in state talent stay home! I’ve seen Scheel play in person, he is a very fluid athlete. Could be a good QB, but you raise a great point. What position gets him paid? Personally, I’m putting my money on the Micah Hyde route, but only time will tell.
Rants are OK, but a lot of that ground has been covered. And covered, and covered. I vote for constructive communication.
I hate to break it down to getting paid, but why not? That is the point.