National Signing Day is on February 2nd, so it makes sense to take a look at how the class is shaping up. I'm never going to have an inside scoop, or break anything, and making bold predictions about recruits can make one look silly quickly. I am a guy who sometimes gets gun-shy when talking about recruiting. Look at Sedrick Johnson. A 4-star WR with an offer from Texas A&M, and decides to come to Iowa State. It never works out for ISU, and Johnson will not be ending his college career at an FCS school. Then look at a guy like Jake Knott, who was a 2 star with offers from midmajors, and turned into a legit All-Big 12 player with a high ceiling. You have to recruit players that fit into what you are trying to do. Plus, recruiting is so tough to follow because the level of commitment varies, guys change their minds over time.
So instead of trying to project via a star rating on how a player does, I try to look at what kind of a trend are we looking at with players, and that gives me a glimpse into what the coaching staff is trying to build, and even looking at what the coaches may be thinking. After the jump, I am going to take a look at how Iowa State is looking right now
Right now, we are sitting at 21 guys in the class, with 3 JUCOs having signed their letter of intent and enrolling in classes at ISU during the spring semester. We've got Steele Janz, a dual-threat QB out of City College of San Francisco, along with an WR from the same program, Aaron Horne. The third guy is Samuel Tautolo, a center out of Saddleback C.C., which makes sense when the top 2 centers have left the program. Going back to the previous two guys, I have mentioned this before, but you do not bring in a JUCO QB and a target he threw to at said JUCO, unless you are just not sold on your QBs are this point in time. I know the coaching staff is going to select the best guy for the spot, but in my opinion this is Janz's job to lose in fall camp.
Another guy that a lot of fans are going to be pumped about is DeVondrick Nealy. The guy has the potential to be a big time playmaker, and I like the idea of getting more speed on the field. Our WR production has been bad, so I would not be shocked to see Nealy play in the slot from time to time, especially if we have issues with the WR group in fall camp. Assuming he can pick up on what the coaching staff is asking him to do, I would expect to see him on the field next season.
In general, I just like the athleticism the coaching staff is continuing to bring into the program. Getting guys in here like Nealy, Standard, this new commit Brundage, and others are going to help a ton. Figure out ways to get these guys on the field and let them make plays is a good way to go. I am not going to try and overhype anybody I have not seen play, but I hope the line can be good, and Iowa State can take a step forward with the added speed being brought into Ames.
Right now there are 21 slots filled. I am not sure if Iowa State gets to 25, but I know from what I'm seeing on Twitter that the staff is out recruiting hard and will probably be adding a couple more guys. I plan to update as more unfolds. Other than the 3 JUCOs, none of these guys are Cyclones until they fax in their LOI, enroll in classes, and show up for fall camp. No matter what happens, try not to get too high or too low if a kid changes their mind.
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