by Bill Seals
For a recruit that had never been to the state of Iowa before, one would imagine that taking an official visit for the Cyclones’ season opening weekend would have been quite the shocker. That was exactly the case for a senior cornerback from a suburb northwest of Los Angeles, California.
West Hills Chaminade standout Dallas Taylor-Cortez took his first official visit of the process and it was one that gave him a different perspective on Iowa State.
“The entire experience was actually pretty overwhelming,” said Taylor-Cortez. “It was far more than I thought it would be. When you think of Iowa, you think it’s in the middle of nowhere and there is nothing to do. But it’s all the people there that make it what it is. It’s just a great place to be.”
The 6-foot-3, 173-pound Taylor-Cortez said the school aspect of his visit made perhaps the biggest impression.
“The academic advisors really stood out to me,” he said. “They’re the people that bridge being a student and being an athlete all together. They gave us a great presentation on what they do and how they can help us at ISU.”
I-State paired Taylor-Cortez up with a redshirt freshman from an entirely different part of the country, and it worked out well.
“OJ Tucker was my host and he’s a great dude,” Taylor-Cortez said. “He was a lot of fun to be around and being with him and all his roommates Big Milo (Kamilo Tongamoa) and Datrone (Young) was just dope.
“The coaches also treated us like we were in heaven. They fed us so much and made us a priority. They tried to meet with us every single second that they could. On game day, they ate breakfast and lunch with us. We watched the game and at halftime we went to go eat with the coaches’ wives and families. It was nice.”
The first day of Taylor-Cortez’s visit on Friday, he met with cornerback coach D.K. McDonald about where the staff would like to utilize him beginning in 2018.
“We went through film of the plays I’ve made and it would be an identical play on the next slide of a play that Brian Peavy made,” Taylor-Cortez said. “He showed where they could use me and how they could use me. The way I play now could really fit into their scheme. I think they’re thinking strictly corner for me, but I can play nickel, safety and corner.”
The recruit’s only meeting with head coach Matt Campbell would also turn out to be on Friday.
“We didn’t get a chance to on Sunday because he had some family issues,” Taylor-Cortez said. “He told us about why he went to Iowa State and why he took all the coaches with him. He described what it means to be a Cyclone. My mom and I were both in there. My mom loved it. I loved it.”
Not one to release a list of favorites or top schools, Taylor-Cortez didn’t sway from that approach following his initial visit.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say I have a ranking, but I did really enjoy being there and it would be an honor to play for the Cyclones,” he said. “I would like to go on other visits just so I have something to compare to. I don’t want to jump the gun too early. I’d rather see what else other schools have to offer.”
That next visit will be to Utah and is scheduled for the weekend of October 7th. Taylor-Cortez is also considering stops at Oregon State and Washington State later in the fall.
For a recruit that had never been to the state of Iowa before, one would imagine that taking an official visit for the Cyclones’ season opening weekend would have been quite the shocker. That was exactly the case for a senior cornerback from a suburb northwest of Los Angeles, California.
West Hills Chaminade standout Dallas Taylor-Cortez took his first official visit of the process and it was one that gave him a different perspective on Iowa State.
“The entire experience was actually pretty overwhelming,” said Taylor-Cortez. “It was far more than I thought it would be. When you think of Iowa, you think it’s in the middle of nowhere and there is nothing to do. But it’s all the people there that make it what it is. It’s just a great place to be.”
The 6-foot-3, 173-pound Taylor-Cortez said the school aspect of his visit made perhaps the biggest impression.
“The academic advisors really stood out to me,” he said. “They’re the people that bridge being a student and being an athlete all together. They gave us a great presentation on what they do and how they can help us at ISU.”
I-State paired Taylor-Cortez up with a redshirt freshman from an entirely different part of the country, and it worked out well.
“OJ Tucker was my host and he’s a great dude,” Taylor-Cortez said. “He was a lot of fun to be around and being with him and all his roommates Big Milo (Kamilo Tongamoa) and Datrone (Young) was just dope.
“The coaches also treated us like we were in heaven. They fed us so much and made us a priority. They tried to meet with us every single second that they could. On game day, they ate breakfast and lunch with us. We watched the game and at halftime we went to go eat with the coaches’ wives and families. It was nice.”
The first day of Taylor-Cortez’s visit on Friday, he met with cornerback coach D.K. McDonald about where the staff would like to utilize him beginning in 2018.
“We went through film of the plays I’ve made and it would be an identical play on the next slide of a play that Brian Peavy made,” Taylor-Cortez said. “He showed where they could use me and how they could use me. The way I play now could really fit into their scheme. I think they’re thinking strictly corner for me, but I can play nickel, safety and corner.”
The recruit’s only meeting with head coach Matt Campbell would also turn out to be on Friday.
“We didn’t get a chance to on Sunday because he had some family issues,” Taylor-Cortez said. “He told us about why he went to Iowa State and why he took all the coaches with him. He described what it means to be a Cyclone. My mom and I were both in there. My mom loved it. I loved it.”
Not one to release a list of favorites or top schools, Taylor-Cortez didn’t sway from that approach following his initial visit.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say I have a ranking, but I did really enjoy being there and it would be an honor to play for the Cyclones,” he said. “I would like to go on other visits just so I have something to compare to. I don’t want to jump the gun too early. I’d rather see what else other schools have to offer.”
That next visit will be to Utah and is scheduled for the weekend of October 7th. Taylor-Cortez is also considering stops at Oregon State and Washington State later in the fall.
