by Bill Seals
Iowa State scored its second commitment for the Class of 2017 and second from eastern Iowa on Monday afternoon, getting a verbal from a Cedar Rapids high school linebacker.
Washington junior O’Rien Vance chose the Cyclones less than 48 hours after returning from a Junior Day event in Ames, and admittedly caught the coaching staff a little off guard with his call.
“At first (Coach Campbell) didn’t believe I was doing it,” said Vance. “He told the rest of the coaching staff and they were all cheering and excited about the news. They want me to be there and believe and trust in me that I can be a star on their team. I really enjoyed the basketball game and was really sold on the overall people around the program.”
Vance joins Waterloo West quarterback Devon Moore as commitments for the Class of 2017.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Vance said his Saturday trip to Ames really solidified things for him, since it provided him the opportunity to get to know Campbell and his staff on a personal basis.
“I really enjoyed the great vibe that the coaching staff gave me,” he said. “They were friendly and gave me a sense of urgency. They showed me a video, clip by clip, that showed my film and their film with the position I’m playing and how I’ll fit in. I’d be doing a lot of the same things I’m doing right now.
“The basketball game was a lot of fun and the fans were hyped and loved it. The whole experienced changed a lot for me. I actually got to get to know all of the coaches and what their points of view are on everything.”
Vance said he’s not sure which position he’ll end up playing, but says he looks forward to being a versatile player.
“They said all of the linebackers will be learning the different positions all of the linebacking positions, so you don’t have a certain position,” he said.
Vance was recruited by his future position coach Tyson Veidt and also spoke with Campbell over the phone during the brief recruiting process.
Iowa State scored its second commitment for the Class of 2017 and second from eastern Iowa on Monday afternoon, getting a verbal from a Cedar Rapids high school linebacker.
Washington junior O’Rien Vance chose the Cyclones less than 48 hours after returning from a Junior Day event in Ames, and admittedly caught the coaching staff a little off guard with his call.
“At first (Coach Campbell) didn’t believe I was doing it,” said Vance. “He told the rest of the coaching staff and they were all cheering and excited about the news. They want me to be there and believe and trust in me that I can be a star on their team. I really enjoyed the basketball game and was really sold on the overall people around the program.”
Vance joins Waterloo West quarterback Devon Moore as commitments for the Class of 2017.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Vance said his Saturday trip to Ames really solidified things for him, since it provided him the opportunity to get to know Campbell and his staff on a personal basis.
“I really enjoyed the great vibe that the coaching staff gave me,” he said. “They were friendly and gave me a sense of urgency. They showed me a video, clip by clip, that showed my film and their film with the position I’m playing and how I’ll fit in. I’d be doing a lot of the same things I’m doing right now.
“The basketball game was a lot of fun and the fans were hyped and loved it. The whole experienced changed a lot for me. I actually got to get to know all of the coaches and what their points of view are on everything.”
Vance said he’s not sure which position he’ll end up playing, but says he looks forward to being a versatile player.
“They said all of the linebackers will be learning the different positions all of the linebacking positions, so you don’t have a certain position,” he said.
Vance was recruited by his future position coach Tyson Veidt and also spoke with Campbell over the phone during the brief recruiting process.
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