by Bill Seals
A Class of 2019 athlete from a traditional high school football power in Michigan has five Power-5 offers under his belt, and the one he visited most recently was Iowa State.
Detroit Cass Tech junior Jalen Graham said he was happy to finally travel to ISU for an unofficial visit last month, and that an offer had been extended on the trip.
“I started talking to them towards the middle of the season,” said Graham, a three-star recruit that’s ranked 15th in Michigan’s Class of 2018 ratings. “Coach (D.K.) McDonald followed me on Twitter and then we started texting back and forth. I wanted to try to get down there during the season, but I couldn’t get down there.
“Coach McDonald and Coach (Matt) Campbell came up to the school last month when we were working out in the weight room. I got to talk to both of them. I scheduled a time to come down there, which I just did and got to meet everybody, the whole staff. I talked to Coach Campbell and he let me know that I had a scholarship.”
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Graham caught up with the Cyclones on December 16th and was impressed with everything he saw inside and outside of the football program.
“The main thing that stood out to me was how everybody was together on the same page,” Graham said. “It was a big family down there. They treated me nice and showed me a good time. They showed me around campus and how much they’re invested in academics. I got to see everything – the indoor facilities, weight room and stadium itself. I got to see where they eat, as well as the locker rooms.”
Listed as an athlete in the Rivals database, Graham said he’d be targeted to play in the secondary at ISU. Defensive coordinator Jon Heacock showed the junior prospect the ins and outs of his defense.
“Coach McDonald toured me around throughout the day and at the end, me and Coach Heacock watched some film on the safeties, how the different safeties play, how they have the rotation and the different coverages,” Graham said. “I like how they play with the three safeties and that one of them is kind of like an extra linebacker or defender in there. It gives you more of an opportunity to get on the field and show what you have.”
Also having P5 offers from Kentucky, Missouri, Pittsburgh and Syracuse, along with recent interest from Michigan State, Ohio State and Notre Dame, Graham said Iowa State made a solid first impression on him.
“It changed my perception a lot, especially the fact that this year they’ve been winning a lot,” he said. “They made me feel like I was at home. When I thought of Iowa, I thought of a lot of farmland for some reason. But it was nice…I got to see the downtown area.”
Since the visit, Graham said he has followed up with the coaches.
“I’ve been talking to them a little bit,” he said. “I told them good win in the bowl game. We’ve talked about me maybe coming back down again for a Junior Day.”
A Class of 2019 athlete from a traditional high school football power in Michigan has five Power-5 offers under his belt, and the one he visited most recently was Iowa State.
Detroit Cass Tech junior Jalen Graham said he was happy to finally travel to ISU for an unofficial visit last month, and that an offer had been extended on the trip.
“I started talking to them towards the middle of the season,” said Graham, a three-star recruit that’s ranked 15th in Michigan’s Class of 2018 ratings. “Coach (D.K.) McDonald followed me on Twitter and then we started texting back and forth. I wanted to try to get down there during the season, but I couldn’t get down there.
“Coach McDonald and Coach (Matt) Campbell came up to the school last month when we were working out in the weight room. I got to talk to both of them. I scheduled a time to come down there, which I just did and got to meet everybody, the whole staff. I talked to Coach Campbell and he let me know that I had a scholarship.”
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Graham caught up with the Cyclones on December 16th and was impressed with everything he saw inside and outside of the football program.
“The main thing that stood out to me was how everybody was together on the same page,” Graham said. “It was a big family down there. They treated me nice and showed me a good time. They showed me around campus and how much they’re invested in academics. I got to see everything – the indoor facilities, weight room and stadium itself. I got to see where they eat, as well as the locker rooms.”
Listed as an athlete in the Rivals database, Graham said he’d be targeted to play in the secondary at ISU. Defensive coordinator Jon Heacock showed the junior prospect the ins and outs of his defense.
“Coach McDonald toured me around throughout the day and at the end, me and Coach Heacock watched some film on the safeties, how the different safeties play, how they have the rotation and the different coverages,” Graham said. “I like how they play with the three safeties and that one of them is kind of like an extra linebacker or defender in there. It gives you more of an opportunity to get on the field and show what you have.”
Also having P5 offers from Kentucky, Missouri, Pittsburgh and Syracuse, along with recent interest from Michigan State, Ohio State and Notre Dame, Graham said Iowa State made a solid first impression on him.
“It changed my perception a lot, especially the fact that this year they’ve been winning a lot,” he said. “They made me feel like I was at home. When I thought of Iowa, I thought of a lot of farmland for some reason. But it was nice…I got to see the downtown area.”
Since the visit, Graham said he has followed up with the coaches.
“I’ve been talking to them a little bit,” he said. “I told them good win in the bowl game. We’ve talked about me maybe coming back down again for a Junior Day.”
