by Bill Seals
After not hearing anything from colleges throughout all of last season, the complexion of a 2020 tight end’s recruitment has changed over the past few months as several colleges have come in with offers.
One of the Power-5 programs to have jumped in the mix for Rochester (NY) St. Thomas Aquinas rising senior Steven Mahar is Iowa State, which sent assistant coach Alex Golesh northeast to evaluate him this spring.
“Coach Golesh followed me on Twitter about a month ago and from there he hit me up, saying I would be a perfect fit out at Iowa State,” said Mahar. “He came to see me work out a week or two ago and offered me on the spot. The offer itself was a big surprise to me.
“I had absolutely no colleges looking at me in January of this year. That’s when everything sped up tremendously. I always have things to work on, but I think that’s mainly because New York isn’t highly recruited for football players. My coach got some film out on me and social media certainly helped.”
In addition to I-State, Mahar has added P5 offers from Boston College, Indiana, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Syracuse.
Rivals has assigned the three-star Mahar a 5.6 rating and he’s considered the seventh overall prospect in New York for the 2020 class.
One of the many reasons the Cyclones and Golesh targeted Mahar is the versatility he brings to the position.
“According to my head coach and (Golesh), the offense my school runs is identical to the offense they run at Iowa State,” Mahar said. “(Golesh) likes that I can move at 6-foot-6, and 225 pounds and am willing to put my hand in the ground and block.”
Since extending an offer, Golesh has made every attempt to put the Cyclones in a favorable position with Mahar.
“He’s a great guy and great coach,” Mahar said. “I can already tell from having two conversations with him. He speaks highly of me, tells me I’m one of their top targets and that I’m a perfect fit for what they do offensively. Last night, we had a good 25-minute phone conversation. He broke everything down, from the recruiting process to Iowa State and being smart with my decision. He asked me what I wanted.”
While he’s already learned a little about ISU, Mahar hopes to make the trip to Ames this summer to see everything first-hand.
“I’ve seen that many of the coaches are from Toledo and are now at Iowa State building the program up to be a power in the Big 12,” he said. “They’re really working hard to get to the top. I know it’s in the middle of nowhere in Ames, Iowa, but I want to check it out. I hear it’s a great college town with great energy and vibes. I’d like to take an official visit out there.”
After not hearing anything from colleges throughout all of last season, the complexion of a 2020 tight end’s recruitment has changed over the past few months as several colleges have come in with offers.
One of the Power-5 programs to have jumped in the mix for Rochester (NY) St. Thomas Aquinas rising senior Steven Mahar is Iowa State, which sent assistant coach Alex Golesh northeast to evaluate him this spring.
“Coach Golesh followed me on Twitter about a month ago and from there he hit me up, saying I would be a perfect fit out at Iowa State,” said Mahar. “He came to see me work out a week or two ago and offered me on the spot. The offer itself was a big surprise to me.
“I had absolutely no colleges looking at me in January of this year. That’s when everything sped up tremendously. I always have things to work on, but I think that’s mainly because New York isn’t highly recruited for football players. My coach got some film out on me and social media certainly helped.”
In addition to I-State, Mahar has added P5 offers from Boston College, Indiana, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Syracuse.
Rivals has assigned the three-star Mahar a 5.6 rating and he’s considered the seventh overall prospect in New York for the 2020 class.
One of the many reasons the Cyclones and Golesh targeted Mahar is the versatility he brings to the position.
“According to my head coach and (Golesh), the offense my school runs is identical to the offense they run at Iowa State,” Mahar said. “(Golesh) likes that I can move at 6-foot-6, and 225 pounds and am willing to put my hand in the ground and block.”
Since extending an offer, Golesh has made every attempt to put the Cyclones in a favorable position with Mahar.
“He’s a great guy and great coach,” Mahar said. “I can already tell from having two conversations with him. He speaks highly of me, tells me I’m one of their top targets and that I’m a perfect fit for what they do offensively. Last night, we had a good 25-minute phone conversation. He broke everything down, from the recruiting process to Iowa State and being smart with my decision. He asked me what I wanted.”
While he’s already learned a little about ISU, Mahar hopes to make the trip to Ames this summer to see everything first-hand.
“I’ve seen that many of the coaches are from Toledo and are now at Iowa State building the program up to be a power in the Big 12,” he said. “They’re really working hard to get to the top. I know it’s in the middle of nowhere in Ames, Iowa, but I want to check it out. I hear it’s a great college town with great energy and vibes. I’d like to take an official visit out there.”
