by Bill Seals
Going the prep school route is already paying dividends for a defensive tackle from Alabama who has enrolled in a New Jersey program for the 2016-17 school year.
The Peddie School's T.J. Rayam graduated from Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson High School this spring, but instead of going to UMass where he had signed a letter-of-intent, the 6-foot-1, 290-pound Rayam had other plans.
"I was signed with UMass and then I got out of my letter of intent," said Rayam. "I'm doing a post-graduate year at Peddie in New Jersey."
As a result of Rayam re-opening his recruitment, he has started to see interest from a new round of schools including Iowa State.
"Iowa State came to see me up at my prep school a while ago and then the next day they called me I had an offer from them," said Rayam, who has also been offered by Wake Forest and Kent State in recent days. "They liked the way I played, the motor I have and the type of plays that I was making."
In addition to building a good relationship with his recruiter Lou Ayeni, Rayam said he spoke with ISU's head coach Matt Campbell yesterday about his offer.
"The head coach called me yesterday," Rayam said. "I wasn't expecting an offer from them that soon, or something that big. I have been looking at Iowa State and really like what I've seen. I'm just waiting to go on a visit up there to see everything."
That official visit, Rayam says, will likely come the weekend of September 24th when Peddie is on a bye week and the Cyclones face San Jose State that Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium.
Rayam comes from a football family, with his father Thomas having attended the University of Alabama prior to a playing career in the NFL. Rayam's uncle, Hardy, competed at Notre Dame.
Going the prep school route is already paying dividends for a defensive tackle from Alabama who has enrolled in a New Jersey program for the 2016-17 school year.
The Peddie School's T.J. Rayam graduated from Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson High School this spring, but instead of going to UMass where he had signed a letter-of-intent, the 6-foot-1, 290-pound Rayam had other plans.
"I was signed with UMass and then I got out of my letter of intent," said Rayam. "I'm doing a post-graduate year at Peddie in New Jersey."
As a result of Rayam re-opening his recruitment, he has started to see interest from a new round of schools including Iowa State.
"Iowa State came to see me up at my prep school a while ago and then the next day they called me I had an offer from them," said Rayam, who has also been offered by Wake Forest and Kent State in recent days. "They liked the way I played, the motor I have and the type of plays that I was making."
In addition to building a good relationship with his recruiter Lou Ayeni, Rayam said he spoke with ISU's head coach Matt Campbell yesterday about his offer.
"The head coach called me yesterday," Rayam said. "I wasn't expecting an offer from them that soon, or something that big. I have been looking at Iowa State and really like what I've seen. I'm just waiting to go on a visit up there to see everything."
That official visit, Rayam says, will likely come the weekend of September 24th when Peddie is on a bye week and the Cyclones face San Jose State that Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium.
Rayam comes from a football family, with his father Thomas having attended the University of Alabama prior to a playing career in the NFL. Rayam's uncle, Hardy, competed at Notre Dame.
