by Bill Seals
Iowa State hosted a pair of Missouri high school teammates for unofficial visits over the weekend, including a Class of 2017 offensive lineman with multiple Power-5 offers.
Maryland Heights Pattonville guard Marquis Hayes was on campus along with Class of 2018 quarterback teammate Kaleb Eleby.
For the 6-foot-5, 315-pound Hayes, the trip was an eye-opening experience since he hadn’t been in Ames.
“I really enjoyed seeing their campus, from the weight room to the stadium,” said Hayes, who also has offers from Illinois, Illinois State, Miami (Ohio), Missouri, UNI and Western Michigan. “It just seems like a good place to be and a good environment. I liked how the weight room was set up and they said it was the best equipment in the country.
“I liked Iowa State for what it was. What I had seen from (online) didn’t do it justice. I saw a different view of things, from the inside and out. I couldn’t believe how big it was. They played a little video for us and I was shocked.”
Hayes said the highlight of his day was meeting with head coach Matt Campbell and offensive line coach Tom Manning, who went into detail with him on how he’d fit into the I-State program.
“The head coach told me what he looked for in a player, which was leadership and being a captain on the field,” Hayes said. “He said similar stuff as the offensive line coach. He liked my flexibility and flying off the ball. He liked how I finished my blocks from whistle to whistle from the start of the game to the end of the game, as well as my leadership on the field. He broke down film with me and showed me plays that I did well on and compared them to players he coached.”
The Pattonville junior said he currently has a top group of schools, which includes the Cyclones.
“I don’t have any favorites, but my top three is Iowa State, Mizzou and Illinois,” Hayes said. “I’ll be making my decision either before my season or after.”
ISU will be at Hayes’ school over the spring evaluation period and the recruit is thinking about returning to Ames for the spring game.
Iowa State hosted a pair of Missouri high school teammates for unofficial visits over the weekend, including a Class of 2017 offensive lineman with multiple Power-5 offers.
Maryland Heights Pattonville guard Marquis Hayes was on campus along with Class of 2018 quarterback teammate Kaleb Eleby.
For the 6-foot-5, 315-pound Hayes, the trip was an eye-opening experience since he hadn’t been in Ames.
“I really enjoyed seeing their campus, from the weight room to the stadium,” said Hayes, who also has offers from Illinois, Illinois State, Miami (Ohio), Missouri, UNI and Western Michigan. “It just seems like a good place to be and a good environment. I liked how the weight room was set up and they said it was the best equipment in the country.
“I liked Iowa State for what it was. What I had seen from (online) didn’t do it justice. I saw a different view of things, from the inside and out. I couldn’t believe how big it was. They played a little video for us and I was shocked.”
Hayes said the highlight of his day was meeting with head coach Matt Campbell and offensive line coach Tom Manning, who went into detail with him on how he’d fit into the I-State program.
“The head coach told me what he looked for in a player, which was leadership and being a captain on the field,” Hayes said. “He said similar stuff as the offensive line coach. He liked my flexibility and flying off the ball. He liked how I finished my blocks from whistle to whistle from the start of the game to the end of the game, as well as my leadership on the field. He broke down film with me and showed me plays that I did well on and compared them to players he coached.”
The Pattonville junior said he currently has a top group of schools, which includes the Cyclones.
“I don’t have any favorites, but my top three is Iowa State, Mizzou and Illinois,” Hayes said. “I’ll be making my decision either before my season or after.”
ISU will be at Hayes’ school over the spring evaluation period and the recruit is thinking about returning to Ames for the spring game.
