by Bill Seals
It’s hard to ignore the list of offers a Class of 2020 defensive end from the Chicagoland area has received and an Iowa State assistant coach certainly saw what all the hype was about during a recent trip to a satellite camp.
Lake Forest rising junior Rylie Mills said the Cyclones picked up their interest in him after seeing first-hand the improvements he’d made since last fall.
“I met Coach (Eli) Rasheed at the Lindenwood Camp in St. Louis,” said Mills. “I went there the first day and did the O-Line/D-Line drills in the morning. He came to watch the camp and was really impressed with my work ethic and the way I performed at camp. He said he saw a lot and was confident that he wanted to offer me.
“I’ve worked on my drills a lot this offseason, like flipping your hips in the bag. That impressed a lot of coaches initially. I showed I know how to use my hands and flip my hips effectively. The one-on-ones is where I impressed everybody. I snuck into the senior group and was able to go against the older guys. I didn’t lose any reps and worked my butt off.”
Mills’ ability to get after the quarterback consistently in St. Louis is one of the aspects Rasheed fell in love with.
“The pass rush is something Coach Rasheed liked,” Mills said. “He was kind of blown away in the way I went about my pass rush during the one-on-ones. He said I did a really good job being aggressive, using my hands and getting off the offensive lineman. That really opened his eyes.”
Several other Power-5 programs have also stepped up with offers for the 6-foot-6, 265-pound Mills. His list now includes the likes of Alabama, Boston College, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin.
The up and coming defender is now in the process of analyzing all of the offers that have come his way over the past few months. That includes I-State, which could stand to get him for a visit.
“I haven’t had a chance to call Coach Rasheed yet, but I’m definitely going to be calling soon,” Mills said. “I’d love to go check out the campus and learn more about the school. Right now, I don’t think I know as much as I’d like to. Getting a chance to go down to the school to see the school and academics would be eye-opening for me. I’ve looked online at the campus and it looks like a beautiful place and that I’d like to check out.”
Mills said one of the areas the Cyclones really stood out in 2017 is in the play at the position they’re recruiting him to play.
“I watched some of their games during the season and the atmosphere there was really awesome,” he said. “The crowds and stadium were great. The way they play was aggressive and they get after it. The defensive ends did a really good job. You could tell they were coached really well, with the way their feet and hands are moving together. They all play their assignment really well.”
It’s hard to ignore the list of offers a Class of 2020 defensive end from the Chicagoland area has received and an Iowa State assistant coach certainly saw what all the hype was about during a recent trip to a satellite camp.
Lake Forest rising junior Rylie Mills said the Cyclones picked up their interest in him after seeing first-hand the improvements he’d made since last fall.
“I met Coach (Eli) Rasheed at the Lindenwood Camp in St. Louis,” said Mills. “I went there the first day and did the O-Line/D-Line drills in the morning. He came to watch the camp and was really impressed with my work ethic and the way I performed at camp. He said he saw a lot and was confident that he wanted to offer me.
“I’ve worked on my drills a lot this offseason, like flipping your hips in the bag. That impressed a lot of coaches initially. I showed I know how to use my hands and flip my hips effectively. The one-on-ones is where I impressed everybody. I snuck into the senior group and was able to go against the older guys. I didn’t lose any reps and worked my butt off.”
Mills’ ability to get after the quarterback consistently in St. Louis is one of the aspects Rasheed fell in love with.
“The pass rush is something Coach Rasheed liked,” Mills said. “He was kind of blown away in the way I went about my pass rush during the one-on-ones. He said I did a really good job being aggressive, using my hands and getting off the offensive lineman. That really opened his eyes.”
Several other Power-5 programs have also stepped up with offers for the 6-foot-6, 265-pound Mills. His list now includes the likes of Alabama, Boston College, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin.
The up and coming defender is now in the process of analyzing all of the offers that have come his way over the past few months. That includes I-State, which could stand to get him for a visit.
“I haven’t had a chance to call Coach Rasheed yet, but I’m definitely going to be calling soon,” Mills said. “I’d love to go check out the campus and learn more about the school. Right now, I don’t think I know as much as I’d like to. Getting a chance to go down to the school to see the school and academics would be eye-opening for me. I’ve looked online at the campus and it looks like a beautiful place and that I’d like to check out.”
Mills said one of the areas the Cyclones really stood out in 2017 is in the play at the position they’re recruiting him to play.
“I watched some of their games during the season and the atmosphere there was really awesome,” he said. “The crowds and stadium were great. The way they play was aggressive and they get after it. The defensive ends did a really good job. You could tell they were coached really well, with the way their feet and hands are moving together. They all play their assignment really well.”
