by Bill Seals
Given the uncertainty around incumbent quarterback Kyle Kempt getting a sixth year and the transfer of Jacob Park, Iowa State has explored the possibility of adding a second player at the position in the Class of 2018.
After signing Re-Al Mitchell in the early signing period, the Cyclones last night pulled the trigger on an offer to Gilbert (Ariz.) Perry senior Brock Purdy. The three-star quarterback has seen his interest pick up after a strong senior season.
“Coach (Tom) Manning came out around spring ball last year to check out Arizona athletes,” said Purdy. “At the time, they had a commit at quarterback and said they weren’t going to take two. If they were, they were going to contact me as soon as possible because I was the next guy up. I didn’t hear from any of the coaches throughout the season.
“Last night, my coach texted me from high school saying to expect a call from Iowa State. Coach (Matt) Campbell and all of them talked to me and said they had some stuff going on with the quarterback position. I guess a quarterback was leaving, so they’re now taking two quarterbacks for the 2018 class. They told me they were offering, that the place is up and coming and they have great things going on right now. It was appealing to me and my family. We’re excited about it.”
Purdy said the I-State staff brought up plenty of times during the conversation on his fit within the offense.
“They like my athletic ability, my smarts at the quarterback position and mechanics,” he said. “Also, my winning record and mentality when I step on the field helping out my teammates get better were huge things for them. They need a guy that will come in and compete right away. They said I have a great opportunity of doing that. Their system is very similar to the one I was just running in high school.”
The 6-foot-1, 197-pound Purdy threw for 4,400 passing yards and 57 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,017 yards and 10 scores as a high school senior.
Throughout the recruiting process, he has also picked up a Power-5 offer from Kansas to go along with a select few in the G5 ranks like Boise State, UCF and UNLV.
Purdy already has a busy month of January planned with official visits slated to Boise State, UCF and national champion Alabama which has also gotten in on his recruitment late. The senior quarterback hopes to get some more clarity as to where he stands with ISU and Alabama next week.
“Next Tuesday (ISU) is coming out, so we’ll probably set up a visit and things like that,” Purdy said. “As of now, I’m going to Boise State this weekend and next weekend I’ll have UCF. I’m supposed to have Alabama the weekend after that on the 26th, but some things might change. I know I’m not going to Kansas anymore on a visit. I’ll just have to see next Tuesday what they have to say about setting up a visit.
“(Alabama) wants to get me out there to step on campus and make a decision. They’ll most likely offer once I get on campus, they said. They’re also coming out next week on Monday or Tuesday to see me and get to know me.”
Purdy is one of those talents that sometimes slip through the cracks, in that he didn’t have the greatest junior season due to an illness but broke out this past fall. His options became even more limited this recruiting cycle with the change to an early signing date.
However, the quarterback should still likely end up in a good situation come next season.
“I’ve been in contact with coaches since my junior year, but a lot of them didn’t offer because they were trying to get other guys,” he said. “I came off a season where I had mono, so I wasn’t 100 percent strong. My senior year tape got a lot better because I got bigger, faster and stronger. Coaches started taking notice and started pulling the trigger on offers. That helped out big time.”
Given the uncertainty around incumbent quarterback Kyle Kempt getting a sixth year and the transfer of Jacob Park, Iowa State has explored the possibility of adding a second player at the position in the Class of 2018.
After signing Re-Al Mitchell in the early signing period, the Cyclones last night pulled the trigger on an offer to Gilbert (Ariz.) Perry senior Brock Purdy. The three-star quarterback has seen his interest pick up after a strong senior season.
“Coach (Tom) Manning came out around spring ball last year to check out Arizona athletes,” said Purdy. “At the time, they had a commit at quarterback and said they weren’t going to take two. If they were, they were going to contact me as soon as possible because I was the next guy up. I didn’t hear from any of the coaches throughout the season.
“Last night, my coach texted me from high school saying to expect a call from Iowa State. Coach (Matt) Campbell and all of them talked to me and said they had some stuff going on with the quarterback position. I guess a quarterback was leaving, so they’re now taking two quarterbacks for the 2018 class. They told me they were offering, that the place is up and coming and they have great things going on right now. It was appealing to me and my family. We’re excited about it.”
Purdy said the I-State staff brought up plenty of times during the conversation on his fit within the offense.
“They like my athletic ability, my smarts at the quarterback position and mechanics,” he said. “Also, my winning record and mentality when I step on the field helping out my teammates get better were huge things for them. They need a guy that will come in and compete right away. They said I have a great opportunity of doing that. Their system is very similar to the one I was just running in high school.”
The 6-foot-1, 197-pound Purdy threw for 4,400 passing yards and 57 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,017 yards and 10 scores as a high school senior.
Throughout the recruiting process, he has also picked up a Power-5 offer from Kansas to go along with a select few in the G5 ranks like Boise State, UCF and UNLV.
Purdy already has a busy month of January planned with official visits slated to Boise State, UCF and national champion Alabama which has also gotten in on his recruitment late. The senior quarterback hopes to get some more clarity as to where he stands with ISU and Alabama next week.
“Next Tuesday (ISU) is coming out, so we’ll probably set up a visit and things like that,” Purdy said. “As of now, I’m going to Boise State this weekend and next weekend I’ll have UCF. I’m supposed to have Alabama the weekend after that on the 26th, but some things might change. I know I’m not going to Kansas anymore on a visit. I’ll just have to see next Tuesday what they have to say about setting up a visit.
“(Alabama) wants to get me out there to step on campus and make a decision. They’ll most likely offer once I get on campus, they said. They’re also coming out next week on Monday or Tuesday to see me and get to know me.”
Purdy is one of those talents that sometimes slip through the cracks, in that he didn’t have the greatest junior season due to an illness but broke out this past fall. His options became even more limited this recruiting cycle with the change to an early signing date.
However, the quarterback should still likely end up in a good situation come next season.
“I’ve been in contact with coaches since my junior year, but a lot of them didn’t offer because they were trying to get other guys,” he said. “I came off a season where I had mono, so I wasn’t 100 percent strong. My senior year tape got a lot better because I got bigger, faster and stronger. Coaches started taking notice and started pulling the trigger on offers. That helped out big time.”
