by Bill Seals
Iowa State is putting more of an emphasis on recruiting the state of Oklahoma and that’s not been overlooked by a three-star safety recruit in the Class of 2018 who recently picked up an offer.
Tulsa Union’s Patrick Fields said he’s been in touch with a pair of coaches from the staff in Ames and likes what he’s seen so far.
“I had been talking to (defensive graduate assistant Christian) Smith and he’s originally from Oklahoma, so he helps out with recruiting the area,” said Fields. “What’s kind of crazy is the guy I train with actually knows Coach Smith.
“We had been talking for a while and then Coach (Alex) Golesh followed me and we talked on the phone for about 30 minutes. We talked about me, what type of person I am, Iowa State and that’s when they offered me.”
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Fields said he already knew of the Cyclones from their recruitment of others in his area.
“Iowa State is starting to recruit the state of Oklahoma more, which is one thing I like,” he said. “They have a starting receiver (Carson Epps) from Jenks, which is our rival school. I played against one of their 2017 tight end commits (Charlie Kolar) from Norman North twice this year. That’s a plus to me, because often times this state gets overlooked.”
Another facet of the I-State program that Fields has liked is the defense, which held its own in year one.
“That really sticks out to me,” Fields said. “Although they didn’t have the best season, they played everyone really tight and a lot of teams didn’t pull away. They were one of the highest-ranked defenses in the Big 12, which says a lot about their program and what they emphasize. Their pass defense was really good and really impressive. If they’re putting up numbers like that, it means there has to be good coaching there.”
Once the calendar turns to 2017, Fields looks forward to learning more about the program when another contact period starts.
“I am going to get on the phone and talk with the head coach and secondary coach to tell them more about me, see what they like me best at and how I fit into their defensive scheme,” Fields said. “I’d like to get up there to check out a basketball game in February or March to see what type of fan base they have and how supportive the fans are.
“Coach Golesh said a lot of their games are packed out, because it’s a really good college town and the fans are really supportive. That’s another big plus, because everyone wants to be playing on a big stage in front of a lot of fans.”
In addition to his ISU offer, Fields has ones from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Vanderbilt, Tulsa and Arkansas State. He’s also receiving interest from Texas, Tennessee and Arkansas.
Iowa State is putting more of an emphasis on recruiting the state of Oklahoma and that’s not been overlooked by a three-star safety recruit in the Class of 2018 who recently picked up an offer.
Tulsa Union’s Patrick Fields said he’s been in touch with a pair of coaches from the staff in Ames and likes what he’s seen so far.
“I had been talking to (defensive graduate assistant Christian) Smith and he’s originally from Oklahoma, so he helps out with recruiting the area,” said Fields. “What’s kind of crazy is the guy I train with actually knows Coach Smith.
“We had been talking for a while and then Coach (Alex) Golesh followed me and we talked on the phone for about 30 minutes. We talked about me, what type of person I am, Iowa State and that’s when they offered me.”
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Fields said he already knew of the Cyclones from their recruitment of others in his area.
“Iowa State is starting to recruit the state of Oklahoma more, which is one thing I like,” he said. “They have a starting receiver (Carson Epps) from Jenks, which is our rival school. I played against one of their 2017 tight end commits (Charlie Kolar) from Norman North twice this year. That’s a plus to me, because often times this state gets overlooked.”
Another facet of the I-State program that Fields has liked is the defense, which held its own in year one.
“That really sticks out to me,” Fields said. “Although they didn’t have the best season, they played everyone really tight and a lot of teams didn’t pull away. They were one of the highest-ranked defenses in the Big 12, which says a lot about their program and what they emphasize. Their pass defense was really good and really impressive. If they’re putting up numbers like that, it means there has to be good coaching there.”
Once the calendar turns to 2017, Fields looks forward to learning more about the program when another contact period starts.
“I am going to get on the phone and talk with the head coach and secondary coach to tell them more about me, see what they like me best at and how I fit into their defensive scheme,” Fields said. “I’d like to get up there to check out a basketball game in February or March to see what type of fan base they have and how supportive the fans are.
“Coach Golesh said a lot of their games are packed out, because it’s a really good college town and the fans are really supportive. That’s another big plus, because everyone wants to be playing on a big stage in front of a lot of fans.”
In addition to his ISU offer, Fields has ones from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Vanderbilt, Tulsa and Arkansas State. He’s also receiving interest from Texas, Tennessee and Arkansas.
