by Bill Seals
Iowa State got the immediate help it will need for the 2017 season on Sunday afternoon, landing a commitment from a JUCO cornerback from the state of Kansas.
Butler County rising sophomore Octavious Morgan chose the Cyclones during an unofficial visit, spurning other Power-5 offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas State, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
"I just had a great experience up there at Iowa State," said Morgan, who is a December graduate that will have two seasons of eligibility remaining over the next two years. "The coaches showed me a lot of love and I just felt like they really wanted me. I felt like it was the right decision."
The 6-foot-0, 200-pound Morgan said he made his decision yesterday morning with his mom joining in on the conversation with I-State coaches. He was primarily recruited by D.K. McDonald and Alex Golesh.
"(The coaches and I) were in a team meeting room talking and having a good time," Morgan said. "We had my mom on Facetime and she was talking. It was a really good moment. I felt it was the right time. My mom had a good conversation with the coaches and I felt like it was a great time to do that."
Morgan believes he's entering a great situation in Ames where the Cyclones will be in need of defensive backs beginning in 2017.
"They said I'll have a good opportunity to fight for a chance to play right away, and if I work hard I'll have a good opportunity," he said. "Two other cornerbacks (are senior and) are leaving that are starters. There are three cornerbacks overall. So there's a nice chance for me."
In addition to feeling wanted by the Cyclones, Morgan said he fell in love with all that the program has to offer.
"The facility was amazing and I didn't know Iowa State had a very nice facility like that," he said. "The coaches showed a lot of love, especially the head coach. It felt like they really wanted me to be there. Other schools I visited, it didn't feel the same as at Iowa State. They really care about their players. I feel like Iowa State is going to come up. The coaches are doing a really good job of recruiting guys."
Morgan also got a close-up glimpse into how he'll be coached at ISU during the Saturday Night Lights camp which was held in Ames during his unoffical visit.
"I watched how the coaches worked with kids at the camp," he said. "They had them working hard. I liked the techniques that Coach McDonald was teaching the young cornerbacks at camp. There were some things I could work on to get better. I feel like the scheme at Iowa State fits me well."
Iowa State got the immediate help it will need for the 2017 season on Sunday afternoon, landing a commitment from a JUCO cornerback from the state of Kansas.
Butler County rising sophomore Octavious Morgan chose the Cyclones during an unofficial visit, spurning other Power-5 offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas State, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
"I just had a great experience up there at Iowa State," said Morgan, who is a December graduate that will have two seasons of eligibility remaining over the next two years. "The coaches showed me a lot of love and I just felt like they really wanted me. I felt like it was the right decision."
The 6-foot-0, 200-pound Morgan said he made his decision yesterday morning with his mom joining in on the conversation with I-State coaches. He was primarily recruited by D.K. McDonald and Alex Golesh.
"(The coaches and I) were in a team meeting room talking and having a good time," Morgan said. "We had my mom on Facetime and she was talking. It was a really good moment. I felt it was the right time. My mom had a good conversation with the coaches and I felt like it was a great time to do that."
Morgan believes he's entering a great situation in Ames where the Cyclones will be in need of defensive backs beginning in 2017.
"They said I'll have a good opportunity to fight for a chance to play right away, and if I work hard I'll have a good opportunity," he said. "Two other cornerbacks (are senior and) are leaving that are starters. There are three cornerbacks overall. So there's a nice chance for me."
In addition to feeling wanted by the Cyclones, Morgan said he fell in love with all that the program has to offer.
"The facility was amazing and I didn't know Iowa State had a very nice facility like that," he said. "The coaches showed a lot of love, especially the head coach. It felt like they really wanted me to be there. Other schools I visited, it didn't feel the same as at Iowa State. They really care about their players. I feel like Iowa State is going to come up. The coaches are doing a really good job of recruiting guys."
Morgan also got a close-up glimpse into how he'll be coached at ISU during the Saturday Night Lights camp which was held in Ames during his unoffical visit.
"I watched how the coaches worked with kids at the camp," he said. "They had them working hard. I liked the techniques that Coach McDonald was teaching the young cornerbacks at camp. There were some things I could work on to get better. I feel like the scheme at Iowa State fits me well."
