by Bill Seals
A gigantic junior offensive lineman from a high school that should be familiar to followers of Iowa State football recruiting took in the final home game of the season on Saturday.
Walled Lake (Mich.) Western Class of 2019 big man Jacob Dean, who reins from the same high school as Cyclone true freshman Rob Hudson, took his first visit to Ames over the weekend.
“I thought it was really nice,” said Dean. “The facilities are great. The coaches answered my questions, whatever ones I had. The experience was really great. There are a lot of loyal fans there, I could tell that they go there a lot. The atmosphere at the game was awesome and there was a lot of energy. There was a family feeling there around the team.
“(Before the game, the staff) spoke to the group and I really liked the head coach (Matt Campbell), the way he spoke about respect. I talked to the scouting coordinator and he answered all the questions I had about practice and weightlifting schedule.”
The 6-foot-8, 315-pound Dean has an offer from the Cyclones to go along with MAC schools Kent State and Ohio. He’s also getting interest from Arkansas, Buffalo and Virginia Tech.
Given Dean’s overall frame, it’s easy to understand why I-State is involved with him this early in the process.
“They like my size, since I’m 6-foot-8 ½,” he said. “I played offensive guard this year, but they’re looking at me for offensive tackle. I’m trying to get my feet moving faster, and I think I can get my punch off the line a little quicker. But everything else is pretty good.”
Campbell’s staff started recruiting Dean just a few months after signing his former teammate Hudson in the 2017 class.
“(Coach McDonald) came down to our school last April and watched me do a few drills,” Dean said. “He talked to the head coach and I heard about the offer after the drills.”
Although he won’t sign for at least another year, Dean said he likes what he’s seen of the ISU program.
“They’ve been sending me stuff in the mail, texting me and asking how I’m doing,” he said. “(The team) is doing pretty well. They have some pretty big wins against TCU and Oklahoma. They’re heading in a really good direction right now.”
A gigantic junior offensive lineman from a high school that should be familiar to followers of Iowa State football recruiting took in the final home game of the season on Saturday.
Walled Lake (Mich.) Western Class of 2019 big man Jacob Dean, who reins from the same high school as Cyclone true freshman Rob Hudson, took his first visit to Ames over the weekend.
“I thought it was really nice,” said Dean. “The facilities are great. The coaches answered my questions, whatever ones I had. The experience was really great. There are a lot of loyal fans there, I could tell that they go there a lot. The atmosphere at the game was awesome and there was a lot of energy. There was a family feeling there around the team.
“(Before the game, the staff) spoke to the group and I really liked the head coach (Matt Campbell), the way he spoke about respect. I talked to the scouting coordinator and he answered all the questions I had about practice and weightlifting schedule.”
The 6-foot-8, 315-pound Dean has an offer from the Cyclones to go along with MAC schools Kent State and Ohio. He’s also getting interest from Arkansas, Buffalo and Virginia Tech.
Given Dean’s overall frame, it’s easy to understand why I-State is involved with him this early in the process.
“They like my size, since I’m 6-foot-8 ½,” he said. “I played offensive guard this year, but they’re looking at me for offensive tackle. I’m trying to get my feet moving faster, and I think I can get my punch off the line a little quicker. But everything else is pretty good.”
Campbell’s staff started recruiting Dean just a few months after signing his former teammate Hudson in the 2017 class.
“(Coach McDonald) came down to our school last April and watched me do a few drills,” Dean said. “He talked to the head coach and I heard about the offer after the drills.”
Although he won’t sign for at least another year, Dean said he likes what he’s seen of the ISU program.
“They’ve been sending me stuff in the mail, texting me and asking how I’m doing,” he said. “(The team) is doing pretty well. They have some pretty big wins against TCU and Oklahoma. They’re heading in a really good direction right now.”
