by Bill Seals
A three-star defensive back from the state of Kansas is taking an even harder look at Iowa State after his most recent visit to Ames for a bowl practice.
Overland Park St. Thomas Aquinas standout junior Jayden Russell, who has been high on the Cyclones since they offered him several months ago, said after his Sunday trip to Ames that he’s considering joining West Des Moines Valley’s Jake Remsburg and being the second I-State commit for the 2019 class.
“Yeah, for sure,” said Russell, who also has offers from in-state schools Kansas and Kansas State. "Ever since Iowa State offered me, they have shown a lot of interest in me. It’s picked up ever since. I’ve been able to contact them a lot. I’m really considering it.
“What Coach Campbell said last summer came to life this season and you can see it with the games they’ve played and how well they’ve played. Even when they’ve lost, it was really close. Everything about Iowa State seems pretty comfortable right now.”
It’s pretty clear that the coaching staff wouldn’t be against the idea.
“A 2019 guy just committed there to Iowa State and Coach (Derek) Hoodjer came up to me saying, ‘we really wanted you to be the first guy to commit’. Coach Lou (Ayeni) was at my school yesterday and he said how the coaching staff really wants me at Iowa State. They really think I fit in with their DBs.”
This was the first ISU visit for a practice that Russell has been a part of and the defensive back said he liked what he saw.
“I thought it was a high-intensity practice and really enjoyed it,” he said. “I loved how competitive they were and that was entertaining. The drills and things are fast-tempo. I like that, as well as how many DBs they use on the field at once. The receivers, Hakeem Butler and another guy, were talking a lot of trash. I thought that was funny.
“Everyone competes at a high level there. I liked how it was offense versus defense, and it gets real competitive over there. There were a couple fights and that shows how passionate the players are. After that, it was nothing crazy and the players were the same. Nothing was out of control. They’re really preparing for the game.”
Russell said the staff was sure to welcome him once he arrived on Sunday and further strengthen their bond with him.
“I got to meet up with all of them,” he said. “I talked to literally everybody. I liked that. Everyone knows who I am. I talked to Coach (Jon) Heacock, Coach (D.K.) McDonald, Coach Hoodjer…everyone. I got to see how they ran their practice.”
In addition to his solid relationship with the coaches, Russell said there’s his connection with a former high school teammate and current Cyclone swaying him ISU’s way.
“I got to talk to (Angel Dominguez) before and after practice,” he said. “We were going to hang out after practice, but I had to get back home. We plan on hanging out when he comes down for Christmas break. He said Iowa State would really fit me, and we’ve always talked about being teammates again. That’s always in the back of my mind when I think about Iowa State.”
A three-star defensive back from the state of Kansas is taking an even harder look at Iowa State after his most recent visit to Ames for a bowl practice.
Overland Park St. Thomas Aquinas standout junior Jayden Russell, who has been high on the Cyclones since they offered him several months ago, said after his Sunday trip to Ames that he’s considering joining West Des Moines Valley’s Jake Remsburg and being the second I-State commit for the 2019 class.
“Yeah, for sure,” said Russell, who also has offers from in-state schools Kansas and Kansas State. "Ever since Iowa State offered me, they have shown a lot of interest in me. It’s picked up ever since. I’ve been able to contact them a lot. I’m really considering it.
“What Coach Campbell said last summer came to life this season and you can see it with the games they’ve played and how well they’ve played. Even when they’ve lost, it was really close. Everything about Iowa State seems pretty comfortable right now.”
It’s pretty clear that the coaching staff wouldn’t be against the idea.
“A 2019 guy just committed there to Iowa State and Coach (Derek) Hoodjer came up to me saying, ‘we really wanted you to be the first guy to commit’. Coach Lou (Ayeni) was at my school yesterday and he said how the coaching staff really wants me at Iowa State. They really think I fit in with their DBs.”
This was the first ISU visit for a practice that Russell has been a part of and the defensive back said he liked what he saw.
“I thought it was a high-intensity practice and really enjoyed it,” he said. “I loved how competitive they were and that was entertaining. The drills and things are fast-tempo. I like that, as well as how many DBs they use on the field at once. The receivers, Hakeem Butler and another guy, were talking a lot of trash. I thought that was funny.
“Everyone competes at a high level there. I liked how it was offense versus defense, and it gets real competitive over there. There were a couple fights and that shows how passionate the players are. After that, it was nothing crazy and the players were the same. Nothing was out of control. They’re really preparing for the game.”
Russell said the staff was sure to welcome him once he arrived on Sunday and further strengthen their bond with him.
“I got to meet up with all of them,” he said. “I talked to literally everybody. I liked that. Everyone knows who I am. I talked to Coach (Jon) Heacock, Coach (D.K.) McDonald, Coach Hoodjer…everyone. I got to see how they ran their practice.”
In addition to his solid relationship with the coaches, Russell said there’s his connection with a former high school teammate and current Cyclone swaying him ISU’s way.
“I got to talk to (Angel Dominguez) before and after practice,” he said. “We were going to hang out after practice, but I had to get back home. We plan on hanging out when he comes down for Christmas break. He said Iowa State would really fit me, and we’ve always talked about being teammates again. That’s always in the back of my mind when I think about Iowa State.”
