by Bill Seals
A Class of 2020 prospect from the state of Minnesota thought he should have been getting more recruiting attention than he had coming out of his sophomore year and he backed up those thoughts with an appearance at an Iowa State camp earlier this month.
Winona rising junior Aaron Witt said it was a roller-coaster ride at the Cyclones’ initial Saturday Night Lights camp of the season and broke down a memorable day.
“I went down there and didn’t hear anything from any coaches,” said Witt. “Nobody was really recruiting me actively. I went down there and was going through it. About halfway through the camp, they pulled me aside and said they were looking at me and like me.
“After the camp, Coach (Eli) Rasheed said they were going to offer me. They took me up into Matt Campbell’s office and he offered me up there. They told me that I had really good hands and feet for a kid with the frame of mine, I have a lot of potential left to fulfill and they liked how I worked and was nasty at the camp.”
The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Witt said he was out to gain some attention and was relieved that I-State took notice.
“Going into it, I was kind of upset because I knew I was better than I was getting respect for,” he said. “At the end of the day, I was excited because finally someone noticed what I could do. I was wanted and really liked that feeling.”
Witt, who will camp in Iowa City later this month and is currently getting looks from Iowa, North Dakota State and South Dakota State, said he was able to learn a lot of new techniques from Rasheed and the staff.
“I really like the coaches down there and learned a lot from them,” he said. “They taught me a lot of pass rush moves. I now have more in my arsenal I can use in games. Not just a bull rush, but more pass rush moves and how to use them correctly. The coaches were very energetic and upbeat.
Aside from the camp experience, the defensive end said he was impressed by what he saw of the football program.
“The facilities are really nice,” Witt said. “I saw the weight room, stadium and indoor practice facility. Everything was really good. I knew a Division I college was supposed to be really nice, but I had never seen a weight room or stadium like that in person. I’ve always just seen it on TV, so it was shocking to see how nice everything was.”
Witt said he anticipates being in even more contact with Rasheed and other ISU staffers once the 2018 season arrives.
“They told me that when September 1st hits when they can start talking to me, they want me down there a lot to see the culture, how things are and be a part of the community,” he said. “Just get down there as much as possible and start talking to them on the phone.”
A Class of 2020 prospect from the state of Minnesota thought he should have been getting more recruiting attention than he had coming out of his sophomore year and he backed up those thoughts with an appearance at an Iowa State camp earlier this month.
Winona rising junior Aaron Witt said it was a roller-coaster ride at the Cyclones’ initial Saturday Night Lights camp of the season and broke down a memorable day.
“I went down there and didn’t hear anything from any coaches,” said Witt. “Nobody was really recruiting me actively. I went down there and was going through it. About halfway through the camp, they pulled me aside and said they were looking at me and like me.
“After the camp, Coach (Eli) Rasheed said they were going to offer me. They took me up into Matt Campbell’s office and he offered me up there. They told me that I had really good hands and feet for a kid with the frame of mine, I have a lot of potential left to fulfill and they liked how I worked and was nasty at the camp.”
The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Witt said he was out to gain some attention and was relieved that I-State took notice.
“Going into it, I was kind of upset because I knew I was better than I was getting respect for,” he said. “At the end of the day, I was excited because finally someone noticed what I could do. I was wanted and really liked that feeling.”
Witt, who will camp in Iowa City later this month and is currently getting looks from Iowa, North Dakota State and South Dakota State, said he was able to learn a lot of new techniques from Rasheed and the staff.
“I really like the coaches down there and learned a lot from them,” he said. “They taught me a lot of pass rush moves. I now have more in my arsenal I can use in games. Not just a bull rush, but more pass rush moves and how to use them correctly. The coaches were very energetic and upbeat.
Aside from the camp experience, the defensive end said he was impressed by what he saw of the football program.
“The facilities are really nice,” Witt said. “I saw the weight room, stadium and indoor practice facility. Everything was really good. I knew a Division I college was supposed to be really nice, but I had never seen a weight room or stadium like that in person. I’ve always just seen it on TV, so it was shocking to see how nice everything was.”
Witt said he anticipates being in even more contact with Rasheed and other ISU staffers once the 2018 season arrives.
“They told me that when September 1st hits when they can start talking to me, they want me down there a lot to see the culture, how things are and be a part of the community,” he said. “Just get down there as much as possible and start talking to them on the phone.”
