by Bill Seals
A three-star tight end in the 2021 class picked the right time to visit for an Iowa State game day this past Saturday, as the team showcased his potential throughout a 23-21 victory over Texas.
Hilliard (Ohio) Bradley junior Jack Pugh, who already had an offer from the Cyclones going into the visit, said he paid particular attention to the trio of Charlie Kolar, Chase Allen and Dylan Soehner.
“It’s impressive how important blocking is to them,” said Pugh. “You can tell all they care about is winning. They never take a play off. They run their routes to perfection and block every single play. No matter what their job is, they’re doing it.
“There are three of them that I think all could potentially play in the NFL. They’re tremendous athletes. The thing that’s most underrated about them is their route running. That allows them to run and catch balls like receivers.”
In addition to ISU, Pugh also has Power-5 offers from Pittsburgh and West Virginia. MAC programs Akron, Bowling Green, Kent State and Toledo have also offered.
Head coach Matt Campbell said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday that the Cyclones played with three tight ends on the field 50 percent of the time against the Longhorns, so it was easy to see why Pugh fell in love with the program during his first trip to Ames.
“I feel like I have a good mixture of athleticism and physicality,” Pugh said. “My main mindset when I’m playing a football game is to do whatever my team needs me to do to win. If I have to block every play, I’ll block every play. If they need me to go get a ball on 3rd-and-long, I’ll go get it. That’s their mindset, which I love. I talked to Coach (Alex) Golesh a lot. He is a great guy and did a great job of hosting me. He thinks I would fit right in and my style of play fits their way of coaching.”
Not only did the 6-foot-5, 233-pound Pugh say he liked the play of his position group, he also enjoyed the atmosphere around Jack Trice Stadium.
“I started off by meeting up with the coaches at their hotel,” Pugh said. “I got some pictures taken in the uniform. I toured the campus and saw the academic and innovation centers, plus all of the facilities. Those were really nice. Then, I watched the game. No matter who had the momentum, the fans were always all-in and really impressive. It was (a huge crowd) and you could tell football was their religion. I love seeing that.”
The Ohio prospect capped off his visit by meeting Campbell following the Cyclones’ victory.
“We had a great conversation,” Pugh said. “He described their culture and values. He said I would fit right in. We talked about my future and what I should do this offseason. Overall, the whole day went great as planned.”
According to Pugh, Golesh and Campbell plan to visit him at school next month and the tight end prospect may travel to Ames this winter for a Junior Day.
A three-star tight end in the 2021 class picked the right time to visit for an Iowa State game day this past Saturday, as the team showcased his potential throughout a 23-21 victory over Texas.
Hilliard (Ohio) Bradley junior Jack Pugh, who already had an offer from the Cyclones going into the visit, said he paid particular attention to the trio of Charlie Kolar, Chase Allen and Dylan Soehner.
“It’s impressive how important blocking is to them,” said Pugh. “You can tell all they care about is winning. They never take a play off. They run their routes to perfection and block every single play. No matter what their job is, they’re doing it.
“There are three of them that I think all could potentially play in the NFL. They’re tremendous athletes. The thing that’s most underrated about them is their route running. That allows them to run and catch balls like receivers.”
In addition to ISU, Pugh also has Power-5 offers from Pittsburgh and West Virginia. MAC programs Akron, Bowling Green, Kent State and Toledo have also offered.
Head coach Matt Campbell said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday that the Cyclones played with three tight ends on the field 50 percent of the time against the Longhorns, so it was easy to see why Pugh fell in love with the program during his first trip to Ames.
“I feel like I have a good mixture of athleticism and physicality,” Pugh said. “My main mindset when I’m playing a football game is to do whatever my team needs me to do to win. If I have to block every play, I’ll block every play. If they need me to go get a ball on 3rd-and-long, I’ll go get it. That’s their mindset, which I love. I talked to Coach (Alex) Golesh a lot. He is a great guy and did a great job of hosting me. He thinks I would fit right in and my style of play fits their way of coaching.”
Not only did the 6-foot-5, 233-pound Pugh say he liked the play of his position group, he also enjoyed the atmosphere around Jack Trice Stadium.
“I started off by meeting up with the coaches at their hotel,” Pugh said. “I got some pictures taken in the uniform. I toured the campus and saw the academic and innovation centers, plus all of the facilities. Those were really nice. Then, I watched the game. No matter who had the momentum, the fans were always all-in and really impressive. It was (a huge crowd) and you could tell football was their religion. I love seeing that.”
The Ohio prospect capped off his visit by meeting Campbell following the Cyclones’ victory.
“We had a great conversation,” Pugh said. “He described their culture and values. He said I would fit right in. We talked about my future and what I should do this offseason. Overall, the whole day went great as planned.”
According to Pugh, Golesh and Campbell plan to visit him at school next month and the tight end prospect may travel to Ames this winter for a Junior Day.
