by Bill Seals
Although Iowa State had already clinched a spot on an Ohio three-star offensive lineman’s list of favorites, the announcement last week of the football program’s exclusive partnership with position guru LeCharles Bentley only solidified its place near the top.
Portsmouth Sciotoville East junior Blaine Scott said he already had a good feeling about the coaching staff in Ames prior to they’re alignment with LeCharles Bentley O-Line Performance, but last week’s news has risen the program’s profile.
“I cut my list of offers down from 33 to 13 and Iowa State was one of the schools that made the cut,” said Scott. “I really enjoyed my time out in Ames when I made the trip. Since then, I’ve talked weekly with Coach (Tom) Manning and Coach (Matt) Campbell. I had a good 20- or 30-minute conversation with Coach Campbell after a spring practice (last week).
“I love everything they have to say, the direction they’re taking the program and how they’re changing the culture out there. With the recent partnership with LeCharles Bentley, a guy that I follow religiously online with his offensive line stuff, I really like the way Iowa State is going with it. I plan on coming out again before my final decision.”
The 6-foot-4, 299-pound Scott, who has a 5.7 Rivals rating, is listed as the 14th-overall player in the state of Ohio and 14th-best offensive guard nationally in the Class of 2018, said his visit is likely to be next month for ISU’s spring game on April 8th.
Scott went into more details about what he likes about the Cyclones’ partnership with Bentley.
“I really like Coach Manning as a coach and he is really tight with LeCharles,” Scott said. “I follow LeCharles on various social media sites and his work speaks for itself. Between all the guys that come out to train, some of the best offensive linemen in the NFL use his facility and his knowledge to train.
“From nutrition to offensive line work to weightlifting, just having him exclusively to Iowa State is awesome. It shows how much they’re into developing and perfecting their players, especially offensive linemen’s craft.”
Beyond just the partnership with Bentley’s organization, Scott said he believes I-State is making serious headway towards achieving the goals Campbell has set.
“They’re building what they believe will be a Big 12 championship contender year in and year out, and eventually playing on a national stage,” Scott said. “Coach Campbell and Coach Manning want to change the culture and feel it’s already a day and night difference between where they started and where they are now. They’re heading in the right direction and need guys like myself to believe in the program and what they’ve got going on to reach that Big 12 championship level.”
In addition to Campbell and Manning, Scott has also heard frequently from assistants Jon Heacock and Tyson Veidt. Heacock has visited his school three times throughout the recruiting process, while Manning has been there once.
Scott, who had an offer list approaching three-dozen schools, cut that list in nearly one-third recently. He’s now seriously considering ISU, Arkansas, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Louisville, Kentucky, Illinois, Ole Miss, Duke, Oregon, Michigan State, Rutgers and Miami (Fla.).
He says the ultimate goal is to make a decision in early May.
“My plan right now is to take the 13 to five, before verbally committing on my birthday on May 5th,” Scott said. “I’ve really had my list narrowed down for a while now. There were a lot of people reaching out, different reporters and coaches from schools that I really didn’t have much interest in. I wanted to get some people off my back and narrow it down.”
Although Iowa State had already clinched a spot on an Ohio three-star offensive lineman’s list of favorites, the announcement last week of the football program’s exclusive partnership with position guru LeCharles Bentley only solidified its place near the top.
Portsmouth Sciotoville East junior Blaine Scott said he already had a good feeling about the coaching staff in Ames prior to they’re alignment with LeCharles Bentley O-Line Performance, but last week’s news has risen the program’s profile.
“I cut my list of offers down from 33 to 13 and Iowa State was one of the schools that made the cut,” said Scott. “I really enjoyed my time out in Ames when I made the trip. Since then, I’ve talked weekly with Coach (Tom) Manning and Coach (Matt) Campbell. I had a good 20- or 30-minute conversation with Coach Campbell after a spring practice (last week).
“I love everything they have to say, the direction they’re taking the program and how they’re changing the culture out there. With the recent partnership with LeCharles Bentley, a guy that I follow religiously online with his offensive line stuff, I really like the way Iowa State is going with it. I plan on coming out again before my final decision.”
The 6-foot-4, 299-pound Scott, who has a 5.7 Rivals rating, is listed as the 14th-overall player in the state of Ohio and 14th-best offensive guard nationally in the Class of 2018, said his visit is likely to be next month for ISU’s spring game on April 8th.
Scott went into more details about what he likes about the Cyclones’ partnership with Bentley.
“I really like Coach Manning as a coach and he is really tight with LeCharles,” Scott said. “I follow LeCharles on various social media sites and his work speaks for itself. Between all the guys that come out to train, some of the best offensive linemen in the NFL use his facility and his knowledge to train.
“From nutrition to offensive line work to weightlifting, just having him exclusively to Iowa State is awesome. It shows how much they’re into developing and perfecting their players, especially offensive linemen’s craft.”
Beyond just the partnership with Bentley’s organization, Scott said he believes I-State is making serious headway towards achieving the goals Campbell has set.
“They’re building what they believe will be a Big 12 championship contender year in and year out, and eventually playing on a national stage,” Scott said. “Coach Campbell and Coach Manning want to change the culture and feel it’s already a day and night difference between where they started and where they are now. They’re heading in the right direction and need guys like myself to believe in the program and what they’ve got going on to reach that Big 12 championship level.”
In addition to Campbell and Manning, Scott has also heard frequently from assistants Jon Heacock and Tyson Veidt. Heacock has visited his school three times throughout the recruiting process, while Manning has been there once.
Scott, who had an offer list approaching three-dozen schools, cut that list in nearly one-third recently. He’s now seriously considering ISU, Arkansas, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Louisville, Kentucky, Illinois, Ole Miss, Duke, Oregon, Michigan State, Rutgers and Miami (Fla.).
He says the ultimate goal is to make a decision in early May.
“My plan right now is to take the 13 to five, before verbally committing on my birthday on May 5th,” Scott said. “I’ve really had my list narrowed down for a while now. There were a lot of people reaching out, different reporters and coaches from schools that I really didn’t have much interest in. I wanted to get some people off my back and narrow it down.”
