by Bill Seals
Breakfast with a pair of Iowa State coaches yesterday morning has helped convince a graduate transfer safety to take an official visit to Ames this weekend.
Defensive back J.T. Ibe, who competed as a true junior at Rice last season and will graduate in the spring, said his meeting with head coach Matt Campbell and assistant D.K. McDonald went well.
“I had breakfast with them earlier (Monday) and it went pretty well,” said Ibe. “I really like Coach Campbell and Coach McDonald. They seem like real world-class individuals. We talked about everything. We talked about the program, what I’m looking for out of the program and what they’re looking for out of the program. How they’re going to be next year. What positions they need. How they’re looking at safety.
“It was good to hear the coaches and see them in person. I think the last part of it is to go see the school on a visit. I want to check out the strength program, the players around that they have and the atmosphere. I’m going to be going to Iowa State instead of Georgia Tech this weekend. It will be an official visit and I’ll probably come in Friday afternoon and leave Sunday morning.”
The 6-foot-0, 200-pound Ibe ranked fifth on the team in tackles in 2017 with 42, including one for a loss. He also forced and recovered a fumble, recorded three pass defenses and three pass breakups. Ibe was a two-star prospect in the Class of 2015 and also had an offer from Minnesota.
He said the Cyclones’ sales pitch was appealing to him, given the familiarity with their defense.
“They’re looking for a safety to come in and play the field spot,” Ibe said. “That safety will cover the number two (wide receiver) and play a lot of corners. They liked my tape and that I can cover, but also come down and be a good tackler with leverage.
“They run a little bit of quarters and cover-three, and this past season I played a little bit of both. The two seasons before that, I played primarily quarters and always played to the field. Coach McDonald loves my versatility and thinks I can do that in the Big 12.”
Ibe said he kept tabs on the Cyclones following his offer as a graduate transfer and watched the team’s victory over Memphis last month.
“I didn’t have the chance to watch them a lot, but watched their bowl game,” he saids. “I like Iowa State. It’s a team that’s seemed to be on the outside looking in, and had a lot of hype at the end of the season. They beat some top-10 schools and I feel like they should be competing for a Big 12 championship this season.”
In addition to I-State, Ibe has collected offers from Georgia Tech and Indiana. He’s also been contacted by Colorado, which will visit him later this week.
Breakfast with a pair of Iowa State coaches yesterday morning has helped convince a graduate transfer safety to take an official visit to Ames this weekend.
Defensive back J.T. Ibe, who competed as a true junior at Rice last season and will graduate in the spring, said his meeting with head coach Matt Campbell and assistant D.K. McDonald went well.
“I had breakfast with them earlier (Monday) and it went pretty well,” said Ibe. “I really like Coach Campbell and Coach McDonald. They seem like real world-class individuals. We talked about everything. We talked about the program, what I’m looking for out of the program and what they’re looking for out of the program. How they’re going to be next year. What positions they need. How they’re looking at safety.
“It was good to hear the coaches and see them in person. I think the last part of it is to go see the school on a visit. I want to check out the strength program, the players around that they have and the atmosphere. I’m going to be going to Iowa State instead of Georgia Tech this weekend. It will be an official visit and I’ll probably come in Friday afternoon and leave Sunday morning.”
The 6-foot-0, 200-pound Ibe ranked fifth on the team in tackles in 2017 with 42, including one for a loss. He also forced and recovered a fumble, recorded three pass defenses and three pass breakups. Ibe was a two-star prospect in the Class of 2015 and also had an offer from Minnesota.
He said the Cyclones’ sales pitch was appealing to him, given the familiarity with their defense.
“They’re looking for a safety to come in and play the field spot,” Ibe said. “That safety will cover the number two (wide receiver) and play a lot of corners. They liked my tape and that I can cover, but also come down and be a good tackler with leverage.
“They run a little bit of quarters and cover-three, and this past season I played a little bit of both. The two seasons before that, I played primarily quarters and always played to the field. Coach McDonald loves my versatility and thinks I can do that in the Big 12.”
Ibe said he kept tabs on the Cyclones following his offer as a graduate transfer and watched the team’s victory over Memphis last month.
“I didn’t have the chance to watch them a lot, but watched their bowl game,” he saids. “I like Iowa State. It’s a team that’s seemed to be on the outside looking in, and had a lot of hype at the end of the season. They beat some top-10 schools and I feel like they should be competing for a Big 12 championship this season.”
In addition to I-State, Ibe has collected offers from Georgia Tech and Indiana. He’s also been contacted by Colorado, which will visit him later this week.
