by Bill Seals
A southeast Ohio sophomore received an early offer from Toledo when the current Iowa State coaching staff was there, so it only made sense for them to get involved quickly upon their arrival in Ames. The Class of 2018 recruit received an offer in December and was on campus for the first time over the weekend for Junior Day.
Portsmouth Sciotoville East offensive lineman Blaine Scott said he was blown away by what he saw at a place he’d never dreamt of traveling to.
“I got offered by Iowa State in December and was real familiar with the crew that had just been hired,” said Scott. “They invited me out and I wasn’t too sure exactly what to expect. I had never been past Indiana. It was definitely different to me out there. Right when we drove by campus, it was like a hidden gem.
“I had never really seen anything about the campus or heard anything about it. It blew my mind away everything I saw, from the top-notch facilities to all the program spirit and all the signs. It really shocked myself and my family. It was awesome. Compared to everywhere else I’ve been, it’s up there with any of them.”
Although he won’t sign for nearly two more years, the 6-foot-4, 299-pound Scott’s recruitment has taken off recently. In addition to his ISU, Scott has offers from Duke, Kent State, Ohio and Toledo.
It may be early in the process, but Scott says the Cyclones are in a good place in large part to their offensive line coach Tom Manning.
“We came in a little earlier than everyone else, being that we are so far away and it’s hard for us to get in and out like others,” Scott said. “We sat down with Coach Manning in his room and got some one-on-one time. I love his work ethic and intensity. He’s the real deal and anybody would be lucky to have him as a coach and learn under him. He’ll get you straight and knows what’s up.
“He said a lot of good things about me and we did some critiquing. I’m bringing everything back with me to work on. I fully believe if I were to play at Iowa State he would get me straight. I would put him up there with any offensive line coach in the country.”
Although the staff can’t yet sell any on-field results to prospective recruits, Scott said they did a good job of pitching the team’s potential.
“It’s an awesome fan base there and we got to see the stadium,” he said. “They say that place is rocking on Saturdays. After talking to the coaching staff, they have a great plan to get this program where it needs to be competing for championships. I have full faith in them to do it.”
Scott said he’s nowhere near decision time and is taking his time in the beginning stages of his recruitment.
“It’s real early at this point, although the process is starting to pick up after national signing day,” Scott said. “I’m just visiting everywhere I can go and keeping in close contact with everybody. Eventually I’ll start narrowing it down, picking my favorites and sitting down with my family. Iowa State really gave me a good first impression and I was impressed with what they had to offer.”
A southeast Ohio sophomore received an early offer from Toledo when the current Iowa State coaching staff was there, so it only made sense for them to get involved quickly upon their arrival in Ames. The Class of 2018 recruit received an offer in December and was on campus for the first time over the weekend for Junior Day.
Portsmouth Sciotoville East offensive lineman Blaine Scott said he was blown away by what he saw at a place he’d never dreamt of traveling to.
“I got offered by Iowa State in December and was real familiar with the crew that had just been hired,” said Scott. “They invited me out and I wasn’t too sure exactly what to expect. I had never been past Indiana. It was definitely different to me out there. Right when we drove by campus, it was like a hidden gem.
“I had never really seen anything about the campus or heard anything about it. It blew my mind away everything I saw, from the top-notch facilities to all the program spirit and all the signs. It really shocked myself and my family. It was awesome. Compared to everywhere else I’ve been, it’s up there with any of them.”
Although he won’t sign for nearly two more years, the 6-foot-4, 299-pound Scott’s recruitment has taken off recently. In addition to his ISU, Scott has offers from Duke, Kent State, Ohio and Toledo.
It may be early in the process, but Scott says the Cyclones are in a good place in large part to their offensive line coach Tom Manning.
“We came in a little earlier than everyone else, being that we are so far away and it’s hard for us to get in and out like others,” Scott said. “We sat down with Coach Manning in his room and got some one-on-one time. I love his work ethic and intensity. He’s the real deal and anybody would be lucky to have him as a coach and learn under him. He’ll get you straight and knows what’s up.
“He said a lot of good things about me and we did some critiquing. I’m bringing everything back with me to work on. I fully believe if I were to play at Iowa State he would get me straight. I would put him up there with any offensive line coach in the country.”
Although the staff can’t yet sell any on-field results to prospective recruits, Scott said they did a good job of pitching the team’s potential.
“It’s an awesome fan base there and we got to see the stadium,” he said. “They say that place is rocking on Saturdays. After talking to the coaching staff, they have a great plan to get this program where it needs to be competing for championships. I have full faith in them to do it.”
Scott said he’s nowhere near decision time and is taking his time in the beginning stages of his recruitment.
“It’s real early at this point, although the process is starting to pick up after national signing day,” Scott said. “I’m just visiting everywhere I can go and keeping in close contact with everybody. Eventually I’ll start narrowing it down, picking my favorites and sitting down with my family. Iowa State really gave me a good first impression and I was impressed with what they had to offer.”
