by Bill Seals
Iowa State hosted a Florida wide receiver on an unofficial visit early last week and the prospect said he was impressed with the culture of the program head coach Matt Campbell has established.
Lutz Steinbrenner rising senior Aidan Bitter arrived in Ames on Monday and spent the better part of three days getting an intensive look at Iowa State. An extensive conversation with Campbell reinforced everything he liked about the Cyclones.
“He really wanted to preach to me about the culture they have and I was impressed with that,” said Bitter. “A lot of the visit was the facilities, but when I got to meet with Coach Campbell, he told me all about their program. The greatest part about it is he trusts his players enough that I should listen to the players.
“Hopefully, I’ll be taking an official visit during the fall or winter and would get to meet the players. He told me that I should ask them about the program, because he trusts his players enough to tell me about their program.”
Bitter recapped a busy three days at ISU, saying he enjoyed breaking down his position with assistant coach Nate Scheelhaase.
“I loved it there and it was really great to meet all the coaches that I had talked to on the phone,” Bitter said. “It was great to meet with Coach Campbell. It was even better to tour the campus and see the facilities. I really loved and enjoyed the visit.
“We got to meet with the academic advisor, so I learned a lot about academics and am impressed with that. The first night we got there, it was a beautiful night. There was no Florida humidity and it was 70 degrees. We checked out campus with the big clocktower and big green space. It was beautiful.
“When I met with Coach Scheelhaase, we watched some of my highlights and some of their highlights that were very similar. I got to see how I fit into their offense. Coach showed me how I fit into that big-body receiver that they love so much at Iowa State. We talked a little bit about the offense. They want to take a few receivers from the 2020 class and definitely want me to be a part of it. I was really excited about that.”
At 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, Bitter certainly fits the description of what the offense looks for in the position. The wide receiver also says the system at ISU is a lot like his at Steinbrenner.
“It’s very similar to the offense we run at my high school,” he said. “I love that I would be able to come out of my senior year and be very familiar with the certain play style they have. A lot of the other teams in the Big 12 run spreads, but don’t have those big receivers that they can throw it up to and make the catch every time. Our guy, the receiver, is going to win.”
Bitter, who has yet to be evaluated by Rivals, also has offers from Air Force, Cornell, South Dakota and Troy. He recorded 32 receptions for 568 yards and six touchdowns last fall as a junior.
Coming out of the ISU visit, Bitter sounded like a prospect ready to pull the trigger on a decision, but said he’s going to play out the recruiting process a bit further.
“They’re definitely at the top of my list right now,” he said. “I love what they’re doing. I’ve thought a lot about committing, but want to be 100-percent committed to the school first. I’m still praying and still talking to my family. I’m not sure if it will be soon. I haven’t thought too much about it though.”
Iowa State hosted a Florida wide receiver on an unofficial visit early last week and the prospect said he was impressed with the culture of the program head coach Matt Campbell has established.
Lutz Steinbrenner rising senior Aidan Bitter arrived in Ames on Monday and spent the better part of three days getting an intensive look at Iowa State. An extensive conversation with Campbell reinforced everything he liked about the Cyclones.
“He really wanted to preach to me about the culture they have and I was impressed with that,” said Bitter. “A lot of the visit was the facilities, but when I got to meet with Coach Campbell, he told me all about their program. The greatest part about it is he trusts his players enough that I should listen to the players.
“Hopefully, I’ll be taking an official visit during the fall or winter and would get to meet the players. He told me that I should ask them about the program, because he trusts his players enough to tell me about their program.”
Bitter recapped a busy three days at ISU, saying he enjoyed breaking down his position with assistant coach Nate Scheelhaase.
“I loved it there and it was really great to meet all the coaches that I had talked to on the phone,” Bitter said. “It was great to meet with Coach Campbell. It was even better to tour the campus and see the facilities. I really loved and enjoyed the visit.
“We got to meet with the academic advisor, so I learned a lot about academics and am impressed with that. The first night we got there, it was a beautiful night. There was no Florida humidity and it was 70 degrees. We checked out campus with the big clocktower and big green space. It was beautiful.
“When I met with Coach Scheelhaase, we watched some of my highlights and some of their highlights that were very similar. I got to see how I fit into their offense. Coach showed me how I fit into that big-body receiver that they love so much at Iowa State. We talked a little bit about the offense. They want to take a few receivers from the 2020 class and definitely want me to be a part of it. I was really excited about that.”
At 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, Bitter certainly fits the description of what the offense looks for in the position. The wide receiver also says the system at ISU is a lot like his at Steinbrenner.
“It’s very similar to the offense we run at my high school,” he said. “I love that I would be able to come out of my senior year and be very familiar with the certain play style they have. A lot of the other teams in the Big 12 run spreads, but don’t have those big receivers that they can throw it up to and make the catch every time. Our guy, the receiver, is going to win.”
Bitter, who has yet to be evaluated by Rivals, also has offers from Air Force, Cornell, South Dakota and Troy. He recorded 32 receptions for 568 yards and six touchdowns last fall as a junior.
Coming out of the ISU visit, Bitter sounded like a prospect ready to pull the trigger on a decision, but said he’s going to play out the recruiting process a bit further.
“They’re definitely at the top of my list right now,” he said. “I love what they’re doing. I’ve thought a lot about committing, but want to be 100-percent committed to the school first. I’m still praying and still talking to my family. I’m not sure if it will be soon. I haven’t thought too much about it though.”
