by Bill Seals
Iowa State coaches are making it abundantly clear with a Missouri big man that he’s one of the top offensive linemen on their list for the 2020 class.
The Cyclones have offered and continue to target Mehlville junior Mitchell Walters in the next class and would like to plug him into a pipeline that will be without four senior starters beginning with the ’20 season.
“They’ve told me that I’m their number-one tackle on their recruiting board and they really want me up there,” said Walters. “They’ve really stayed in heavy contact over the past month or so. They’re recruiting me hard. The thing that I like most about it is the connection I have with the coaches. They’ve really turned around the program the past few years and have it moving in the right direction.”
The 6-foot-8, 275-pound Walters also has Power-5 offers from Baylor, Indiana, Minnesota and Missouri, to go along with a host of programs in the G5 ranks. He has yet to be evaluated and assigned a star rating by Rivals.
Walters’ most recent trip to Ames came as spring practice wound down in April. It was a visit that combined the athletics and academic aspects of being at ISU.
“I was going to go up for the (final scrimmage), but it ended up not working out,” he said. “I came a day early and didn’t get to see the scrimmage, but I got to sit on all the meetings and see everything. I checked out the Business school. That was a good day and I learned a lot.
“I really just saw everything. They took me around all the facilities and told me about the new extension that’s being going on (to the stadium). I sat in with all of the coaches and just learned everything about Iowa State.”
In addition to seeing an opportunity on the football field at I-State, Walters said he feels the Business program would also be a good fit.
“I really do like it there and they talked to me about the different degrees I could go in to,” he said. “I talked to the (Business advisors) and they said it’s a really good school. They gave me tons of different information, so I’ve been looking at that and seeing what they have to offer.”
Over the course of the day, Walters sat in on a position meeting to get a better feel for how line coach Jeff Myers works with his group.
“He reaches out to his players and interacts well with them,” Walters said. “He wasn’t just shoving information at them, but connecting with them during meetings. He said he likes how I’m a long tackle body, am still mobile and can get out and pull. They’re losing four senior linemen, will be short some people and need to start recovering them. Opportunities are open there.”
Walters said the visit to Ames further solidified the Cyclones’ standing with him, although he doesn’t appear close to whittling down his list of suitors just yet.
“I’ve been trying to narrow it down, but I really haven’t had a set thing,” he said. “They’re definitely higher on my board, but I don’t have a top-10, top-five or top-three in mind right now. I’m trying to start narrowing things down.”
During the recent recruiting period, ISU coaches watched Walters lift at school last Tuesday and have told the offensive lineman they’ll be back again in the near future.
Iowa State coaches are making it abundantly clear with a Missouri big man that he’s one of the top offensive linemen on their list for the 2020 class.
The Cyclones have offered and continue to target Mehlville junior Mitchell Walters in the next class and would like to plug him into a pipeline that will be without four senior starters beginning with the ’20 season.
“They’ve told me that I’m their number-one tackle on their recruiting board and they really want me up there,” said Walters. “They’ve really stayed in heavy contact over the past month or so. They’re recruiting me hard. The thing that I like most about it is the connection I have with the coaches. They’ve really turned around the program the past few years and have it moving in the right direction.”
The 6-foot-8, 275-pound Walters also has Power-5 offers from Baylor, Indiana, Minnesota and Missouri, to go along with a host of programs in the G5 ranks. He has yet to be evaluated and assigned a star rating by Rivals.
Walters’ most recent trip to Ames came as spring practice wound down in April. It was a visit that combined the athletics and academic aspects of being at ISU.
“I was going to go up for the (final scrimmage), but it ended up not working out,” he said. “I came a day early and didn’t get to see the scrimmage, but I got to sit on all the meetings and see everything. I checked out the Business school. That was a good day and I learned a lot.
“I really just saw everything. They took me around all the facilities and told me about the new extension that’s being going on (to the stadium). I sat in with all of the coaches and just learned everything about Iowa State.”
In addition to seeing an opportunity on the football field at I-State, Walters said he feels the Business program would also be a good fit.
“I really do like it there and they talked to me about the different degrees I could go in to,” he said. “I talked to the (Business advisors) and they said it’s a really good school. They gave me tons of different information, so I’ve been looking at that and seeing what they have to offer.”
Over the course of the day, Walters sat in on a position meeting to get a better feel for how line coach Jeff Myers works with his group.
“He reaches out to his players and interacts well with them,” Walters said. “He wasn’t just shoving information at them, but connecting with them during meetings. He said he likes how I’m a long tackle body, am still mobile and can get out and pull. They’re losing four senior linemen, will be short some people and need to start recovering them. Opportunities are open there.”
Walters said the visit to Ames further solidified the Cyclones’ standing with him, although he doesn’t appear close to whittling down his list of suitors just yet.
“I’ve been trying to narrow it down, but I really haven’t had a set thing,” he said. “They’re definitely higher on my board, but I don’t have a top-10, top-five or top-three in mind right now. I’m trying to start narrowing things down.”
During the recent recruiting period, ISU coaches watched Walters lift at school last Tuesday and have told the offensive lineman they’ll be back again in the near future.
