by Bill Seals
A Wisconsin prospect in the 2021 class earned his first scholarship offer of the recruiting process during a recruiting visit to Iowa State this past weekend.
Wauwatosa East junior offensive lineman Marcus Mbow said his chat with Matt Campbell and the news the Cyclones’ head coach gave him was the highlight of a long day in Ames.
“He said he watched my film and said he loved it,” said Mbow. “He said we’re not here to tell you you’re a great player; everybody tells you you’re a great player. He said we’re here to tell you we love you as a person. He seems like a great guy. He said we love your character. I was really shocked about the news. At first, I didn’t even hear him. It was an amazing feeling…one of the best feelings I’ve ever had.”
Although the conversation with Campbell was the highlight for Mbow, it was a very small part of a long day that included a rain delay-plagued CyHawk game.
“When I first got there, it was a struggle to find parking,” Mbow said. “It was really crowded with a lot of cars and a lot of people. We had no service. We were stuck on what to do at first. After a while, we figured it out and got to our recruiting gate.
“We got there and Coach (Derek) Hoodjer came up to me. He said it was good to have me and we talked for a little bit. I got registered and then a couple guys got my height and weight. We went to go get some food where all the players were. Then, coach Billy (Kirelawich) took me and my guest up to the office and we talked for a little bit. I thought it was pretty cool. He said they wanted to get me in to talk to the head coach. I also talked to a graduate assistant for a little bit and then Coach Campbell walked into the room.
“Afterwards, we walked down to the field and got to hang out there for a little bit. We watched the players warm up and got some pictures. We enjoyed the game from the stands. The rain delays were brutal, but it was still a great experience. Coach Campbell asked me to come back down later on in the season and start building a relationship with the coaches, so I’m probably going to be back at some point.”
A 6-foot-5, 293-pound offensive tackle, Mbow said he didn’t even know ISU had been recruiting him until earlier this month.
“I posted a three-game highlight video on my Twitter and they must have seen that,” he said. “They texted me last week and invited me for a visit and that’s all I knew of. I know they’ve talked to my coach, but I don’t think they’ve been to my school.”
In addition to his lone offer, Mbow has drawn Power-5 attention from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
A Wisconsin prospect in the 2021 class earned his first scholarship offer of the recruiting process during a recruiting visit to Iowa State this past weekend.
Wauwatosa East junior offensive lineman Marcus Mbow said his chat with Matt Campbell and the news the Cyclones’ head coach gave him was the highlight of a long day in Ames.
“He said he watched my film and said he loved it,” said Mbow. “He said we’re not here to tell you you’re a great player; everybody tells you you’re a great player. He said we’re here to tell you we love you as a person. He seems like a great guy. He said we love your character. I was really shocked about the news. At first, I didn’t even hear him. It was an amazing feeling…one of the best feelings I’ve ever had.”
Although the conversation with Campbell was the highlight for Mbow, it was a very small part of a long day that included a rain delay-plagued CyHawk game.
“When I first got there, it was a struggle to find parking,” Mbow said. “It was really crowded with a lot of cars and a lot of people. We had no service. We were stuck on what to do at first. After a while, we figured it out and got to our recruiting gate.
“We got there and Coach (Derek) Hoodjer came up to me. He said it was good to have me and we talked for a little bit. I got registered and then a couple guys got my height and weight. We went to go get some food where all the players were. Then, coach Billy (Kirelawich) took me and my guest up to the office and we talked for a little bit. I thought it was pretty cool. He said they wanted to get me in to talk to the head coach. I also talked to a graduate assistant for a little bit and then Coach Campbell walked into the room.
“Afterwards, we walked down to the field and got to hang out there for a little bit. We watched the players warm up and got some pictures. We enjoyed the game from the stands. The rain delays were brutal, but it was still a great experience. Coach Campbell asked me to come back down later on in the season and start building a relationship with the coaches, so I’m probably going to be back at some point.”
A 6-foot-5, 293-pound offensive tackle, Mbow said he didn’t even know ISU had been recruiting him until earlier this month.
“I posted a three-game highlight video on my Twitter and they must have seen that,” he said. “They texted me last week and invited me for a visit and that’s all I knew of. I know they’ve talked to my coach, but I don’t think they’ve been to my school.”
In addition to his lone offer, Mbow has drawn Power-5 attention from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
