No one really knew for sure what the new early signing day would bring to college football. Beforehand the ‘blue bloods’ such as Urban Meyer and Nick Saban complained. Others such as Iowa rejoiced as it would allow them to lock up players that they had verbal commitments from. The Hawkeyes had a strong first day the group that dotted the line for Iowa.
But, perhaps the highlight of a day that included the commitments of many great young talents that had already pledged to the Hawkeyes, was the commitment of Missouri defensive back Dallas Craddieth.
The top rated defensive back out of the ‘Show Me State’ had interest from nearly every school in the midwest. Craddieth had officially visited Lovie Smith and Illinois last weekend before his Hawkeye pledge.
Craddieth joins Terry Roberts, greyshirt Riley Moss and the expected commits Julius Brents and DJ Johnson as a loaded class of defensive backs coming to Iowa City. Craddieth attends the same high school as Hawkeyes legendary wideout Marvin McNutt and current wide receiver Matt Quarells.
The Hawkeyes are quickly becoming one of the premiere schools in developing defensive backs. In 2015, Desmond King won the Jim Thorpe Award, and this season Josh Jackson became a unanimous All-American.
Iowa only graduates one senior in the defensive backfield this year in Miles Taylor. The names of Amani Hooker, Michael Ojemudia and Manny Rugamba will be providing the leadership as juniors. The soon to be redshirt freshmen and sophomore class of Cedric Boswell, Matt Hankins, Carmon Harrell, Trey Creamer and Geno Stone are even more reasons to be excited about the ‘ball hawks’ of 2018.
And, on the eve of the final day of the early signing period, the Hawkeyes got the much-needed commitment of a linebacker. South Dakota native Seth Benson.
Iowa’s need at linebacker is apparent with the graduation of three long-term starting seniors in Josey Jewell, Ben Niemann and Bo Bower. Seniors next season include Jack Hockaday, Aaron Mends and Jacob Sobotka. They had a verbal commitment from Michigan LB Ben Vansumeren who ‘flipped’ to Jim Harbaugh and the in-state Wolverines. Junior College standout Will Honas joined Nebraska as well.
Juniors Amani Jones and Kristian Welch are expected to be factors as starters in 2018. But, beyond some of those players, young tacklers such as Barrington Wade, Nick Niemann, Kyle Taylor and the true freshmen even in Dillon Doyle, Benson, and walk-ons Nick Anderson and Colton Dinsdale could be factors.
Linebacker coach Seth Wallace’s greatest challenge will be molding the group this off-season, even more so than when he took over the recruiting reigns in 2014.