We are still two years away from 4-star quarterback Deuce Hogan joining the Iowa football team, but he is excited to compete for a job in a crowded room.
The very first commit in the class of 2020 for Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa football program was Deuce Hogan, a four-star recruit out of the Dallas, Texas area. At this time though, when Hogan arrives on campus in Iowa City, he will be joining a crowded quarterback room featuring current backup Peyton Mansell, former four-star California product Spencer Petras, and incoming 2019 recruit Alex Padilla who early enrolled this January to get a head start.
That doesn’t scare the 6’4” 205-pound quarterback prospect from Grapevine Faith Christian High School though.
When asked about the likelihood of competition in an interview he did with Locked On Hawkeyes, Hogan wasted no time in giving us some insight into his competitive spirit.
"Oh yes, I’m pumped. I’m amped, and it’s fuel on the fire every day. I haven’t necessarily competed for a job since my freshman year coming into high school. Ever since then, I’ve had that title, but I am excited to be on campus."
He went on to say this:
"For the first time in basically my whole career, I’m going to step on campus, and I’m going to be a little fish in a big pond."
I love to hear that from an incoming recruit especially one of Hogan’s stature. In talking to him, you could just tell he is beyond excited to join the Iowa football program. When discussing his recruiting process Hawks, you could legitimately hear the enthusiasm in his voice.
"The people, the culture, the pro-style offense, but when you travel the country like I did this past summer and get a real feel for who everybody is, a lot of things can start to run together, and that’s how it was for me. When I stepped on campus at the University of Iowa and had a god given peace….….When I left, I got in the car, and I was like, this is it."
This kid is as Iowa Hawkeye as it gets, and he is embracing the chance to compete with the likes of Mansell, Petras, and Padilla in two years.
As it stands today, Nate Stanley will be the unquestioned starter this season, but there will be quite a battle for the starting spot at quarterback on the 2020 Iowa football team. Mansell will be a redshirt junior, Petras will be a redshirt sophomore, and barring something drastic happening, Padilla will likely be a redshirt freshman.
Depending on who wins the battle, we could see Hogan redshirt his freshman year as well, giving Kirk Ferentz more flexibility in the quarterback room and with the Iowa football team by spacing out his quarterbacks’ eligibility.
For now, though, we have our starter in place for 2019 in Nate Stanley, who is on the verge of breaking a few Iowa football records.