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Iowa football: Hawks receive second in-state commit in class of 2021

By Andrew Wade

LINCOLN, NE - NOVEMBER 24: Head coach Kirk Ferentz of the Iowa Hawkeyes watches action before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on November 24, 2017 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - NOVEMBER 24: Head coach Kirk Ferentz of the Iowa Hawkeyes watches action before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on November 24, 2017 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /
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We are still two years away from signing day, but the Iowa football team has already secured their second in-state commit for the class fo 2021.

With the class of 2020 close to being wrapped up, the Iowa football team has been able to turn their attention to the class of 2021, a group of kids who have yet to even play their junior season.

And it’s already paying off.

Since receiving their first commitment in the class of 2021 earlier this summer in Illinois native Gennings Dunker, the Iowa football team has been taking care of business inside state lines. Four-star offensive tackle Connor Colby committed next, and yesterday the Hawks received great news from three-star linebacker Jaden  Harrell.

https://twitter.com/jadenhH11/status/1155594035400232960?s=20

Harrell, an inside linebacker prospect from Urbandale, Iowa is currently ranked as the 362nd best recruit in the nation and the 5th best recruit in the state of Iowa, and he holds two offers (obviously the one from Iowa and then another from Nebraska).

At 6’2” and 215 pounds, Harrell already has decent size on him as he heads into his junior year of high school, and it would not surprise me to see him put on an additional 10-15 pounds prior to joining the Iowa football team.

On film, he’s a quick guy who can roam sideline to sideline, and he is capable of shedding off blocks and moving down the line on stretch plays to hit the ball carrier. There weren’t as many coverage snaps on film, but of the snaps we did see, he was mostly playing zone coverage. He could use some work in this area, but he’s just a sophomore. With his athleticism, he’s going to be just fine as he continues to improve the mental side of the game.

It can’t be understated how big this commitment is for a couple of reasons. First, for the Iowa football team to win the recruiting battle, they need to keep guys inside the state lines. Second, it appears recently hired assistant coach Jay Niemann was heavily involved in this recruitment process, which is exciting as he will continue scouring the state now that Reese Morgan has retired. And finally, as we saw with the class of 2020, momentum can build quickly and recruits want to jump on the train.

Next. Three most underperforming teams in Kirk Ferentz era. dark

To nab the 5th highest-rated recruit in Iowa and a top-400 player this early in the process is huge.

Welcome to the Iowa football program Jaden Harrell.