Top college football recruits Derby and Rodriguez stay close to home; Blythe and Fisher high school names to remember for next year.
WHERE IOWA'S TOP 10 PROSPECTS ARE HEADED
1. A.J. Derby (Iowa City-City High, 6-foot-4, 223 pounds, Iowa): A national Top 100 player according to MaxPreps recruiting expert Tom Lemming, Derby follows in the footsteps of his brother and his father, who was an All-Big Ten linebacker at Iowa in the early 1990s. He is already enrolled and could end up playing quarterback, tight end, or linebacker for the Hawkeyes.
A.J. Derby, Iowa City
Photo by Tom Lemming
2. James Morris (Solon, 6-2, 215, Iowa): He was the most dominant player in the state last season, rushing for 2,256 yards and 40 touchdowns while leading the Spartans to their third consecutive 2A crown. The son of Iowa’s head equipment manager, Morris committed to the Hawkeyes during his sophomore year.
3. Matt Hoch (Harlan, 6-4, 240, Missouri): The talented two-way player will join his brother Dan at Missouri next fall – where he is expected to play tight end – after previously pledging to Iowa. Hoch accounted for over 1,000 total offensive yards and registered 28 tackles for loss last season.
4. Brandon Scherff (Denison-Schleswig, 6-5, 260, Iowa): The Hawkeyes love the upside of Scherff on the offensive line because of his great size and athletic ability. As a junior, he played quarterback and tight end. Scherff is also an outstanding basketball player.
5. Jake Farley (Cedar Falls, 6-3, 210, Kansas): The son of Northern Iowa head coach Mark Farley, he is a two-time all-state safety who projects as an outside linebacker in college. He lived in Lawrence in the 1990s, when his father was an assistant coach at Kansas, so playing for the Jayhawks will be a homecoming of sorts for Jake.
6. Brandon Jensen (Ankeny, 6-4, 260, Iowa State): A member of the Des Moines Register’s Elite All-State squad, Jensen is Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads’ first recruit from his high school alma mater. As a senior defensive tackle, he tallied 15 tackles for loss and led the Hawks to their 10th consecutive 4A playoff appearance.
7. Andre Dawson (Cedar Rapids-Washington, 6-2, 205, Northern Iowa): Dawson turned down offers from multiple Big Ten and Big 12 schools to stay closer to home and play for the Football Championship Subdivision power Panthers. He is a two-time all-state performer who rushed for more than 5,000 yards and 65 touchdowns in his prep career.
8. Austin Vier (Huxley-Ballard, 6-6, 205, Iowa): Another highly athletic kid with great size, Vier was a quarterback in high school but will probably play tight end for the Hawkeyes.
9. James Kohler (Ames, 6-7, 240, Unsigned): The two-time all-state offensive tackle with an ACT score north of 30 had several National Signing Day options – including scholarship offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Stanford and others. At this time, however, he has decided to focus his attention on academics, a possible a career in baseball and – more immediately – playing center on the Little Cyclones’ nationally ranked basketball team.
10. Tanner Miller (Mid-Prairie, 6-2, 185, Iowa): Miller was all set to attend Northern Iowa before receiving an offer from the Hawkeyes less than a week before Signing Day. Projected to play safety in college, he ran for 1,846 yards last season and is the reigning 2A state champion in the 400 meter hurdles.
Three to watch for in 2011
1. Austin Blythe (Williamsburg, 6-3, 275): Two-way stud lineman reportedly already has offers from Iowa and Iowa State.
2. Braden Lehman (Iowa City-Regina, 6-7, 220): Talented tight end who is coached by Marv Cook, a two-time Pro Bowler at the position in the NFL.
3. Darian Cotton (Mount Pleasant, 6-0, 160): Still developing, but could eventually follow in his brother's and father’s footsteps to Iowa.
WHERE NEBRASKA’S TOP 10 PROSPECTS ARE HEADED
1. Andrew Rodriguez (Aurora, 6-6, 310, Nebraska): Rodriguez is the lone interior in-state prospect signed by the Huskers this year. He was the lynchpin of a high school offense that totaled over 4,700 yards last season.
2. Jake Cotton (Lincoln-Southeast, 6-7, 245, Nebraska): By signing with the Huskers, Cotton will join his father, Barney, who coaches the offensive line, and brother Ben, who plays tight end. After playing tight end and defensive end as a junior, Cotton was named to the Super-State team as a two-way tackle by the Lincoln Journal-Star.
3. Tyler Evans (Waverly, 6-2, 180, Nebraska): A Super-State selection as a defensive back last fall, Evans might move to receiver in college. He is a fantastic athlete who is the defending Class B state 100 meter champion and was also a Division I prospect in basketball.
4. Bryce Dietz (Lincoln-North Star, 6-5, 280, Ohio): Dietz will join former Nebraska head coach Frank Solich at Ohio University. He is an extremely hard worker, according to his coach.
Bronson Marsh, Millard South
File photo by Jeremy Alm
5. Bronson Marsh (Millard South, 6-0, 200, Nebraska): The Gatorade state player of the year is headed to Lincoln as a grayshirt after earlier announcing he would attend Division II University of Nebraska-Omaha. The state’s all-time leading passer in 11-man football, Marsh likely would have played quarterback at UNO but probably will move to defensive back with the Huskers.
6. Yusef Wade (Lincoln-North Star, 5-10, 185, Nebraska): Wade, a 1,000-yard rusher his senior season, turned down multiple FCS and Division II scholarship offers to accept preferred walk-on status at Nebraska. He likely will play defensive back in college, a position where he earned all-state recognition last season.
7. Anteries Daniels (Omaha-Northwest, 5-10, 190, Iowa Western CC): Playing for a team that won only three games in three seasons, Daniels struggled to put up numbers congruent with his actual ability. The exception was when he ran for a state-record 410 yards and four touchdowns last year in a 51-33 loss to Omaha Benson.
8. Dillon Schrodt (Lincoln-North Star, 6-4, 185, Nebraska): Schrodt has great grades and is a Division I-caliber athlete who is developing into a tremendous football player. He had multiple scholarship offers to high jump in college but instead will ply his trade as a walk-on receiver at Nebraska.
9. Lincoln Hansen (Millard North, 6-5, 285, Eastern Michigan): Hansen considered accepting a walk-on invitation from Nebraska before the Eagles swooped down and picked up this diamond in the rough.
10. Nick Mizaur (Omaha-Creighton Prep, 5-11, 200, Brown): Mizaur turned in back-to-back 1,000-rushing yard seasons and is also on the top wrestlers in the state. He passed up a Nebraska walk-on invitation for a chance to study and play football in the Ivy League.
Three to watch for in 2011
1. Cole Fisher (Millard North, 6-3, 190): Named to Super-State squad as a junior; has been offered by Iowa and his brother plays for Nebraska.
2. Ryne Reeves (Crete, 6-3, 287): Dominating lineman and Super-State selection last season. Is Nebraska’s first in-state commitment for Class of 2011.
3. Derrius Vick (Lincoln-Southeast, 6-2, 175): Was a second-team Super-State choice last season and also is one of the state’s top basketball players.
Jamie DeMoney has covered high school sports and recruiting for more than 15 years. He is editor and founder of PrepNation.com. You can reach him at PrepNation@aol.com.
