Nebraska tight end picks not Nebraska

Football in Nebraska works a little differently than it does in other places. Take this morning, for example.

Noah Fant, a 6-5, 215-pound tight end prospect from Omaha South High School, was given the opportunity to commit live on the 1620 AM The Zone morning show 'Sharp & Benning.' Of course, Nebraska was on his offer list along with UCLA, California, Arizona State and Vanderbilt.

So, pick Nebraska and have a live Noah Fant pep rally. Only it didn't work that way.

'I'm announcing my commitment to the University of Iowa,' said Fant, a Rivals.com three-star recruit who holds a 3.63 GPA.

There were some laughs from the hosts, but they also were quick with their congratulations. They also played a sound bite that was a nice round of applause.

Why Iowa? Fant said he has family members who are Hawkeyes fans, but they all were pretty hands off.

'As my family and I looked at each school and how Iowa was recruiting me and really pushing me and letting me know that, 'Hey, you're our guy and we have big plans for you,'' Fant said. 'Also, just the way they pump tight ends out of their school and into the NFL, that's one of my dreams. It just ended up being the best fit for me at that point. My family really left it up to me.'

Fant is Iowa's 23rd commitment for the 2016 class. But there is some fine print here that you really should read.

Fant said he would re-evaluate after the season and that he is open to new offers. The two 'uh oh' offers for Iowa there would be Oregon and Notre Dame.

'I might get a couple more offers, I'm not sure,' Fant said. 'But new offers, like Arizona State, I'll re-evaluate and see if there are any other schools I could possibly see myself going to and kind of go from there.'

Why commit today if you think you still want to evaluate, one of the hosts asked.

'Because this is the school I feel confident I'll be going to,' Fant said. 'Right now, they are the school that showed me the most interest. I'm comfortable at heart with where I'm going with them. If another school didn't offer me, I'd be totally happy going there.'

Fant's makeup seems to fit with Iowa. He threw in with Iowa and head coach Kirk Ferentz at a time when attendance is down, with some hot-seat talk and still much bitterness over last season's 7-6 flameout.

Fant sees this and accepts the challenge.

'I would say I'm a winner, everybody likes to win,' he said, 'but I feel like the school I'm going with, I'm going to help them win. I'm going to get there and really improve the team and do the most I can to help them win.

'Iowa right now is kind of a middle-of-the-pack team in the Big Ten. I want to be that guy to help them get a Big Ten championship.'

This all sounds great, and it's good to be the school that has the commitment in late August. But this doesn't become official until the letter of intent is signed and faxed or emailed or whatever on Feb. 3.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com