Notes from Rivals.com: Bama offers Pierschbacher

When you're Rivals.com's No. 79 player in the country, and No. 11 offensive tackle, and you commit to your home-state school 13 months before signing day 2014, you know it's not over.

Since committing to the Hawkeyes, Cedar Falls' O-lineman Ross Pierschbacher has received offers from Wisconsin, Nebraska, Stanford and, just yesterday, Alabama. Yes, the Alabama that has won three of the last four national titles and that has Nick Saban.

Pierschbacher told Rivals.com on Wednesday, that it's still Iowa for him. There are, however, qualifications. Pierschabacher wants to have a back-up plan.

"I think I want to take official visits," Pierschbacher said. "I don't want to make anyone mad, but it is almost a year away and anything can happen. I just don't want to be left out in the cold if something does happen or something changes. If something were to happen I don't want to be scrambling at the end, so I think I will take official visits."

Pierschbacher said Alabama, Stanford, Notre Dame, USC and Iowa could be in line for visits.

"I am still committed to Iowa and [the interest] hasn't gotten any weaker as things have gone on," Pierschbacher said. "I like the new coaching changes they have gotten and think they are a better coaching staff as a whole.

"Now I am looking forward to seeing what they can do this season. I think they have a good team from what I have been seeing, so I'm excited to see what they can do with it."

-- Chicago running back Mikale Wilbon tweeted last night that he's narrowed his list of colleges to five. Iowa made the cut for the 5-9, 190-pounder. Rivals ranks Wilbon as the No. 151 player in the country and the No. 14 running back. He played in just four games as a junior, but rushed for 863 yards and 13 touchdowns.

On Iowa, the De La Salle prep told Rivals: "Iowa was the second team that offered me, so I've known the coaching staff since the beginning and we have a good relationship. I even talk with the head coach. It is a good coaching staff and a good running game with a good offensive line. It was a good fan base when I visited too."

Iowa was No. 3 on the list behind Vanderbilt and Arizona State. Cincinnati and Missouri also made the cut.

-- IowaPreps.com has named Cedar Rapids Prairie OL Bryce Meeker the No. 1 prospect in the state of Iowa for the 2015 recruiting class. Meeker, 6-5, 270, will be a three-year starter for the Hawks as a junior next fall.

-- According to HawkeyeReport.com, Cedar Rapids Xavier TE/DE Matt Nelson picked up an offer Wednesday during his visit to Notre Dame. Nelson, 6-8, 245, has 11 offers, including Nebraska, Stanford, Yale and Iowa State. Iowa has offered and he visits Iowa City today.

“It's exciting to have so many options, but it's also stressful,” Nelson said in an interview two weeks ago with

IowaPrepSports.com. “All in all, it's been fun so far, though. I'm having a blast.”