Catching up on recruiting: RB Melvin Gordon

As a sophomore, Melvin Gordon stood about 5-foot-10 and weighed around 160 pounds.

"He went from a skinny, fast kid to . . . he's put together pretty well," Bradford (Kenosha, Wis.) High School coach Jed Kennedy said. "He is a well-built individual."

Two years and a healthy growth spurt later, Gordon is a 6-2, 190-pound running back for the Red Devils. He's also the latest football commitment for the Hawkeyes, last week picking Iowa over Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota among his 13 offers.

As a junior at Bradford, Gordon rushed for 1,095 yards (11.1 yards a carry) and caught 11 passes for another 286 yards. Six of Gordon's 16 touchdowns came from distances of 75 yards or more. Friday night, Bradford led the top-ranked Red Devils with 157 total yards (97 rushing) and three touchdowns in a 49-14 victory over Burlington.

"He's really got it all," Kennedy said. "He's about 6-2, 190 pounds. Has unbelievable vision and great speed. I think the biggest thing is he's a great competitor."

Kennedy said Gordon fell in love with Iowa from the start of the recruiting process, which began with Iowa's offer last February.

"He really took his time, looked at every place and kept going back to Iowa," Kennedy said. "He went down with his family last Sunday and just thought it was time to pull the trigger."

Kennedy said Gordon's dad is in the 6-4 range. He doesn't believe his star tailback is done growing.

"When all's said and done, he'll be a 215-pound back," Kennedy said.

Last season, Bradford finished undefeated in the SEC conference for the first time 50 years. The Red Devils lost to Marquette in the Division I state quarterfinals. So, Gordon is goal-oriented this year.

“We worked really hard every day in the weight room and during two-a-days and we just came up short,” Gordon said. “We want that state championship."

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Melvin Gordon, 6-0, 185, RB, Bradford High School (Kenosha, Wis.)

Jordan Walsh, 6-3, 275, OL, Glenbard West (Glen Ellyn, Ill.)

Torrey Campbell, 5-11, 180, CB, Barron Collier High School (Naples, Fla)

Cole Fisher, 6-3, 200, LB, Millard North (Omaha, Neb.) High School

Mike Orloff, 6-2, 215, LB, Lawrence Academy (Groton, Mass.)

Riley McMinn, 6-7, 220, DE, Rochester (Ill.) High School

Jake Duzey, 6-4, 225, TE, Athens High School (Troy, Michigan)

Jake Rudock, 6-3, 185, QB, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

John Raymon, 6-5, 240, DE, Council Rock North High School (New Town, Penn.)

Ray Hamilton, 6-5, 225, TE, Strongsville (Ohio) High School

Austin Vincent, 6-2, 170, WR, DeSoto (Texas) High School

Henry Krieger-Coble, 6-4, 220, TE, Mount Pleasant High School

Austin Blythe, 6-3, 280, OL, Williamsburg High School

Marcus Grant, 6-2, 190, WR Lawrence Academy (Groton, Mass.)