Florida defensive back is commit No. 24 for Iowa

Iowa is at the point in its recruiting where it can be highly selective.

It's more than three months before the national signing period begins (Feb. 3) and Iowa has nearly filled its entire class. This flips the Hawkeyes staff into a couple of different modes. 1) They'll have to work to keep the recruits they have and 2) they can find a few prospects to really put the finishing touches on what so far has been a solid class.

Monday was a finishing touch kind of day.

Cornerback K.J. Sails (5-11, 163) called Iowa coaches and committed. On his Twitter account, he wrote 'Thankful and blessed to all the schools that have recruited me but I am Officially committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes.”

Sails, of Gibsonton, Fla., picked Iowa over familiar Big Ten foe Wisconsin, with Cincinnati being the other finalist. Overall, Sails had 23 scholarship offers, including Illinois, Indiana, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Utah and West Virginia.

'They are getting a top notch kid in KJ,” Frank LaRosa, Sails' coach at East Bay High School, told HawkeyeReport.com. 'He's not only an incredible competitor on the field, but he's a kid that's up for a challenge. He's an incredibly good young man that we are proud to have come thru our football program.”

Sails, who was ranked No. 12 in the Tampa Bay Times' HomeTeam 100, is a third-year varsity player for East Bay with 170 career tackles. This season, Sails has 24 tackles, two interceptions and four blocked field goals. He also has 314 yards rushing, 306 yards receiving and five total touchdowns.

Right now, the position discussion with Iowa has been cornerback. Iowa has a pair of juniors, including Desmond King, who's playing his way into NFL draft discussion with a nation-leading seven interceptions this season.

'Coach (Kirk) Ferentz said that I could have a chance to come in and play right away,” Sails told HawkeyeReport. 'They could see me playing corner or safety, but really like me as true lockdown corner.”

LaRosa believes Sails could grow into a safety in college.

'As far as a position, he is very versatile. I think his development in the weight room with (strength and conditioning) coach (Chris) Doyle will be huge for him and that was a factor in his commitment,” LaRosa said. 'I've been asked quite a bit in the past year by coaches about a position and I think it really depends on how he develops and matures in college. I think he has the ability to be on an island and play corner and he also have the ability to be a ball hawking type guy and play more of a center field.”

Sails is the Hawkeyes' 24th commitment and the fourth at defensive back, joining Minnesota's Amani Hooker, Michigan's Cedric Boswell and Ohio's Lance Billings.

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