Ferguson talks Iowa

Anthony Ferguson hasn't visited Iowa City with his family. For now, they'll have to take his word for it.

The 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive tackle committed Sunday to play football for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He picked Iowa over Penn State, a place closer to home. Head coach Kirk Ferentz, the Iowa staff and the Iowa City setting put the Hawkeyes over the top.

"It's just amazing there," said Ferguson, who joins Gilman School (Baltimore, Md.) teammate Jim Poggi as an Iowa football commitment. "When Jim, my coach (Biff Poggi, Jim's dad) and I went out there, it was just amazing. That's what sold it for me."

Ferguson's choice came on the heels of a weekend visit to Penn State, which was the first school to start recruiting him. Iowa was second. Ferguson also had offers from Virginia and Duke. He said his family will take the trip to Iowa City as soon as possible.

"Jim's going to Iowa, too, so that had a little to do with it," Ferguson said. "He's a great guy and it'll be nice to know someone out there. But I can just see myself at Iowa."

Ferguson is a bona fide defensive tackle with a defensive tackle's body. He has previously been listed at 255 pounds, but is now in fact up to 280.

"I'm not sure how much good college weight there might be, but more muscle mass is where I'm trying to head," said Ferguson, who's twice visited Iowa. "I'm going in as a tackle, I know that for sure."

Ferguson put up a 39-9 record in wrestling during his sophomore year. He sat out last year, but plans a return his senior year.

Ferguson is the fourth verbal commitment for the 2010 class. He joins linebackers James Morris, Austin Gray and Poggi. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said last month that Iowa's recruiting class could be as small as 15 and as large as 20.