Iowa football’s 2023 recruiting still fluid as early signing period begins

IOWA CITY — As Kirk Ferentz sees it, “recruiting is not over until someone signs.”

“Actually signs,” the Iowa football coach said, leaving no room for confusion. “Not only commits, but actually signs.”

Based on Ferentz’s philosophy, the recruiting process ended for the 21 scholarship players and seven preferred walk-ons who have signed with Iowa on Wednesday on the first day of the early signing period.

But for Iowa’s staff, recruiting for the 2023 class is far from over.

The exact number of how many more players Iowa will need to recruit is not clear yet.

“If you could tell us how our roster is going to look in two weeks, I’d happily give you a hard number,” Iowa football recruiting director Tyler Barnes said. “In this day and age, it’s extremely fluid.”

Seniors who have an extra year of eligibility available because of COVID-19, Ferentz said, are “weighing and measuring” their options at this point in the year.

“We're not pressuring them,” Ferentz said. “We're not trying to encourage them to hurry, but we want to make sure they know they'd be more than welcome back. Love to have guys come back.”

Players still have time to enter the transfer portal as well. Barnes predicted there might be a second, smaller wave of transfers after bowl games.

“I could be wrong on that front,” Barnes said.

Iowa was the beneficiary of some of the fluidity across college football when defensive back Teegan Davis flipped his commitment from Eastern Illinois to Iowa.

Former Purdue commit Terrell Washington Jr. reopened his recruitment and committed to Iowa after Jeff Brohm left the Boilermakers to take the helm at Louisville.

But Iowa also was the victim of the fluidity when Alabama flipped five-star offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, who was committed to Iowa since the summer.

Barnes, surely recognizing the fluidity of college football, was diplomatic in his comments about Proctor’s decision.

“We wish him well,” said Barnes, who sent text messages to Proctor and his family wishing him the best of luck. “Honestly in this day and age with the transfer portal, who knows what the future holds.”

Ferentz, meanwhile, said he is “sure that prospect had his reasons for doing what he's done.”

“When it comes to our recruits, we're going to hopefully never be presumptuous and act like we know what's better for them than what they know,” Ferentz said.

College football’s ‘free agents’

Along with the 20 scholarship players and seven preferred walk-ons via traditional high school recruiting, Iowa also officially announced the transfer portal signings of former Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara and tight end Erick All Jr.

Other schools, like Iowa, announced portal additions Wednesday. However, “that doesn't mean we're going to stop recruiting them,” Barnes said.

“They are free agents until they start class on campus,” Barnes said.

Iowa has been linked with several transfer portal targets, especially at wide receiver.

Ferentz used Mekhi Sargent, Zach VanValkenburg and Jack Heflin as examples of transfers who “joined our program and had real positive impacts.”

“Those are the kind of things that we're looking for,” Ferentz said. “If we get those opportunities, certainly we're going to pursue them and follow them.”

Ferentz still views traditional high school recruiting as the preferred method for building a roster.

“Our goal is to grow our own team, to have the core of our team be guys that we recruited to the program and have them in the program so they can develop to the maximum,” Ferentz said.

The Hawkeyes’ top positional priorities — whether that be via traditional recruiting or the transfer portal — are cornerback, offensive tackle and wide receiver, Barnes said.

The staff will always look for the “best available” prospects in “true, classic Coach Ferentz fashion,” though.

“Our job is just to make sure we keep our eyes open and if we find a guy that can help our team, if it's not a position of need, we'll end up taking him most likely,” Barnes said.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com