Daijon Parker embraces unexpected opportunity with Iowa football

IOWA CITY — Daijon Parker’s path to Iowa football was not the most straightforward.

“Bro, who would have thought that we would be in this position?” the Iowa offensive lineman told a longtime friend. “A year ago, I would have never thought that I would be here at Iowa.”

Five months ago, he was playing Division II football for Saginaw Valley State — about an eight-hour drive from Iowa City, depending on Chicago traffic.

Four months ago, he was one of Virginia’s transfer portal commitments. The Cavaliers even gave him an online roster profile.

For the last three months, though, he has been a Hawkeye, and he’s embracing it.

“I’m grateful to be here,” Parker said in March before spring practices. “Taking it all in for sure.”

Parker already had heard Iowa offensive line coach George Barnett was a “great coach” and “great guy” because of Barnett’s connections to people at Saginaw Valley State.

Now he’s experiencing what SVSU coaches were talking about firsthand.

“I love his speeches he gives in the meeting room,” Parker said. “He’s brutally honest, transparent with us, and I respect that about him. … A really good guy.”

The transfer has a difficult task adjusting from the Division II level to the Big Ten level, but he does not lack confidence.

“I want to show that I can dominate at this level as well,” Parker said. “I believe in myself so much. There’s no cockiness. It’s just my self-belief.”

Fellow offensive lineman Connor Colby has noticed Parker “moves really well.”

“Looks good,” Colby said last week. “Most importantly, he’s a great guy, too.”

Parker’s Iowa recruitment almost ended as quickly as it began.

By the time Iowa football recruiting director Tyler Barnes reached out to Parker, he had already committed to Virginia.

The Hawkeyes often recruit players who have already committed, as do many other programs, and have success with it. Parker did not initially seem to be in that category, though.

“Some guys will tell you, ‘Hey, I’m good, I’m solid here,’” Barnes said. “Which Daijon did tell me.”

Barnes did not take no as an answer, though. The recruiting director, a self-proclaimed “numbers guy,” pulled up numbers for Iowa and Virginia.

“Not just wins, but offensive line development, how far it is from home, how easy is it for your mom to get here and watch games, cost of travel, hotel, all that stuff,” Barnes said.

Barnes credited former Iowa safety Kaevon Merriweather with an “assist” on the recruitment. The longtime friend that Parker was talking about earlier? That’s Merriweather.

Merriweather and Parker were roommates on the same travel basketball team.

“I’ve known him for a good part of my life,” Merriweather said.

Having someone he already trusted who was already in the building was “very helpful,” Parker said.

“He was real honest with me,” Parker said. “He didn’t hold anything back.”

Merriweather said recruiting Parker “wasn’t too hard,” especially with Iowa’s offensive line history and Merriweather’s knowledge of Parker’s skill set.

“We have a great coaching staff who can put you in a great position,” Merriweather remembers telling Parker.

Like Merriweather, Parker’s primary sport used to be basketball.

“I thought I was going to the NBA,” Parker said with a laugh.

Then reality hit.

“He figured out there aren’t many 6-foot-5 forwards in major college basketball, certainly not in the NBA,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said in February.

It’s perhaps a good thing for Iowa that Parker is in Iowa City to play football and not basketball, based on what Merriweather said.

“I’m not going to lie,” Merriweather said. “I’ve seen him get dunked on a couple of times. He’s not going to say that.”

Who’s the better basketball player? “Me,” Merriweather said without an ounce of hesitation.

“Do not allow him to tell you that it’s him,” Merriweather said. “It’s me.”

Parker won’t even argue with that.

“I’ll give it to him,” Parker said. “He was the better basketball player. He was quicker. He was explosive.”

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com