3 mid-year JUCO signees bridge gap for Iowa State football

AMES — Last Wednesday wasn't the most comfortable day for Matt Campbell.

The Iowa State football coach knew there were a few junior college players in the mix to sign and become mid-year enrollees, but with recruiting there is no such thing as a sure thing.

When he finally had the paperwork in hand later that night for defensive end Matt Leo and wide receiver Matt Eaton, there was a sigh of relief. Getting Ray Lima to sign on the dotted line was just as big of a lift.

'To be able to hit on all three guys was incredible,' Campbell said.

All three guys have the potential to bridge the gap from where Iowa State has been in the last few years to where Campbell wants to be in the next few.

Leo and Lima go a long way in rebuilding a thin and undersized defensive line. At 6-foot-7, 265 pounds and 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, Leo and Lima are expected to come in and be contributors after Iowa State had to compete with other big-name schools.

As a native of Adelaide, Australia, Leo played rugby growing up and just started playing football the last two seasons at Arizona Western. He committed to Arizona in August and gained interest from a host of other Power 5 schools, visiting Oklahoma the week before the recruiting dead period.

'Matt decides to follow that route and comes over to the United States with about $12,000 in his pocket, pays for his first year of junior college football and then gets on scholarship the second year,' Campbell said. 'I do think there's a lot of growth in his potential going forward but I think you already see the amount of growth that he's been able to make.'

'You're not talking about a young man, you're talking about a 22, 23-year-old person that is a guy that's already got great ability and it'll just continue to be fun to watch his development for sure.'

Lima is a consensus three-star recruit and posted 59 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks a freshman in 2015 before redshirting this past season at El Camino Community College.

After committing in early August, Lima drew lots of interest in the weeks leading up to signing day with California and TCU as Iowa State's biggest competition. He'll have three years to play three, and Campbell lauded his ability to go one-on-one with offensive linemen in pass-rush situations as well as his physical nature in run defense.

'I think Ray's got everything you want in an interior defensive lineman,' Campbell said. 'He's got elite twitch and got really good length.

'He's got every factor in terms of leadership. He plays with elite effort, he's a guy that loves the game of football and is really passionate about what he does.'

Eaton played two years at Temple sparingly — earning a medical redshirt his first year — before recording 37 receptions for 392 yards and two touchdowns last season at Pearl River Community Collge. He committed to Iowa State in early May, but had an offer from West Virginia and interest from Auburn at the end of his recruitment.

At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Eaton gives Iowa State another big option on the outside at receiver — along with Allen Lazard and Hakeem Butler.

'Matt is the best player we saw last year on our board at the wide receiver position,' Campbell said. 'I think you're going to see why really fast. He's got elite size, can go up and get the football and is a great route runner. (He's) just another guy that can come in and really stretch the field vertically for you and can be a go-to guy.'

Cotton-Moya won't be full-go in spring after surgery

Iowa State safety Kamari Cotton-Moya won't be full-go in spring practices as he rehabilitates following his Dec. 1 shoulder surgery, Matt Campbell said.

Cotton-Moya had 73 tackles, five pass breakups and two interceptions as a junior. Campbell said he would be limited in winter and spring workouts and won't be put in any 'live football' situations this spring.

'I don't think he'll be full-go through the spring and then hopefully get himself ready to be close to full-go once spring practice ends,' Campbell said. 'Our spring will be a hair earlier this year because of how Easter falls, so we're bumping everything up a week.'

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