Cedar Rapids Prairie’s David Fason commits to play football for the Iowa Hawkeyes

CEDAR RAPIDS - Watching Kirk Ferentz walk off the Kinnick Stadium field holding hands with his players while leading The Swarm after he set the Big Ten Conference win for most coaching victories might have been the thing that finally pushed David Fason over the top.

The Cedar Rapids Prairie senior witnessed that history Saturday night with three buddies who already have pledged their commitment to play football for the Hawkeyes. Tuesday afternoon, he announced publicly he has done the same.

“Definitely experiencing that with a group of guys that I’ve always really been around (was special),” Fason said. “We all grew up together saying that we wanted to play at the same college and stuff. Now we all get a chance to do it at one of the biggest levels possible. That’s amazing.”

Fason attended Iowa’s game against UMass with Waukee Northwest’s Isaiah Oliver and fellow seniors Colin Whitters of Juju Manson of Iowa City West. All have committed to Iowa: Whitters as a scholarship offensive lineman, Manson as a scholarship “athlete” and Oliver as a preferred walk-on wide receiver.

Fason also is a preferred walk-on for now, though he said he hopes to be a scholarship guy sooner than later.

“After my last couple visits when I’ve been down there, yeah, I got a PWO, but ever since my first visit, it has always been like I am on scholarship,” Fason said. “I’m not different than any other guy. To me, that’s a big thing. After that first visit, everything has just been clicking (with them) ever since. I go down there every other weekend or whenever I can.”

Fason is a listed 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds, though he might be shorter. He played offensive line as a freshman at Cedar Rapids Washington but transferred to Prairie, where he has been an outstanding tight end and defensive lineman. It is yet to be determined, but most likely Iowa sees him as a defensive tackle or perhaps a fullback, though that position has mostly been phased out in today’s football.

Fason leads Prairie with 21 1/2 tackles, 20 solo, in its first three games. That includes six sacks and 11 1/2 tackles for loss.

Offensively, he has six receptions for 93 yards and a team-high three pancake blocks. He had offers from Northern Iowa and Drake.

“Always in my head, I told myself I was going to play D-I college ball,” Fason said. “Realistically there were times when I’m going to camps and stuff and seeing some of these guys getting recruited, and it was like ‘Oh, I’m small. I’m not the biggest or the best dude anymore.’ So it all just came down to competing, putting the work in and having the mindset of really wanting to be at the top level.”

  Buy Photo

Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com