Pollard on Iowa State football under Campbell: A very well-oiled machine

CLEAR LAKE — Life is becoming a little more routine for Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell in the last 5 1/2 months.

Saying it's become routine doesn't mean it's slowed down much though.

'I'm recruiting 24 hours a day, seven days a week right now,' Campbell said last Wednesday on a stop during the Cyclone Tailgate Tour. 'This is prime time in recruiting in my opinion.

'Our coaches are on the road and our off-field staff meet at 6 a.m. and again at 3:30 every day just to kind of go through what's going on in recruiting right now. To me, this is such a critical time with how the calendar has shifted in the recruiting process.'

After three days of touring western Iowa last week, Campbell and Iowa State head coaches Steve Prohm, Christy Johnson-Lynch, Kevin Jackson and Bill Fennelly will be in the eastern half this week. The Cyclone Tailgate Tour will be making its stop in Cedar Rapids at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Cedar Rapids Marriott.

Even with more than half of the last two weeks spent away from the office, Campbell and his staff haven't slowed down on the recruiting trail. Iowa State has 11 verbal commitments as of May 22 — the Cyclones had not yet received a commitment at this time last season.

'I've described it as a very well-oiled machine,' ISU athletics director Jamie Pollard said last Monday in Carroll. 'They're doing a lot of things, but he doesn't have to micromanage it because if there are five things going on in five different rooms, they all know what they're supposed to be doing and how he'd like them to do it and he doesn't have to micromanage it, he can lead it.'

Current Iowa State players return for summer workouts after Memorial Day with newcomers set to arrive June 12. Campbell said the Cyclones are down to the allotted 85 players on scholarship with Quan West, Jacob Dunning, Jacob Homa, Ryan Glenn and Justin Webster all taking medical hardships — Luke Knott, Levi Peters and Daniel Burton are also not a part of that count because of injuries.

Running back Mitchell Harger underwent surgery this spring after suffering a torn labrum and will face rehabilitation this summer, but Iowa State is getting a few other big pieces back to full strength. Wide receiver Allen Lazard — who broke his hand this spring — is out of a cast and full strength, as is offensive lineman Jake Campos after he sat out the spring.

MEYERS TO RESUME WORKOUTS

Defensive lineman Mitchell Meyers was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma 15 months ago, spent all of last season away from Iowa State receiving treatment, but is finally rejoining the team this summer.

Campbell said Meyers is enrolled in summer classes in Ames, which have begun, and will be able to be involved directly with team workouts.

'I'm really excited to have Mitchell back,' Campbell said. 'I'll tell you, I've got the upmost respect for him just to watch his progress and even to watch him get bigger and stronger. His weight is starting to come back to him now and he looks really good. I'm anxious to see because he needs these three months, but he's doing really good.'

SO LONG, 'SMOKE ON THE WATER'

Iowa State fans have been accustomed to seeing their team emerge from the tunnel at Jack Trice Stadium in a cloud of smoke to the tune of Deep Purple's hit track, 'Smoke on the Water.' That's about to change.

'I don't even know 'Smoke on the Water' so that's out. That's out,' Campbell said with a laugh. 'We've been going anywhere from WWE to potentially some good rap, but we'll figure it out and make a good decision on it.'

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