Kelton Copeland discusses approach to recruiting wide receivers at Iowa

IOWA CITY — Preparing for Michigan ahead of last year’s Big Ten football championship would have been enough of a task for Iowa wide receivers coach Kelton Copeland.

“Really good opponent obviously,” Copeland said. “Big game. The first time in my career that I coached for a Big Ten championship.”

Three days before the Hawkeyes’ game at Lucas Oil Stadium, two parents called him “wanting to talk to me about why their son isn’t touching the ball more and getting more opportunities.”

“So I spent 40 minutes out of my Big Ten championship Wednesday evening talking to these parents about why their son’s not getting more opportunities, versus me trying to do everything I can to make sure we’re successful for the Big Ten championship game against Michigan,” Copeland told reporters via Zoom Wednesday.

Those conversations, particularly at wide receiver, are not much of a surprise for a program that calls itself “Tight End U” and has a reputation for running the ball.

“It really is a challenge recruiting receivers here,” Copeland said.

Copeland has to deal with the “mantra” or “hidden message about Iowa receivers” that “all you’re going to do is block.”

Other times, recruits will hear “they line up in 12 personnel and 22 personnel” — a reference to formations that only have one or two wide receivers on the field.

“Anybody who’s really paying attention that really knows football knows that is not the case,” Copeland said. “We’ve been a balanced offense for five years straight.”

Iowa’s NFL track record has been far better for tight ends than wide receivers.

Former Hawkeye Ihmir Smith-Marsette was a fifth-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, but he is the only Iowa wide receiver to be selected in the last 10 drafts.

Going back to 2003 — the last 20 years of the NFL Draft — Marvin McNutt Jr. joins Smith-Marsette as the only Iowa wide receivers to hear their name called during the NFL Draft.

In that same 20-year period, 10 tight ends from Iowa have been NFL Draft picks.

The transfer portal likely has not helped Iowa’s wide receiver reputation. Charlie Jones went from recording 21 catches in 14 games as a Hawkeye in 2021 to hauling in 83 catches in Purdue’s first nine games of 2022.

Copeland did not comment specifically on Jones — “I really have no interest in talking about anybody outside of our building” — but talked about having players who can “focus on what’s truly important.”

“It takes a special type of young man to come here and play football, period,” Copeland said. “It takes an even more unique individual to come play receiver at Iowa.”

That “unique” style of player has to “love the game of football” and “love playing the game with your teammates first,” Copeland said.

“If you’re the type of guy that’s driven by stats, touches, targets, highlights, that types of accolades, personal awards, this ain’t the place for you,” Copeland said. “It’s just not, because quite frankly, you’re probably not going to get the targets that you think you should get. … Every receiver thinks that he’s open every play.”

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com