Hawkeye recruit conjures ‘Stork’ images

On his recruiting visit to Iowa City in late June, Riley McMinn met Iowa defensive tackles Christian Ballard and Karl Klug.

Perhaps a glimpse into McMinn's future?

Last weekend, the 6-foot-7, 220-pounder from Rochester (Ill.) High School committed to the Hawkeyes. McMinn, who had 10 sacks, 65 tackles and four fumble recoveries for Class 4A Rochester last season, is Iowa's 10th commitment for the 2011 recruiting class.

Yes, 6-7 and 220. And, yes, he knows this defensive end thing might not last.

“That's what they've recruited me as, a defensive end,” McMinn said. “I don't know, that may be subject to change.”

Would subject to change be offensive tackle?

“Yeah, right,” he said.

McMinn picked Iowa over Boston College. He had 11 offers, including Wisconsin. BC was the second school to offer. Iowa was the last.

Distance was more of a bonus than a factor.

“Iowa had almost exactly what I want to do academically, with their business school and entrepreneurship and the journalism program. I'd like to do something in public broadcasting,” he said. “And then athletically, Coach (Kirk) Ferentz is unbelievable. We spent a lot of time with him. He's a fatherly figure. We all really enjoyed him, my parents and I did. The coaching staff has been there for a long time. They're stable. I don't think they're going anywhere.

“The hard-nosed football they play, the Midwest values that they instill on their players and football team ... It's nothing pretty, they just get down to work, get after it and I really like that. The emphasis they have on the D-line, that really drew me there.”

McMinn wasn't waiting for an Iowa offer, but when he sat down with his coach, Derek Leonard, they pegged Iowa as a school to watch.

“We were going over the recruiting stuff,” McMinn said. “He said if you did get offered, one of the prime places was Iowa.”

At 6-7, McMinn would break Iowa's mold at defensive end. Former Hawkeye Aaron Kampman is 6-4. Senior Adrian Clayborn, everyone's preseason All-American, stands 6-3. Ballard, 6-5, came in as a defensive end but moved to tackle last season.

McMinn has one comparison, former Oakland Raiders great Ted Hendricks. He might have been the first 6-7 defensive end. His nickname was “The Stork.”

“Everybody tells me I remind them of ‘The Stork,' the dude who played for the Raiders,” McMinn said. “I don't really have an idol.”