Cedar Rapids Washington's O'Rien Vance headlines Iowa State recruiting class as top prep commit

AMES — O'Rien Vance wasn't satisfied with his talent alone.

Talent, he knows, will only take a player so far.

So when the Cedar Rapids Washington football star looked for pieces he could add to his game, he went away from the field. He went to the film room, but even that was only the first step.

Vance had watched plenty of film in his playing career, but what he realized is he needed to learn how to watch it properly. The physical part of the game was still a focus, but the mental part would be a compliment to that work.

'Getting stronger, conditioning, getting better analyzing film, watching games, watching my own mistakes and what I need to get better at (is what I worked on),' Vance said. 'Just keeping myself mentally focused and mentally strong.'

Vance is expected to sign his letter of intent with the Iowa State football team Wednesday, and would be its top-rated prep signee with a 0.8681 composite according to 247Sports. He committed to the Cyclones last February and was the second pledge in the 2017 class — only after Waterloo West quarterback Devon Moore.

Iowa State has 23 commitments — and could get one more on signing day — while Michigan's David Dawson and USC's Khaliel Rodgers are committed as offensive line graduate transfers. Iowa City West's Alex Kleinow and West Delaware's John Nagel are also members of the class.

Had a great time this weekend can't wait to be a cyclone!!! January 23, 2017

Had a great time this weekend can't wait to be a cyclone!!! pic.twitter.com/B8XSO2crQv

— ¥0UNG $avag€ (@orienvance24)

The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Vance is a consensus three-star prospect, the fourth-rated prospect in Iowa and is tied for the Cyclones' second-best prospect of their 2017 class. Iowa State is still his only public offer — he had drawn some interest from Iowa, Michigan State and Notre Dame early on.

'I think (Iowa State) got a steal, and I think they might feel the same way,' longtime Wash assistant Maurice Blue said. 'The fact that he wasn't more heavily recruited might actually come to bite some other schools in the butt, but I think it's great for Iowa State and I think it's great for O'Rien.'

'He's always moving toward the football and doing it with urgency,' Scout Midwest recruiting analyst Allen Trieu told AllCyclones.com when Vance committed. 'I think he can add weight and bring a lot of things to a defense. I felt and still feel he is a kid who deserved more pub than what he got.'

Vance had an expedited climb through the ranks in his career with the Warriors. He played only one game with the freshman team as a ninth grader because to Blue, 'he was like a man playing with a bunch of kids, so we just committed him full time to the sophomore level.' Even when he played against older guys, he still stuck out.

After talking with former Warriors coach Paul James, Blue nearly elevated Vance to the varsity squad in 2013 for a playoff game against Cedar Falls. That ultimately didn't happen, but the fact remained that the Warriors had something special in their new linebacker.

'In terms of playing linebacker, the nuances may not have been there (as a freshman and sophomore), but he could still make plays,' Blue said. 'As he got older it became more (second nature), and the more he understood it and he was able to just use that natural athletic ability to make plays, and make smarter plays.'

Vance spent time at defensive end, inside linebacker and outside linebacker with the Warriors, but will play outside linebacker for the Cyclones. His versatility is the asset he hopes can help him be a contributor at the next level.

'Most of my growth has been in getting a lot stronger, having more knowledge of the game and more feel for the game,' Vance said. 'I've just been going out and having fun and believing in my teammates.'

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