Despite great career, recruiting is slow for Linn-Mar's Atwater

His list of schools right now are Iowa, Northern Iowa, Illinois State and ... Coe?

It's actually easy to explain how a Division III college could be Mark Atwater's ultimate destination. The Linn-Mar senior quarterback-linebacker has an older brother, Jordan, who is a defensive back for the Kohawks.

Their dad, Larry, is Coe's long-time defensive coordinator.

"The biggest thing for me is Coe. I love it there," Atwater said last Friday night after his Class 4A third-ranked Lions blasted Cedar Rapids Washington, 56-7, at Kingston Stadium. "So if things don't work out (elsewhere), I'm going to have a great experience there. I'm going to be with my dad and brother, and that's going to be an amazing experience to be a Kohawk. Even if I go somewhere else, I'll always be a Kohawk. It is what it is with that."

Atwater has completed 73 of 109 passes for 1,268 yards, 19 touchdowns and only two interceptions. He's also Linn-Mar's second-leading rusher with 462 yards and six TDs.

But it's most likely defense where he'll play in college, particularly if it's at the FCS, FBS or Division II level. That's where he's a three-year starter at linebacker, the Lions' fifth-leading tackler.

He's not a big kid at 6-foot and 190 pounds, so he projects as a likely safety. His size is a detriment when it comes to being recruited by FBS schools, but he's smart and tenacious on the field, "just a football player," as his father has described him.

That should be attractive to someone.

"I'd say Iowa, UNI and Illinois State are my big three right now," said Atwater, who visited Northern Iowa on Saturday. "No offers, yet. I'm probably one of those kids that's going to be late in the game.

"I always go back to (former Mid-Prairie prep) Tanner Miller. He was Iowa's last recruit a couple of years ago, and he's making an impact there more than a lot of other kids that got (earlier) scholarships there. Last may not mean much."