Hawkeyes pick up defender for commit No. 18

Iowa's 2015 recruiting class is ending in a flurry.

Wednesday evening, Michael Ojemudia, a safety from Harrison High School (Farmington Hills, Mich.), committed to the Hawkeyes, giving Iowa its 18th commitment for the 2015 recruiting class.

'Once I visited, I knew I was going to Iowa,' Ojemudia told HawkeyeReport.com. 'It just felt like home and I could really see myself playing there for the next four years.'

On Tuesday night, Ojemudia and his family received an in-home visit from Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and defensive coordinator Phil Parker.

'I told the coaches last night [Tuesday],' Ojemudia said. 'They were really pumped and I'm pumped about it too. I can't wait to do big things at Iowa.'

Indiana followed Iowa's offer a day later and wanted to bring Ojemudia in for an official visit, but after Ferentz visited, it was a done deal.

'Once Coach Ferentz came to my house yesterday, my family and I decided that there was no point of visiting Indiana because we already made up our mind that we wanted to go to Iowa,' Ojemudia told HawkeyeReport.

Ojemudia's brother, Mario, is a junior defensive end at Michigan. Ojemudia (6-2, 190, two stars from Rivals.com) also had offers from Eastern Michigan (where he originally committed) and Wyoming.

The national signing period begins next Wednesday, so Iowa's 2015 class has a definite shape.

— Iowa needed offensive linemen and it will sign six, including Ohio native James Daniels and HMS High School's Brett Waechter, both of whom have already enrolled and will be in spring practice.

Iowa also will sign Levi and Landen Paulsen, twins from Woodbury Central. Today, Rivals.com ranked Levi (6-6, 275) No. 1 and Landen (6-6, 285) No. 2 in its final state rankings. West Lyon prep Jacob Newborg (6-3, 271) is No. 3 and also is an Iowa commit. After his official visit to Iowa City last weekend, Newborg told HawkeyeReport that he might play center, guard or defensive tackle.

— It looks like Iowa will have a running back in this class.

Fighting off late interest from other schools, Karan Higdon (5-10, 190) is set to be Iowa's lone RB commit in '15. Higdon had a long offer list that includes Arizona, Arkansas and South Carolina. Higdon, who prepped at Riverview (Sarasota, Fla.) High School, was once a South Florida commitment.

— Ojemudia's commitment shows how this class kind of has to end for the Hawkeyes. They need some defensive players.

In that regard, South Dakota's Brady Reiff (6-4, 215) is already enrolled and listed as a defensive end prospect. Iowa did get Waukee defensive end Anthony Nelson (6-6, 210) to change his commitment from Iowa State. Michael Slater (6-3, 265, Parkway Central, Miss.) will help somewhere on the defensive line.

Illinois prep Jack Hockaday (6-0, 205) is listed as an 'athlete,' but will come in as a linebacker.

Iowa could be finished at 18 or, maybe, there could be a few more.

I asked for some guidance from HawkeyeReport.com publisher Tom Kakert. Here's how he sees the final recruiting weekend (this is Tom's post from here):

The biggest name left on Iowa's board is defensive tackle Darrion Daniels

from Texas. He will announce his college choice on Friday and he is reportedly down to Iowa, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State. Oklahoma might still be an option as well. He's a hard one to read and not tipping his hand one way or another, but we will go with the last visit winning this one and he picks Iowa. The level of confidence in that pick is not strong.

At linebacker, Iowa is waiting on a decision from three prospects. I think one of the targets, Angelo Garbutt, ends up picking Nebraska. He was once an Oregon State commit, so he is familiar with much of the coaching staff. Terez Hall, a linebacker from Georgia, will visit Missouri this weekend. I think if that visit goes well, he ends up with the Tigers. The last linebacker is Jake Whalen

from Wisconsin. He makes his official visit to his home state school this weekend and they are offering a grayshirt opportunity. Iowa is a full scholarship right now and I think he wants to play linebacker and not fullback in college, so he picks Iowa. If Wisconsin changes things up and offers a full scholarship now, I think there's a chance he ends up a Badger.

Iowa is trying to get a last minute visit this weekend from Toledo commit Jessie Bates from Indiana. Obviously he has to decide if he wants to visit anywhere this weekend, but if he does visit Iowa, then I think he flips to the Hawkeyes. If he doesn't, I think Iowa may extend a late offer to in-state prospect Nick Wilson

(Des Moines Dowling Catholic, safety), who is currently committed to Western Illinois. Wilson (6-2, 205) would take the offer from Iowa.

So, at the end of the day, I see Iowa ending up with a class of 21 prospects.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com