Hawkeyes pick up instate O-lineman

Iowa's weekend camp offers continued to turn into commitments.

Monday, Cedar Falls High School offensive lineman Spencer Williams said yes to an Iowa offer. On Tuesday, Algona High School offensive lineman Cole Banwart committed to the Hawkeyes.

Banwart, a 6-4, 275-pounder, also had offers from Northern Iowa and South Dakota State. After moving from West Bend-Mallard and 8-man football in 2013 (when Banwart earned second-team all-state honors as a D-lineman), Banwart earned all-state honors in Class 3A last season at Algona, which finished 1-8 last season.

'He's a hard worker,” Algona coach Andy Jacobson said. 'He's got a nose for the ball. He has a high motor and he's going to do whatever it takes to be successful. We're really excited for him.”

As was the case with Williams, Banwart, who has yet to receive a star rating from Rivals.com, doesn't come with a long list of offers, but after evaluating him during camp on Sunday, Iowa coaches feel Banwart fits the profile for what they're looking want. In their highlight videos, Williams and Banwart show aggressiveness. The Iowa staff is clearly all-in on Iowa prep lineman. Banwart will be the ninth Iowa O-lineman have given a scholarship to in the last three years.

In talking about 'why Iowa O-linemen” last winter, Levi Paulsen, who'll be a freshman OL at Iowa this fall, wonderfully articulated the 'why.”

'When we went on our official visit last weekend, we sat down with Brian Ferentz [Iowa's O-line coach and he said, ‘We didn't recruit you because you're amazing athletes right now,” Levi said. '‘We recruited you because you have the mentality to go and be one of those athletes.' You've got to have the mind-set that I'm going to go out and be the best.”

According to HawkeyeReport.com, here's how Sunday's camp experience went for Banwart:

'I think I did well, but there were times where I didn't move my feet or use my hands,” he said. 'It was my first padded camp, so I was a little rusty.”

But still the offer.

'After the camp, [D-line coach and state of Iowa recruiter] Reese Morgan followed me and said to meet with Kirk Ferentz in the office,” Banwart told HawkeyeReport. 'That's when he told me he had an offer for me.”

Iowa State, Minnesota and Nebraska showed interest. Banwart also camped at Nebraska. Iowa recruited Banwart as an inside O-lineman.

'He does a lot of the little things really well, and I think that's what coaches look for,” Jacobson said. 'He hustles around. He's a kid you're going to like having in your program. He'll be successful.”

With Williams and Banwart committing in consecutive days, the Hawkeyes now have six in a class that's expected to stretch into the mid-20s. Iowa made five offers coming out of its camp, with Chariton tight end T.J. Hockenson and Pella defensive end Austin Schulte also receiving offers for 2016.

ONE FOR 2017

- A 2017 recruit also received an offer. According to HawkeyeReport.com, Madrid junior D-lineman Coy Kirkpatrick (6-4, 253) committed to the Hawkeyes on Monday night. It's super early in the recruiting process for Kirkpatrick, so he had no other offers.

'I committed to Iowa,” Kirkpatrick told HawkeyeReport. 'It's always been a dream of mine to play for them. When I first got the offer, I couldn't believe it. At this young of age, I wouldn't have thought of committing to any college, but when Iowa offered, it was a chance I was not going to pass up.”

Kirkpatrick, who has been a starter at Madrid since his freshman year, worked at defensive end at Iowa's one-day camp where he quickly impressed Morgan, especially in his one-on-one battles against offensive linemen a year older.

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