Iowans clock in at 19 and 20 in the Hawkeyes’ recruiting class

Iowa found some defensive help in familiar grounds this weekend.

Pella defensive lineman Garret Jansen and West Des Moines Dowling Catholic linebacker Nick Wilson committed to the Hawkeyes, raising Iowa's 2015 recruiting class to 20 commits. With maybe one or two more in flux, that seems the likely number that will sign national letters of intent on Wednesday, the first day of the national signing period.

Jansen (6-1, 250) could project to tackle or end on the defensive line. He had 75 tackles, 31 tackles for loss and seven sacks last fall while helping Pella to a 14-0 record and a Class 3A state championship.

Jansen originally committed to Cincinnati, but the school changed his offer to a grayshirt, meaning he wouldn't go on scholarship until the second semester of his freshman year. At that point, Jansen decided to open up his recruitment, he told HawkeyeReport.com.

Then, Jansen committed to Northern Iowa. The dialogue with Iowa, however, continued. Finally, Iowa offered a scholarship on 10:30 p.m. last Friday.

'I committed on the spot,” Jansen said.

Jansen committed to Cincinnati in June and then shut down his recruiting. Then, Cincinnati got cold feet and it fell apart.

'It was just shock because I felt like I did my part,” Jansen said. 'I canceled camps at other schools and told them that I was committed. They didn't do their part. It was frustrating at first, but when you fall off the horse you have to get back on and keep riding.”

When he committed to Cincinnati, Jansen told Rivals.com a little bit about his game.

'I am a speed rusher,” he said. 'I'm good coming off the edge and getting pressure on the quarterback. One thing I need to work on is reading offenses more quickly.”

A quick compare for Jansen might be Louis Trinca-Pasat, who entered Iowa an undersized D-lineman and graduated as a three-year starter with a massively productive career, including 6.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss last season.

Wilson (6-2, 205) was committed and set to sign with Western Illinois. But Iowa kept the communication open, including an official visit this weekend. Wilson got his offer during breakfast on Saturday and committed before he left campus on Sunday.

'It was pretty hard [staying patient and waiting for an Iowa offer], but I wanted to be a Hawkeye so it was worth the wait,” Wilson told HawkeyeReport. 'I want to continue my football career at Iowa.”

Wilson finished his senior season with 63 tackles and three interceptions, helping Dowling to a 13-1 record and won its second consecutive Class 4A state title.

Wilson played safety at Dowling. Right now, Iowa sees him as an outside linebacker.

'I need to put on some size,” Wilson said. 'I'm about 210 now and I want to put on some more weight and see what I can do speed-wise. I'll start doing linebacker drills to get my footwork down and get used to the position.”

The Hawkeyes always have been heavily invested in players from the state. Last February, the Hawkeyes signed six Iowans, which was the most since 2009 when Iowa signed nine Iowa preps.

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