Northern Iowa Signing Day: UNI focuses heavily on offensive line for 2015 class

CEDAR FALLS — When putting together his 2015 recruiting class, Northern Iowa football coach Mark Farley had a specific agenda in mind: bolster the offensive line.

With key members of the line either gone to graduation this year or a year from now, Farley and his staff wanted to ensure the future of the line was solid. After bringing in a class of 22 in which the highlights were both up front and from Iowa, Farley believes they did what they sought out to do.

'We wanted to ramp up our offense. I just felt that's where the emphasis of this class ended up being for the most part,' Farley said. 'And when you're dealing with linemen, it takes two years to develop linemen. You just don't walk in and play. So you're looking into the future when you're taking your linemen because they take time to be in the weight room, to grow, to be to the size you need them and still have the mobility.

'They're all chosen with the fact of looking down the road past their red-shirt year and into their sophomore and junior seasons, because that's when they really become quality players for us.'

Farley said the highlight from the class — especially for the offensive line — was Cal Twait, a 6-foot-7, 286-pound lineman from Manson (Manson-Northwest Webster high school). Twait was among 11 players from Iowa signed to this year's class, which is something Farley and his staff have long been known for.

He said Wednesday — as he has countless times before — it's what he wants UNI to be known for when people look at the Panthers' roster.

'We always start with our state, and we've got another (11) from our state,' Farley said. 'The way we look at our state is it's the foundation of our team; it's who we are. You have to get the most quality players and that work ethic and attitude that comes from being from Iowa and Iowa high school football.

'That's what we really look for is that attitude, and I think we've brought that again with this class.'

Another player who exemplifies those qualities was Iowa City Regina lineman Phil Arendt, who Farley said will play on the interior offensive line at UNI.

Arendt — who is in the middle of basketball season with the Regals, where he averages 7.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game — was first team all-state both his junior and senior seasons, and was twice named to The Gazette All-Area team.

'(Arendt) showed mobility on the basketball court, he shows mobility when you see him play (football),' Farley said. 'He has a tenacity about himself. We just felt he's your guy that really is fundamentally sound, but plays with the attitude and tenacity that makes him the player he is.'

UNI signed three other area players as well. Arendt will be joined by Regina teammate Jacob Adam, who was also first team all-state and on The Gazette All-Area first team the last two years at kicker. Also at kicker was Sam Drysdale out of Cedar Rapids Prairie.

Arendt wasn't the only area lineman, either, as Clayton Ridge grad Ryan Moser signed with the Panthers on Tuesday as well.

The majority of the class (the entire list can be seen below) signed with no issues, but Farley did say they had some nervous moments while one recruit waited to send in his paperwork until noon. That's part of the drama of Signing Day, Farley said, and why he likes to get guys signed as early as possible.

'There's no question there's stress to it. And the stress is kind of applied by yourself because you want to make sure there's no drama come 7 o'clock in the morning,' Farley said. 'The stress for us is if we take the right players, the potential is out there that a school from the major five conferences will end up getting beat out early and fall back and try to take a player we have committed.

'We want to get our guys signed as early as possible because they end up being players schools will come back to should they get beat out on the guys that sit on TV and choose hats. I want to get our guys on the line, so it does become stressful — it's a surprise to us when it happens, so with signing day there's always a little bit of drama.'

Northern Iowa is coming off a season in which the Panthers finished 9-5 and 6-2 in Missouri Valley Football Conference play and lost to eventual national runner-up Illinois State in the second round of the FCS Playoffs.

UNI begins its 2015-16 season at Iowa State on Sept. 5.

Newcomers

Jacob Adam, 5'11, 160, K (Iowa City, Iowa/Regina HS)

Trevor Allen, 6'1, 190, RB (Waukee, Iowa/Waukee HS)

Hezekiah Applegate, 6'3, 259 DL (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston HS)

Philip Arendt, 6'2, 275, OL (Iowa City, Iowa/Regina HS)

Jackson Scott-Brown, 6'5, 290, OL (Council Bluffs, Iowa/St. Alberts HS)

Jesse Cardenas, 6'2, 220, LB (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS)

Dewayne Collins, 6'2, 185, QB (Chicago, Ill./Wendell Phillips Academy)

Sam Drysdale, 6'0, 160, K (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Cedar Rapids Prairie HS)

Aaron Graham, 6'1, 185, RB (Oak Grove, Mo./Oak Grove HS)

Michael Holtzbauer, 6'4, 285, OL (Ames, Iowa/Ames HS)

Jaylin James, 6'4, 175, WR (Des Moines, Iowa/Des Moines East HS)

Ryan Moser, 6'5, 290, OL (St. Olaf, Iowa/Clayton Ridge HS)

Taylor Otterstatter, 6'6, 240, TE (Mayer, Minn./Mayer Lutheran HS)

Seth Thomas, 6'6, 245 DL (Stillwell, Kan./Blue Valley Southwest HS)

Cal Twait, 6'7, 286, OL (Manson, Iowa/Manson-Northwest Webster HS)

Transfers

Dalton Demos, 6'6, 210, QB (St. Louis, Mo./Hutchinson CC)

Jarvis Holley, 6'0, 185, ATH (Lawerenceville, Ga./Iowa Central CC)

Savon Huggins, 5'11, 203, RB (Jackson, N.J./Rutgers)

Brandon Napoleon, 5'11, 185, DB (Rahway, N.J./West Virginia)

Byron Rich Jr., 6'4, 305, OL (Mobile, Ala./Fort Scott CC)

Chris Schleuger, 6'3, 285, OL (Wesley, Iowa/Iowa Western CC)

DJ Singleton Jr., 6'3, 205, DB (Union, N.J./Nebraska)

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com