Ankeny native Brody Brecht grew up going to Hawkeye games at Kinnick Stadium with friends and family. Now, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound wide receiver will be wearing the black and gold himself - a dream come true - after committing to the Iowa coaching staff. We caught up with Brecht to talk in-depth about his decision, his future with the Hawkeyes, and much more.
Q: First, can you tell us about your decision and what led you to pick Iowa?
BRECHT: It’s just where I thought I fit best and gave me the best chance to get to the NFL. I’m also going to play baseball there, so I didn’t want to give up baseball yet either.
Q: What all went into the decision to be a two-sport athlete in college?
BRECHT: This past Monday, I had a Zoom meeting with Coach Ferentz and Coach Heller and kind of talked to them about how it would all work. They said they would both try their best and we can make it work.
Q: What was that like having both head coaches on Zoom at the same time?
BRECHT: It was really cool to have two head coaches from a Big Ten school right there talking to you. They were really cool about it.
Q: When did you actually make up your mind and call the coaches?
BRECHT: I called Iowa on Tuesday and told them.
Q: What kind of led up to that timetable? Was that where things were heading or did it get sped up a little bit?
BRECHT: I’ve kind of had a feeling for a while now, but I just wanted that clarification that the Zoom meeting gave me as far as doing both baseball and football.
Q: Who did you call first and what was their reaction?
BRECHT: The first person I called was Coach Copeland. He was really excited about it. I actually was on FaceTime with him the same time as Arland Bruce. Coach Copeland told us if he wasn’t 40 years old he’d be doing back flips.
Q: What have you heard from him as far as the opportunity at wide receiver and how you fit into the offense?
BRECHT: They’re projecting me at the X receiver where Brandon Smith plays and then said a little bit where Ihmir Smith-Marsette plays too.
Q: How do you feel like that fits your skill set?
BRECHT: I think it’s a perfect fit with my size and speed.
Q: Something Arland mentioned when he committed was looking at the stats from last season and seeing Iowa threw to their receivers more than people realize. Was that something that came up with in your conversations as well?
BRECHT: Yeah, definitely. They threw the ball to the receivers a lot more this past year, which made it more appealing. Also, watching the NFL Draft and seeing all the Iowa players get drafted made me realize that could be me.
Q: When you announced you were narrowing it down to Iowa and Iowa State last month, one of your friends posted a picture of you guys at an Iowa game when you were little kids. What’s that like for you kind of coming full circle now that you will be playing there?
BRECHT: It’s really a dream come true. When I was younger, I was always a big Hawkeye fan and going to the games, so it was always my dream to play for them.
Q: What is the feeling like for you now after making your commitment?
BRECHT: It takes a lot of pressure off because now I’m done with it. I can just focus on one school and it just feels good to be part of the swarm.
Q: Do you have other guys on your radar that you are talking to and recruiting?
BRECHT: I’m trying to get Xavier Nwankpa, the Class of 2022 kid from Southeast Polk for sure. I’m also trying to get my quarterback, Jase Bauer, some more interest. Then I’m trying to get Thomas Fidone too.
Q: You posted the video of you running a 4.45 forty the other day and you were off to a good start in track before things got shutdown. What have you done to improve your speed?
BRECHT: Yeah, it's a new best. I’ve been working a lot on my explosiveness and just trying to keep my strength and speed.
Q: You faced a lot of double coverage last year and probably will even more this year as a senior. What is kind of your mindset going into next season?
BRECHT: I just want to win a state championship and do everything I can to help my team win and get my teammates better.
A three-star prospect, Brecht chose Iowa over scholarship offers from Iowa State, Nebraska, Kansas, and Kansas State.
Overall, Brecht is commitment No. 14 for the Hawkeyes in 2021, as he joins Arland Bruce, David Davidkov, Beau Stephens, Max Llewellyn, Jordan Oladokun, Cooper DeJean, Jeff Bowie, Zach Twedt, Griffin Liddle, Justice Sullivan, Connor Colby, Jaden Harrell, and Gennings Dunker in the Iowa's recruiting class.
As a junior, Brecht finished the season with 35 catches for 796 yards and seven touchdowns for Ankeny.
See highlights from Brecht's junior year in the video below.
