Bruce emerges as Division I recruit

Even after leading Lena-Winslow to a state title in Illinois' Class 1A as a sophomore last season, Class of 2020 defensive end Isaiah Bruce was still not receiving much college interest this summer.

“Nobody really noticed me since I’m from a small school,” Bruce said.

That was until this past weekend. The 6-foot-1, 240-pound Bruce decided to take matters into his own hands and attended a one-day camp at Iowa on Sunday, where he quickly stood out among the top performers at defensive line.

“They really liked my explosiveness off the line,” said Bruce. “They also loved the speed that I have.”

“After the camp, they told me they might offer tomorrow if everything goes right.”

And that is exactly what happened. Iowa recruiting coordinator Kelvin Bell reached out to Bruce on Monday and extended a scholarship offer from the Hawkeyes.

“My reaction was priceless,” Bruce said. “I had my phone on speaker when I called them and then when they offered me, my mom starting crying because she was really proud.”

A three-sport athlete, Bruce excels at football, basketball, and track at Lena-Winslow. This spring, he qualified for the state track meet in not only the shot put, where he finished seventh, but also ran the 4x100 and 4x200 as a 240-pound sprinter.

Bruce uses that combination of size and speed to star on both sides of the ball in football, playing defensive end, tight end, and wide receiver, but it is on defense where Iowa projects him in college.

“They liked me at d-line,” said Bruce. “They didn’t tell me what position they would put me at, but whatever it is I’ll embrace the role.”

Bruce, who plans to return to Iowa City on July 29th for another visit, has already heard a lot about the school from his older brother, Tevin, who recently graduated from the University of Iowa.

“My older brother went there, but now he will be attending Palmer to get into chiropractic practice,” Bruce said. “He also worked on the campus and helped clean up the facilities after every game, so he’s been to all the fields and stuff and said it’s amazing.”

The excitement over the new offer from Iowa has yet to wear off, but Bruce says he does want to make sure he takes his time with the recruiting process being a Class of 2020 prospect.

“I like Iowa a lot, but I promised myself, my family, and my girlfriend that I would take my time to really decide what I want,” said Bruce.