Carson Rhodes picking up interest

At 6-foot-7 and 246 pounds, Nevada (IA) native Carson Rhodes is an intriguing prospect in the Class of 2023. Rhodes, who has a 6-foot-10 wingspan, was among the group of in-state recruits invited to Iowa's first junior day this weekend, which gave him a chance to learn more about the program.

"We started off with a huge lunch buffet and a welcome from all the coaches including head coach Kirk Ferentz," said Rhodes. "We then went on a tour of all the facilities, got our height and weight checked, and then took pictures in the jerseys."

"After that, we watched a pretty cool video that talked about academics, strength and conditioning, the campus, the football program and some other things," Rhodes said. "We than broke off into position groups and met with our position coaches while the parents learned more about academics."

Rhodes went with the tight ends for position meetings as that is where he currently plays in high school, but also had a conversation today with Iowa offensive line coach George Barnett as a prospect that could eventually grow into an offensive tackle.

"I did talk to Coach Barnett and he said he liked my size and frame from an offensive line standpoint," said Rhodes. "He also enjoyed hearing that my high school team is a run heavy offense."

In the tight end meeting, Rhodes learned more from offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz about how the Hawkeyes utilize the position and what the expectations are in the offense.

"He talked about what it takes to be able to play at that level," Rhodes said. "You need to be physically and mentally strong. He also talked about if one tight end makes a mistake or can’t make a play, it’s next in line."

"Coach Ferentz also made a big point of his focus is on the team and not you as an individual as much. The team will always come first and he will do what’s best for the team," said Rhodes. "He also talked about how Iowa throws the ball to the tight end very often. Lastly, he talked about recruiting and some fundamentals of the game that high schoolers may not realize."

Overall, there was a lot to takeaway from the Iowa visit and Rhodes was appreciative of the invite from the Hawkeyes.

"A message I learned is that Iowa is a very consistent program that has great stability with their coaches and staff," Rhodes said. "They also produce a lot of NFL talent and want to develop you into a great person academically and physically."

Rhodes, who has an early scholarship offer from UNI, is also receiving interest from Iowa State, Minnesota, West Virginia, and North Dakota State in addition to Iowa.

"I currently have one other junior day visit planned with Minnesota on January 30th," said Rhodes. "Also, I have some coaches from great programs coming to watch me play basketball over the next week or so and I’m really excited to see how those play out."