Hawkeye Tailgater special for Graves
Visiting Iowa on Sunday after committing to the Hawkeyes earlier this summer proved to be a special trip for Class of 2022 in-state defensive lineman Aaron Graves. Afterwards, we caught up with the 6-foot-4, 230-pound pounder from Southeast Valley High School
Q: Overall, how was your trip at Iowa Sunday?
GRAVES: Great. I got to know some of the staff better and it was just an overall fun day.
Q: Which coaches did you talk with most and how are those relationships with them?
GRAVES: Coach Bell and Coach Niemann, are who I talked to the most. I really liked both of them and am excited to play for them as well.
Q: What was your schedule during the course of the day?
GRAVES: We started with the meal made by the chefs at Iowa and then went on to tour the practice facility and campus. After that, we had a photo shoot at Kinnick Stadium and went back to the practice facility to wrap up.
Q: What portion of the trip did you enjoy most overall?
GRAVES: I probably enjoyed the weight room tour the most. I've always loved the weight room, so I naturally liked it there the most.
Q: Did you learn anything specific about how they do things in the weight room or with workouts in general?
GRAVES: Not specifically. It was just the general atmosphere they have there and what the expectations are going in the weight room day in and day out.
Q: How important has the weight room been to your overall success as an athlete?
GRAVES: I think it's had a huge impact on me. I definitely wouldn't be the athlete I am today without being in the weight room.
Q: Did the trip feel any different being committed?
GRAVES: For sure. I started to see the place more as home instead of just a school I was visiting.
Q: Was there anything that really gave you the home feeling more this time?
GRAVES: There was less recruits compared to the last time, so we got more one on one attention from coaches and just the fact I was committed helped too.
Q: Which of the recruits did you spend time with during the trip?
GRAVES: Yeah, I talked to Zach Twedt because we both workout at the same facility and play each other in basketball. I also talked to some of the other 2022 recruits because they could be potential teammates.
Q: How was Zach and his reaction to Iowa City with being an Iowa State commit?
GRAVES: He seemed to like the facility and the coaches from what I saw, but I couldn't say for sure.
Q: Did you feel you learned anything about Iowa overall while on campus?
GRAVES: I learned that their weight room spends more on food and recovery for their players than any other Big Ten college, which I thought was pretty cool.
Q: Which game day visits are you trying to get to this fall at Iowa?
GRAVES: Penn State and Illinois are the games I'll probably go to.
Q: What are you trying to get better at before this season kicks off?
GRAVES: Just sticking to my workout plans and getting stronger and faster in the weight room. It is nothing too specific.
Q: What are you playing position wise this season on both sides of the ball?
GRAVES: As of right now, I'll float from nose guard to d-end in defense and guard to tackle on offense depending on just how much passing we do.
Graves, who had 67 tackles, 15 TFL, and 11 sacks as a freshman last season, committed to the Hawkeyes in June after receiving a scholarship offer at Iowa's camp.
See highlights from Graves' freshman year in the video below.