Hawkeyes land Ohio athlete

After an outstanding career at Fostoria High School in Ohio, versatile athlete Micah Hyde waited patiently for the right school to come calling in the recruiting process. This weekend, the 6-foot-1, 170-pound Hyde finally got the scholarship offer he was looking for during an official visit with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

"Yesterday, Coach Ferentz asked me to go into his office to talk to him and offered me a scholarship," said Hyde. "I kind of figured it was coming, but I was still a little surprised. I was just real happy to get it and told him I'm coming to Iowa."

Hyde held early scholarship offers from a number of MAC schools, including Ball State, Central Michigan, Miami of Ohio, Toledo, and Bowling Green, but made no secret about the fact that he was holding out for a chance to play in the Big Ten.

"I've always want to play in the Big Ten, so I was just waiting for that offer," Hyde said. "Plus Iowa is a great school. This weekend, we took a tour of the facilities, the learning center, the weight room, the locker room, the stadium, and everything. It's a really nice place."

At Fostoria, where he earned first team all-state honors, Hyde just about did it all, rarely leaving the field as he started at quarterback and safety and even handled kicking duties and returns for his team. For Iowa, the two-star prospect will only have to focus one position next season as the Hawkeyes like his potential at cornerback.

"I sat down with the defensive backs coach, Coach Parker, and watched some film this weekend," said Hyde. "He showed me a lot of different things while I was there. You can tell he's a really good coach."

Finally, playing in the Big Ten will not only fulfill a lifelong dream for Hyde, but also give him a chance to compete against his older brother Marcus, who is a sophomore safety for Michigan State.

"It's going to be fun," Hyde said. "I can't wait for it. Maybe we'll see each other on special teams or something."

Hyde is the thirteenth verbal commitment for the Hawkeyes in the Class of 2009 and third from the state of Ohio, joining running back Brad Rogers and defensive end Tyler Harrell.