In-state TE walking on

In-state tight end Blake Simons has been leaning towards walking on with the Iowa Hawkeyes ever since his first visit to Iowa City. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound senior decided to take his time with a decision, but when things kept coming back to Iowa, he decided to go ahead and give the coaching staff the news this past week. We caught up with Simons, who had 64 catches for 961 yards and seven touchdowns last season, to talk about his decision and his future with the Hawkeyes.

Q: Why did you pick Iowa?

SIMONS: After I visited the first time, I knew that was where I wanted to go. I had committed early in basketball but I didn't want to make an early commitment for football. I realized I wanted to play football and I figured that I wanted to go to Iowa.

Q: Was it hard being patient after the visit?

SIMONS: Yes and no. There were times where I just wanted to commit and get it over with. I figured I'd wait until I was 100% sure before I made my decision.

Q: What sold you on Iowa?

SIMONS: I would say it was mostly the family atmosphere between the players and the coaches. They are also investing a lot in the program with the new facilities too. Just overall the family atmosphere really won out there.

Q: Why did you decide to play football over basketball?

SIMONS: Not giving a junior season didn't really help me (in football) and I didn't know how much I loved it. During the summer, I played basketball the entire time and kind of got burnt out. Once football came around, I realized I love football and that made the decision easier. I didn't want to make it before basketball because I wanted to make sure I didn't fall back in love with basketball.

Q: What have the coaches said about your role with the team?

SIMONS: They are going to start me off at tight end. They told me I could potentially move to defensive end and depending on how much weight I gain I could play line. I'll redshirt the first year. Both of the tight ends will be seniors so after my first semester I'll have the potential to compete for a spot and a scholarship.

Q: Was it hard turning down Division I-AA scholarship money?

SIMONS: It was kind of hard turning down money. It gives me motivation to work harder and earn something there. Hopefully I won't be paying much financial aid but we'll see what happens.

Q: What are your plans to get ready for college?

SIMONS: After basketball season is over, I'll go to Athletic Republic in Spirit Lake. It helped me last summer. Hopefully I can go down there in June and take one class so I can get workouts in there.

Q: With former teammate Brett Waechter now at Iowa, did that help your decision?

SIMONS: It definitely helps and it'll be nice. This is the first time in basketball he hasn't been playing with me. It will definitely help because we played together in every sport since we were third graders.

Iowa's 2015 walk-on class now includes:

Blake Simons - 6-foot-6, 220-pound TE from Hartley, IA (Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn)

Brady Ross - 6-foot-1, 210-pound LB from Humboldt, IA (Humboldt)

Jacob Giese - 6-foot-3, 250-pound DT from West Branch, IA (West Branch)

Jackson Subbert - 6-foot-3, 205-pound LS from Williamsburg, IA (Williamsburg)

Lane Akre - 6-foot-0, 200-pound FB from Geneseo, IL (Geneseo)

Colten Rastetter - 6-foot-2, 205-pound P from Guttenberg, IA (Clayton Ridge)

Isaiah Kramme - 6-foot-3, 205-pound DB from Ankeny, IA (Centennial)