Iowa lands talented WR from NJ

The state of New Jersey has been good to the Hawkeyes over the years. Going back to the days of Hayden Fry, Iowa made a living of pulling prospects out of the Garden State and bringing them to Iowa City.

Coach Rob Hampton, from Lincoln High School in Jersey City, knows that history well and said sending his star wide receiver, Frank Darby, to Iowa is a great fit.

"The state of New Jersey and this area has a great tradition with Iowa football from guys like Lou King and Danan Hughes," Hampton said. "Frank is in the long line of New Jersey players that I think can do well at the University of Iowa."

This past weekend, Darby, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound wide receiver prospect, visited Iowa City for their "Hawkeye Tailgater" and found it to be exactly what he was looking for as far as a college atmosphere.

"I think what sold him was that even though he is from this part of the country, where we are just ten minutes from Manhattan, is the size of the city and the people were just nice. Coming from the rough and tumble area of Jersey City, we have a different way of being and I think the people were just so friendly and that just blew him away."

The people, along with the coaches and the facilities made up Darby's mind, according to what he has shared with his coach.

"I think what sealed the deal that people were so nice to him and he felt he needed to be around that. He always felt like the football part of Iowa was great and the facilities and coaches were great, but the overall aspects of Iowa will really help him to continue to develop as a person," Hampton said.

Hampton, who coaches Lincoln High School, which hasn't had a losing season since 2007, says Iowa is getting a true playmaker in Darby, a receiver who caught 19 passes for 532 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior.

"He's a great player," Hampton said. "We have kind of flown under the radar a bit because we aren't a private school. I think with Frank, he's a gamer and steps it up with the lights are on. He is not afraid to take a game over. He's a really good basketball player too, so he's a good athlete."

Darby is Iowa's 16th commitment in the Class of 2016.