New commit makes Kirk Ferentz's day

After Iowa's 26-14 loss to Michigan State on Saturday, it is probably safe to say that Hawkeye head coach Kirk Ferentz was not having a very good weekend. Things got a little bit better, for at least a moment, on Sunday however as Detroit cornerback Jalen Embry verbally committed to the Iowa coaching staff before wrapping up his official visit.

The 5-foot-11, 176-pound Embry, who is a three-star prospect in the Class of 2014, gave the news to the Hawkeyes during a sit down meeting with Ferentz after breakfast this morning.

"I met with Coach Ferentz today and we had a really good conversation," said Embry. "He was telling me how excited he was to have me there and then asked if I had any more questions about Iowa that he could answer."

"I told him just one, 'When can I commit?'"

"He said, 'You can commit today. I know that would sure make my weekend a lot better.'"

"So I told him, 'All right, that's what I want to do.'"

"Then he got pretty excited and told me that I made his day."

Embry could project at cornerback or wide receiver for the Hawkeyes, but will likely start out on defense at least initially. During the visit, he had a chance to get to know the coaches and players on both sides of the ball and felt like it was a good fit.

"What I really like about the coaches is just how they are real with you. They were very upfront about everything that they told me," Embry said. "Also, the players that I met were cool. I had a chance to talk to Desmond King, who I've known for a quite a while, and he is really happy there."

King, who is currently starting at corner for Iowa as a true freshman, played against Embry in high school in the Detroit Public School League. Along with football, he also told Embry about Iowa's academic support and their emphasis on graduating before you leave.

"With football, I know it's going to come to me if I put in the work, so one of the reasons I picked Iowa is because they are one of the top schools academically and graduate their players," said Embry.

Embry is the fifteenth verbal commitment for the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Class of 2014.