Ready to report: Beau Stephens
As he gets ready to make the move to Iowa City next month, four-star offensive lineman Beau Stephens is looking forward to putting in work with his teammates this summer. We caught up with the 6-foot-6, 301-pound Stephens to talk about making the transition to college, what position he will play, where his work ethic comes from, and much more.
Q: What have you been up to this spring as your senior year of high school winds down?
STEPHENS: Yeah, high school is winding down and I quit my job at McDonald’s and started doing Door Dash instead. That way I’m able to work on my own time around school and workouts. The first half of my day is usually working out and going to school and then I’m Door Dashing after school and making money.
Q: How’s it been switching to Door Dash and delivering food to people?
STEPHENS: It’s really good money and you can base it around any hours you want, so you don’t have to go in for a full shift or anything, so it’s been nice.
Q: Whether it’s football or wrestling or working at McDonald’s and Door Dash, where does that kind of work ethic come from for you because you seem to always stay really busy?
STEPHENS: It’s just kind of the way my mind works. If I’m not doing anything, there’s no purpose in breathing it feels like so I just always try to find something to do. Otherwise I feel like I’m wasting time. If I don’t get at least some things accomplished every single day, I get upset. I need to do something to feel good at the end of the day pretty much.
Q: Outside of sports and work, what are some things you like to do as far interests and hobbies? Looks like fishing and cooking maybe from some of the pictures you post on social media?
STEPHENS: Yeah, I’m like an ADHD kind of guy so I don’t focus on one thing for too long it seems like. I get on these kicks where I get really good at something quickly, but then it bores me so honestly my hobby is finding new hobbies. Fishing is one of those ones I can always go back to because it’s super fun immediately and the same thing with cooking. But other than, it’s just working out mainly.
Q: With your workouts this spring, what are some of the things you are focusing on as you get ready for college?
STEPHENS: The Iowa workout program that they send me seems to be really based around what high schoolers don’t hit when it comes to lifting like shoulders and back and just abductors and stabilization. It’s a lot of development for the muscles you probably haven’t worked as much before. I’m still doing the regular main lifts, but then I’ve added on is stabilization and control and explosive workouts and stuff like that.
Q: As someone that is interested in being a strength coach, is diving into all of that stuff pretty cool for you?
STEPHENS: Yeah, it’s really cool, but I feel like I’m not going to be able to accomplish a lot until I’m there and have a teacher to walk me through it, but some of it I can figure out on my own. It’s cool to see the wide view of it, but once I’m there I can really specialize and start learning more.
Q: When is it you actually make the move up to Iowa City?
STEPHENS: June 12 is the day I move in.
Q: Do you jump in and start taking classes and begin workouts the following week?
STEPHENS: Yes, I think it’s June 14 when we start classes and workouts.
Q: What are you looking forward to in just making the move and starting college football?
STEPHENS: I’m looking forward to having different responsibilities. In high school, you have responsibilities around the house to help out and do chores, but in college I feel like it’s going to be almost like how fighters do it when they’re training for a fight and they go away for a while to the mountains and train. That’s kind of what I picture the transition from high school to college life is going to be like where I can base everything on my own wants and needs. I’m not going to have to worry about my workouts conflicting with school or work. I’ve been having to do a lot of that on my own right now, but the scheduling will be better in college so I can just show up and put in the work, which is what I’m good at.
Q: You were up there during spring practice. What was that experience like now that you are so close to getting there? Plus you probably hadn’t been there for quite a while too.
STEPHENS: Yeah, I hadn’t been to Kinnick since the year before last, so it had been a while. I’m glad that I went that day because Gennings Dunker, Connor Colby, and all of those guys were there and I got to say hi to them. It was also good to see Coach Barnett and watch how he coaches because I had only seen Coach Polasek before. I haven’t had too many conversations with Coach Barnett, but it seems like he’s a cool guy from what I’ve heard and pretty chill. It was cool to have a taste of what I’m going to get into so I can use that to help prepare me, especially when it comes to the conditioning side.
Q: Have you stayed in touch with some of those guys in your recruiting class, especially with Davidkov and Colby already on campus and practicing this spring?
STEPHENS: I haven’t talked much with Davidkov, but I have with Connor Colby a lot and some with Gennings Dunker, who is kind of a goofball. Then Michael Myslinski, I’ve talked with him and he seems like a great dude. If he’s going to play center, I want to play guard right next to him.
Q: That’s what I wanted to ask you next actually. Have they said much more about your future position whether it’s guard or tackle or both?
STEPHENS: I haven’t heard anything except for just prepare to be an offensive lineman. If they put me at tackle, I can be a tackle, and if they put me at guard I can be a guard. The only thing that I’m kind of scared about would be if they ask me to play center because I haven’t been able to perfect snapping really.
Q: What are you coming in at height and weight wise right now?
STEPHENS: My weight is about 298-301 right now. It changes so much depending on what I’m doing. I don’t know what it is, but my body weight can drastically change in just a couple days it seems. Then height wise, I’m 6-5 and a half.
Q: Have you found out what number you are wearing in college?
STEPHENS: Hopefully #70. I haven’t heard anybody else wants it, but I’ve pretty much told all the ‘21 guys that’s my number. I don’t give a crap who you are or who you think you are, I’m going to get #70 no matter what. I’ve been wearing that number since Kindergarten.
Q: Last question is always when you look back at your recruiting, what do you think it was about Iowa that ultimately made it the right fit for you?
STEPHENS: It was just the little things honestly. It was how the coaches talked to you and how they had an understanding on the best way to recruit you. That is not to message a guy 20 times a day. They know you’re good with that stuff. They gave you an offer and if you want to go there, you’ll go there. It seemed like almost everyone else was messaging me all the time, but Iowa knew I was interested in them and didn’t have to do that.
A four-star prospect, Beau Stephens committed to Iowa on April 23, 2020, choosing the Hawkeyes over scholarship offers from LSU, Michigan, Kansas State, Texas A&M, West Virginia, Missouri, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma State, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, and Louisville.
See highlights from Stephens' senior year at Blue Springs High School in the video below.