Ready to report: Jaden Harrell
Growing up a Hawkeye fan, Jaden Harrell wrote at eight years old that one of his goals was to earn a scholarship to play football at the University of Iowa. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Urbandale native has now accomplished that and is getting ready to live his dream of playing for the Hawkeyes as he prepares to report to campus for his upcoming freshman year. We caught up with Harrell this past week to talk about making the transition to college, how he is health wise after surgery this off-season, and much more.
Q: How much high school do you have left? Are you just about done at this point?
HARRELL: This is our last day of school, so we’re just kind of hanging out. All of our finals were done early, so the last few days have been pretty easy.
Q: When do you have graduation?
HARRELL: Wednesday.
Q: What is the feeling like for you right now as you wrap up one chapter and get ready for the next?
HARRELL: Since my commitment was so early, it kind of feels like a long time coming. I’m pretty happy it’s finally here after almost three years now.
Q: What have you been up to as far as workouts and what you are focused on this spring?
HARRELL: I’ve had three surgeries in the last year, so I’ve been recovering from those but my workouts are almost back to normal now so I’m back on track to be where I was before.
Q: What were the procedures you had done?
HARRELL: First I had double hip surgery so like Jordan Bohannon had and Connor McCaffery is doing right now. Then I had a labrum fixed in my shoulder also.
Q: Where are you at right now health wise?
HARRELL: I’m pretty much 100% right now, but it’s just getting the strength back.
Q: How did those injuries affect you the last two seasons?
HARRELL: My sophomore season I didn’t really know about it, but my junior season it slowed me down quite a bit. Then my senior season I was still kind of working my way back. Now hopefully when I go to Iowa I’ll be 100% finally.
Q: Did you have both hips repaired at the same time?
HARRELL: Yeah, right after my junior year. I was cleared by about July, but was told it takes about a year for them to get all the way back so I’m about at that now.
Q: What helped you persevere and play through injuries the last two years?
HARRELL: If I know it’s going to hurt, that’s fine, but if you know it can lead to more injury you kind of hold back. But when it’s just a pain thing and dealing with that normally doesn’t bother me too much.
Q: When do you make the move down to Iowa City?
HARRELL: June 12 and then then classes start the next Monday.
Q: What are you looking forward to the most as you get ready to report?
HARRELL: Really just getting into the football program is going to be my favorite part.
Q: When you visited during spring practice, what was that like when you saw some of the guys in your class already practicing and now you are so close to being out there yourself?
HARRELL: Yeah, I was a little jealous of them when I saw them practicing, but I know my time is coming here pretty soon.
Q: What have you heard from guys like Zach Twedt and Justice Sullivan that enrolled early?
HARRELL: I haven’t talked to Justice too much, but I’ve talked to Zach quite a bit and he just told me about all the work that has to be put in and it’s definitely a step up from high school.
Q: Who else in your class to stay in touch with beyond your teammate Max Llewellyn of course?
HARRELL: I’ve talked to Brody Brecht a little bit since he’s not too far away just over in Ankeny and I’ve kept in touch with Cooper DeJean and Gennings Dunker too.
Q: Going back to signing day, you posted a picture of your first visit to Kinnick Stadium as a little kid and how your goal since you were eight years old was to play at Iowa. What does that mean to you now as you get ready to live that dream and how you made it all happen?
HARRELL: I mean right when I went into Coach Ferentz’s office on that junior day and first got the offer, I wanted to commit right then and there but kind of knew that wasn’t the right way to go about it. But from that point on, I knew I was going to be a Hawkeye so that’s when all of those goals kind of fell into place and I knew everything was going to work out just fine.
Q: You got your decision out of the way early, but what was it like for you as you watched Max kind of blow up after his junior year and get a bunch offers and then end up at Iowa with you?
HARRELL: It was cool. He started off with a couple offers, but then it just kept picking up after he kept getting bigger and growing as a football player, so it was fun to watch. Then when he decided to go to Iowa with me, it was great.
Q: Are you guys rooming together?
HARRELL: Yes, we are.
Q: Have you found out what number you are wearing in college?
HARRELL: No, I don’t know.
Q: Any preference?
HARRELL: Not really. In high school I was #31, but obviously Jack Campbell has that locked up right now.
Q: What is your height and weight at coming in?
HARRELL: I’m 6-3, 230 pounds.
Q: Coaching wise at Iowa, who are you hearing the most from and what has their message been at this point?
HARRELL: Coach Niemann is my recruiting coordinator, so he’ll check in on me every once in a while and I’ve been in touch with Coach Wallace, the linebackers coach, as well. He said to keep doing what I’m doing and knows about the surgery so just said to get healthy.
Q: Coming in at inside linebacker primarily?
HARRELL: I believe so, mostly inside.
Q: You already talked about this a bit, but when you look back at your decision, what made you so comfortable to call Iowa your college home?
HARRELL: Growing up, we had season tickets to Kinnick so I was there every home Saturday and just seeing the atmosphere, all the fans and the players that have gone through there. Epenesa was probably my favorite, but guys like Kirksey and all of them were fun to watch and now it’s my turn.
A three-star prospect, the Urbandale native committed to Iowa on July 28, 2019, choosing the Hawkeyes over a scholarship offer from Nebraska.
As a senior, Harrell finished the season with 45.5 tackles, 5.5 TFL, two sacks, and two fumble recoveries on defense and 58 carries for 381 yards and five touchdowns on offense for Urbandale.
See Jaden Harrell's highlights in the video below.