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Ready to report: Joey Labas

Quarterback Joey Labas makes the move to Iowa City on June 12.
Quarterback Joey Labas makes the move to Iowa City on June 12.

As quarterback Joey Labas gets ready to report to Iowa City, the Ohio native says he looks forward to learning the offense and working with his teammates every day. We caught up with the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Labas this week to discuss his upcoming freshman year at Iowa and much more.

Q: First, where are you at right now in terms of being done with high school?

LABAS: I’m done with classes and we have commencement on May 29, so I’m just training and working right now until I get up to Iowa.

Q: What’s the feeling like for you this spring as you wrapped up your senior year of high school? I think you said you just had Prom this past weekend right?

LABAS: It’s been good. Prom was a lot of fun. It was nice dressing up with all my friends. I didn’t have a date, but that’s all right. It was still fun.

Q: At one point you looked into enrolling in college early, but decided against it. Did getting a chance to go to Prom and things like that play a role or was it more about the uncertainty with COVID at the time or what went into that decision?

LABAS: Yeah, I had that opportunity, but decided not to. Part of it was COVID and also part of it was my family. I didn’t really know how it was going to be with COVID and if we would have spring practice or I’d just be stuck in my dorm. Also, my family really wanted to me stay so I just decided to stay.

Q: When do you officially make the move out to Iowa City?

LABAS: I’m leaving June 12.

Q: Do you start classes and workouts the following week?

LABAS: Yes. I’m going to try to take at least once class, but it’s not mandatory this summer.

Q: What is your mindset going in this summer?

LABAS: I’m just looking forward to the whole thing. Obviously it’s a brand new thing for me, but what I’m walking into is going to be a great experience. I’m looking forward to getting the gear, putting that helmet on and just being a college football player.

Q: How much have you been able to do this off-season as far as starting to learn the offense or is that more when you get there?

LABAS: I’ve talked to Coach O’Keefe here and there and tried to learn as much as I can just picking his brain, but he only gives me so much. He told me he wants me to wait until I’m down there with him for the most part, but he gives me some stuff. Hopefully I’ll be back on Zoom with him here pretty soon going over footwork and stuff like that. Otherwise, I’ve just been doing my own thing as far as throwing and making sure my arm and my footwork is good and all of that good stuff.

Q: Do you have a QB coach you work with?

LABAS: Yeah, I’m still working with my high school coach, Martin Poder. He coached this other guy that played at Buffalo (Kyle Vantrease) and he’s a really good coach.

Q: Are there certain things you have been looking to improve this spring or just staying sharp or what is your focus?

LABAS: I’ve been working a lot on going under center because I’ve been out of the shotgun for the last three years in high school. My freshman year I was under center and we did it for goal line stuff since then, but not a lot, so that’s one thing I’ve definitely been working on.

Q: When you look back at your senior season, putting up some of the big numbers that you did, what do you think made the biggest difference as far as kind of putting it all together?

LABAS: I don’t really know. I just came out there and felt like my senior year was kind of a statement piece where I’ve got to prove that I’m that guy that deserves these offers. I just went in confident because I knew how good I was and what I can do, so I just went out there and played. Every week, every game was important, so I’m glad I had a good year.

Q: After you committed to Iowa, were there other colleges that came calling later on?

LABAS: Yeah. It was kind of that week right before I committed really. I was talking a lot with Indiana, Washington State, and Purdue a little bit, but Iowa was always on my mind of course. When they offered, I was pretty set on them.

Q: I think that all happened about a year ago. Is it still kind of crazy looking back at it now that you are getting ready to leave and play in the Big Ten?

LABAS: Oh yeah. I mean I’m blessed. To be in this position is pretty crazy. When I get there, my eyes are going to pop wide open because it’s going to hit me. I was blessed to get offered by Iowa and I’m so glad they believed in me. I’m going to put in my best effort to do what I can for them.

Q: Back when Coach O’Keefe started recruiting you, he compared you and your situation to Ricky Stanzi, who you actually got a chance to meet later on. What do you think of that comparison and what was his message to you when you spoke to him?

LABAS: Yeah, I didn’t know too much about him until I started looking into Iowa, but once I looked him up he was a great quarterback at Iowa and played in the NFL, so right away that’s a guy for me to look up to especially being an Ohio guy. My conversation with him was really good. We talked about Iowa and the offense, what to look for when I get there, and just what he learned from his experience. It was really good to talk to him.

Q: Looking at your recruiting class, which guys do you stay in touch with the most right now?

LABAS: I’ve been talking to Arland Bruce a little bit, Zach Twedt a little bit, and then my roommate is going to be Michael Myslinski, so I’ve been talking to him quite a bit.

Q: So they’ve got the quarterback and the center rooming together?

LABAS: Yes sir. When he committed to Iowa, he reached out to me and we both knew we didn’t have a roommate since a lot of guys already did, especially the guys that are from around that area, so it was a good deal.

Q: What is your height and weight at coming in this year?

LABAS: I’m 6-3, about 205 right now.

Q: Have you found out what number you are wearing yet?

LABAS: I believe #5.

Q: Is that your high school number?

LABAS: Yeah. I’ve had that from freshman to senior year.

Q: The last question I always ask is when you look back at your decision, what was it about Iowa that made you so comfortable there even during COVID when you couldn’t take a real visit or anything?

LABAS: Yeah, that was really tough. I went there one time, but I couldn’t see any of the coaches or anything obviously because of COVID. I just felt like it was a good fit. Coach Ferentz, with him being with the Browns before, my family are all huge fans of him. Then I know the culture there is really good and the program itself is one to look up to. Plus I wanted to play in the Big Ten and they were my only offer to do that, so if they believed in me then I was going to believe in them.

A three-star prospect, Labas committed to Iowa on June 10, 2020, choosing the Hawkeyes over scholarship offers from Ball State, Akron, Buffalo, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Georgetown, Kent State, Ohio, Massachusetts, Miami-OH, Toledo, and Western Michigan.

As a senior, Labas finished the season 167/246 passing (67.9%) for 2,349 yards with 16 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also had 190 yards rushing and six touchdowns on the ground for Brecksville-Broadview Heights (7-2).

See highlights from Labas' senior year in the video below.

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