Weekend Recruiting Preview
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The Hawkeyes are finally back home in Kinnick Stadium this weekend and will be hosting Northwestern for Homecoming. With a 2:30 PM kickoff scheduled, it also allows for more time for recruits traveling to campus, which will include five official visits this weekend. In this update, we take a look at Iowa's list of visitors, where the Hawkeyes currently stand in their recruiting, and much more.
A Tulane commit, New Orleans native Arnold Barnes picked up a new scholarship offer from the Hawkeyes after a visit from running backs coach Ladell Betts during Iowa's bye week this month. The 5-foot-10, 205-pound Barnes quickly scheduled an official visit to Iowa City and is anxious to get his first look at campus.
"I’m looking to see what Iowa is really about, the environment and the community," said Barnes.
Barnes also made an official visit to Nebraska in September after receiving an offer from the Huskers. Other scholarship offers during the recruiting process include Tulsa, Charlotte, Navy, Troy, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Monroe, and Grambling, among others.
Last season as a junior, Barnes rushed for 1,566 yards and 16 touchdowns for Booker T. Washington High School and is putting up big numbers again as a senior with 1,412 yards and 14 touchdowns through eight games.
After returning home from Iowa, Barnes has said he would like to lock in his final decision with Tulane, Iowa, and Nebraska as the three schools he is still considering primarily.
Iowa running backs coach Ladell Betts was also in South Florida during Iowa's bye week where one of his stops was Cardinal Gibbons High School to see Kamari Moulton. Obviously, Betts liked what he saw as he quickly offered a scholarship to Moulton and scheduled an October 29 official visit with the 5-foot-11, 190-pound running back.
“I want to see how their environment is and how they operate,” said Moulton. “I am glad it is a game-day visit so I get to see their energy. I want to see how they prepare and coach to win games. I want to know if they are family orientated; this will be a big visit for me.”
A Florida Atlantic commit, Moulton also received offers from Syracuse, Connecticut, Florida International, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Toledo, and Akron among others, during the recruiting process. Recently, Northwestern and Indiana have also shown interest in addition to Iowa.
Last season as a junior, Moulton rushed for 1,075 yards and 18 touchdowns for Cardinal Gibbons and has 429 yards and four touchdowns so far this year.
One more Ladell Betts' recruit that popped up on the radar recently is Jordan Faison, who attends Pine Crest High School in Ft. Lauderdale, which is actually where Betts coached prior to joining Iowa's staff in 2021.
The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Faison is a playmaking quarterback in high school with over 1,200 yards rushing this season, but likely projects as a slot receiver or defensive back in college.
Faison is actually a Notre Dame lacrosse commit at the moment, but has seen quite a bit of interest for football this fall culminating with a scholarship offer from Iowa. Other schools that have reached out include Penn State, UCLA, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Central Florida, and Yale.
As a senior, Faison has 1,202 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns on the ground, 202 yards passing and five touchdowns through the air, and 22 tackles and two pick sixes on defense for Pine Crest.
Wide receiver Jarriett Buie has been on Iowa's radar much longer than the other official visitors, but will finally get a chance to make his official visit this weekend as well.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Florida native received a scholarship offer from the Hawkeyes on July 13 and has stayed in close contact with Iowa wide receivers coach Kelton Copeland ever since then. Playing for Tampa Jesuit, which produced former Hawkeye Dane Belton, Buie has always been well aware of Iowa and considers them one of his favorites.
Along with Iowa, Buie has earned scholarship offers from Boston College, South Florida, Iowa State, Duke, Arkansas State, and Toledo, among others, during the recruiting process. Recently, he has received the most interest from Iowa, Boston College, and South Florida.
This season, Buie has 26 catches for 428 yards and five touchdowns for Tampa Jesuit through eight games.
Finally, another recent offer for the Hawkeyes was to WR/TE Ismael Smith Flores, who is the son of former Hawkeye LeRoy Smith. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound Texas native grew up playing mostly basketball and has had some Division I hoops interest, but went out for football for the first time this season and quickly proved to be a playmaking receiver.
"Physical, great body control, and rapidly improving," said Arlington Martin head coach Bob Wager. "Huge upside."
Iowa tight ends coach Abdul Hodge visited Smith Flores during Iowa's bye week and extended the offer, but the Hawkeyes have said they could actually see him starting out at wide receiver and then just see how he develops physically. Currently, Smith Flores has 10 catches for 290 yards and two touchdowns this season for Martin.
Smith Flores, who is making the trip with his parents, looks forward to being back on the campus where his father was a consensus All-American and Big Ten defensive player of the year in 1991, but more importantly wants to see if it might be the right fit for him as well.
"I’m looking forward to seeing what type of culture they have at the University of Iowa and being able to meet all of the coaches in person," said Smith Flores.
Currently, Smith Flores holds scholarship offers from Iowa and Michigan State.
In addition to the five official visitors, Iowa will also have several recruits making unofficial visits this weekend. Below is the list of names we have been able to confirm so far.
October 29 Visitors:
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Official Visits
Arnold Barnes - 5-foot-10, 205-pound 2023 RB from New Orleans, LA (Iowa offer)
Kamari Moulton - 5-foot-11, 190-pound 2023 RB from Fort Lauderdale, FL (Iowa offer)
Jarriett Buie - 6-foot-3, 185-pound 2023 WR from Tampa, FL (Iowa offer)
Jordan Faison - 5-foot-11, 175-pound 2023 WR/DB from Fort Lauderdale, FL (Iowa offer)
Ismael Smith Flores - 6-foot-6, 210-pound 2023 WR/TE from Arlington, TX (Iowa offer)
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Unofficial Visits:
Jewett Hayes - 6-foot-4, 210-pound 2024 DE from Cincinnati, OH (Iowa offer)
Drew Campbell - 6-foot-4, 225-pound 2024 DE from Cedar Falls, IA (Iowa offer)
Jalyn Thompson - 6-foot-5, 220-pound 2023 TE from West Des Moines, IA
Kaleb Cline - 6-foot-5, 245-pound 2023 OL from Spencer, IA
Luke Pollack - 6-foot-4, 200-pound 2023 WR/TE from Deerfield, IL
Rob Booker - 6-foot-7, 210-pound 2024 TE from Waunakee, WI
Keaton Roskop - 6-foot-3, 210-pound 2024 TE from Marion, IA
Ben Kampman - 6-foot-3, 190-pound 2024 DE from Solon, IA
Reece Vander Zee - 6-foot-5, 185-pound 2024 WR from Rock Rapids, IA
Graham Eben - 6-foot-1, 190-pound 2024 S/LB from Rock Rapids, IA
Will Hawthorne - 6-foot-2, 220-pound 2025 TE from Gilbert, IA
Jason Dowell - 6-foot-3, 275-pound 2025 DL from Cahokia, IL
Kadan Borcherding-Johnson - 6-foot-2, 170-pound 2025 DB from Norwalk, IA
Kolton Borcherding-Johnson - 6-foot-1, 260-pound 2025 DT from Norwalk, IA
Maddux Borcherding-Johnson - 6-foot-3, 277-pound 2023 DT from Norwalk, IA (Iowa commit)
Alex Mota - 6-foot-1, 175-pound 2023 WR from Marion, IA (Iowa commit)
Zach Lutmer - 6-foot-1, 195-pound 2023 DB from Rock Rapids, IA (Iowa commit)
Cam Buffington - 6-foot-3, 202-pound 2024 LB from Winfield, IA (Iowa commit)
Derek Weisskopf - 6-foot-3, 205-pound 2024 LB from Williamsburg, IA (Iowa commit)
Preston Ries - 6-foot-2, 200-pound 2024 LB from Monticello, IA (Iowa commit)
Cody Fox - 6-foot-5, 270-pound 2024 OL from Winthrop, IA (Iowa commit)
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