The Iowa coaches were able to head north and secure a commitment from Marshall (MN) defensive end Yahya Black early in the summer. We caught up with his head coach, Terry Bahlmann, and talked to him about this explosive senior and his future with the Hawkeyes.

Q: How would you describe him overall as a football player?

BAHLMANN: He plays both sides of the football at left tackle and is in our defensive tackle position this year, which we moved him from outside backer when he gained weight. Obviously, he has that explosiveness and length. He is 6-6, 255 pounds right now.

Q: What do you feel are his main strengths at this point?

BAHLMANN: Length and explosiveness. He is very explosive at the line of scrimmage.

Q: What areas is he going to continue working on as he prepares for the rest of this season and beyond?

BAHLMANN: His strength. He is a three-sport kid and those other sports are always vying for his time in the weight room. He put on 30 pounds between his junior and sophomore years. When he is able to get that time to concentrate on the weight room, you should see huge growth.

Q: What separates him from other athletes?

BAHLMANN: I think his desire and focus. He is a guy that his motor is always going. He has been playing both ways for us. He has blocked four kicks in his career, so he can do a lot of different things. He was called for leaping over the wall of the punt team. My offensive tackle is leaping over the wall, so that is the type of athlete he is.

Q: How would you describe him as a leader?

BAHLMANN: Very good. He is a quiet kid, but his work habits are strong. He leads by example and is always out front. He likes to work hard. When he went to camps this summer, he didn’t say a lot but was up at the front of the line for reps.

Q: Where does he project out at the college level position wise?

BAHLMANN: They are projecting him as a defensive end. I know Kansas State talked about offensive tackle, but with his length he will have some options.

Q: How did the Iowa staff find out about him as a recruit?

BAHLMANN: We sent out all the Hudl things and I’ve been in contact with them over the years. They were still in contact after Reese (Morgan) retired. Coach Bell came by the school and they offered him after that.

Q: What other colleges were considered?

BAHLMANN: The final ones were Iowa, Kansas State, Minnesota, and then NDSU.

Q: Why did he pick the Hawkeyes in the end?

BAHLMANN: I think him and Coach Bell had a strong relationship right away. He was at their camp and Coach Bell coach him hard. He likes to be coached hard.

Q: How was it working with the Iowa staff during the recruiting process?

BAHLMANN: They do a great job and have always done a great job. They have looked at some of our guys in the past and always seem up front. It has been a good experience all the way around.

Q: Are any schools still recruiting him?

BAHLMANN: No, it has been pretty quiet. We have four to five guys playing Division I football. We tell the colleges when we commit, we are committed.