Twedt has a bright future at Iowa
Roland-Story linebacker Zach Twedt felt his future on the football field would be best played at the University of Iowa. We caught up with his head coach, Aaron Stensland, and talked to him about what the Hawkeyes are getting with this talented 2021 recruit.
Q: What type of player has he been for you?
STENSLAND: He has been pretty versatile for us. He started since his freshman year. He has played outside backer, inside backer, strong safety, returned kicks, and long snapped. We also played him at running back, tight end, and wide receiver. He is a pretty versatile player.
Q: Where do you see him projecting out in college?
STENSLAND: I guess he is being recruited as an outside linebacker. He continues to grow and put on size, so inside backer wouldn’t surprise me by the time he is done. For tight end, it depends on what other players they get if they move him around. I’d say he would fall into the realm of backer or tight end.
Q: What type of junior season did he have this fall?
STENSLAND: He improved tremendously on defense. He led Class 2A in tackles and was in the top two or three for the entire state in tackles. He just developed a nose for the football and also developed some intuition there with watching film. He understands the game a bit more as the year went along. Offensively, he is still finding his niche. We moved him all over the place because he can catch and run the ball. It was great to see him develop on offense as a blocker at tight end. He did great things for us blocking in the run game because of his physicality.
Q: Were the areas he improved on due to his off-season focus or overall maturity?
STENSLAND: It was a little bit of both. He came in wanting to improve physically and also playing sideline to sideline. He did that for sure. He put on weight, strength, and improved his speed. He also just matured from being a year older. He was just a better all-around player than the previously two years.
Q: What is he trying to improve on this off-season?
STENSLAND: I think he will continue to work on his feet, agility, and just playing in space. As he continues to grow and his body changes, he’ll have to continuously work on those things.
Q: How does he fit into the culture of Iowa football?
STENSLAND: I think that is why they ended up being the fit for him. That is what he really fell in love with during camp and at practices. It was how everything was very detailed and to the point. It was workman like. He just is not interested in the extra stuff. He is interested in being told how to get better, what he can do to help his team win, and working his butt off to get to that point.
Q: How are his connections with the coaches at Iowa?
STENSLAND: I think they will continue to grow. Coach Niemann has really run point on this whole thing. He has told Zach several times that he reminds him of his own boys who played there. There is a good connection between them. He respects Coach Wallace and has spent time with him too. His relationship with the guys on defenses were instrumental in making this happen.
Q: Had Iowa shown much attention before he committed to Iowa State?
STENSLAND: They kind of took their time. When it was Reese Morgan, he had stopped over in the spring of his freshman year for a short visit. He said to be patient and that we go a little slower, but we like what we see and want to see him develop.
Q: What was the attention Iowa was showing him after he committed?
STENSLAND: I guess it really started to develop with Zach when they asked him if he would be okay if they kept having conversations about their program and what is going on there. Then he found a connection with some of their players and coaches. He continued to be interested and started exploring that option. Not that it wasn’t right away, but he had been pretty solid with Iowa State for a long time. I personally didn’t think that would change due to the proximity and Coach Campbell. With him and Iowa, he had a great experience and great talks with their coaches. A great bond was built there.
Q: Was it stressful with him and recruiting this fall?
STENSLAND: Luckily, I think he is really mature for his age and has great family support, but I’d not be telling the truth if I didn’t think it weighed on his mind. He doesn’t want to let anyone down. He is a people pleaser. He has so much respect for Coach Campbell and the staff at Iowa State. In the end, I know he probably doesn’t want to say it, but it was probably on his mind.
Q: Do you feel he would do anything differently if he could go back?
STENSLAND: I guess he may not have committed to early. All the signs pointed to Iowa State early on with his family being fans and he was a fan. He really enjoyed the staff and Coach Campbell. I wish there was a handbook for how to do all of that. I’d never been through this as a coach and his family had never been through it. He tried to do everything the best and as respectful as he could. When it is an in-state thing, you will ultimately leave one side unhappy at the end of the day. As long as Zach and his family did their due diligence and handled things respectfully, that is all you can ask for.
Q: How has the feedback been in the community about his decision?
STENSLAND: I think most people have been really supportive of Zach. They were excited first about Iowa State, but there are probably more Hawkeye fans hidden here than they want to say. I think what they are celebrating more than anything is a kid who has put in thousands of hours of work and is a great kid and leader. They are happy for him as a person I’d say more than being a fan of one team or the other.
As a junior at Roland-Story High School, Twedt finished the season with 147 tackles on defense to go along with 474 yards rushing, 260 yards receiving, and six touchdown on offense.
Overall, Twedt is the sixth commitment for the Hawkeyes in 2021, as he joins Griffin Liddle, Justice Sullivan, Connor Colby, Jaden Harrell, and Gennings Dunker in the Iowa's recruiting class.