It's been awhile since I've given any Iowa recruiting updates, and they've been doing damn good on the football front so I figure it's about time for an overview so we can see where we stand. We started off the 2009 class with a committment from punishing Ohio fullback Brad Rodgers, a massive bear of a man with a great, unselfish attitude to boot and a lunchpail attitude that should help him fit right in with the Hawkeyes. Homegrown offensive lineman David Barrent, considered by most to be the best lineman in the state, originally committed to Iowa but after some off the field suspicion concerning the school's handling of a sexual assault case came out he supposedly prompted him to change his school to Michigan State. Whatever. Way too much switching committments these days. We recovered rather quickly by snatching up Jordan Cotton, a great athlete and explosive force on the offensive side of the ball whose dad played for the Hawks back in the day. Sounds like he's always wanted to be in the black and gold. Our biggest haul would come in the next few weeks, as we would land two 4-star prospects in CR Washington wideout Keenan Davis and S.C. Heelan running back Brandon Wegher, along with a 2-star Marion lineman. Getting Davis was huge, as it not only opened the floodgates for other in-state recruits to jump on board but made sure we got a top-notch, elite receiver to work with Eric Campbell and make up for the loss of Adrian Arrington, fellow CR Washington wideout, to Michigan a few years before. Davis has big-time playmaker potential, and proves we can still get the in-state recruits. Can't wait to see what Campbell does with a guy of this talent. Wegher is making more Hawkeye fans excited with his blazing speed and the Tim Dwight comparisons. Wegher dominates the competition and should be able to bring his crazy speed to Iowa right away and contribute from all over the field. We also nabbed another 2-star lineman from Iowa, Brett Van Sloten, who has an imposing 6 foot 7 frame and an impressive basketball resume to boot. Put some more weight on him and he has dominate potential. It's good to see Ferentz locking up so many in-state beasts and controlling the top Iowa recruits like we used to-it's such a small state we almost have to, and it's a good slap in the face to the good folks in Ames. A lot of talent this year, off to a great start and big ups to Davis and Wegher for opening the floodgates for other recruits to come here. As far as basketball, Lickliter is apparently following the same philosophy of in-state talent being key to success. We already have two Iowa commits for the class of '09, Sioux City big man Brennan Cougill and Dubuque athlete Eric May. Cougill may not have the vast skill set of Kevin Love, but they bear such a resemblance it needs to be metioned. He is a big boy, with a soft touch and the potential to be a serious contributor for us down low if he can stay in shape. May was a recruit for football as well and he brings a versatile game and athletcism to the court-he plays against small school competition but his game should adapt. Chanse Creekmur, a swingman from Marshaltown, is also a commit for the class of 2010. He has nice athletcisim and good skills, but needs to put weight on and prove that he can compete against D1 teams. Time will tell if the in-state approach works, but we have missed out on so many good Iowans over the years that it feels good to keep locking them up. Good luck to the Hawks this Saturday against Florida International, famous for their big brawl against Miami. Let's get Mario Cristobal back for that Miami ass kicking in the early '90s!