Here's the latest on Cyrus Kouandjio, the longtime Iowa target who committed to Auburn on Signing Day then immediately thought better of it. He's down to Alabama, Auburn and WAIT A MINUTE SO YOU'RE SAYIN' THERE'S A CHANCE:
Cyrus Kouandjio still hasn't made a final decision on his college destination and is down to the University of Alabama, Auburn and Iowa as of this morning. The prospect's father told The Tuscaloosa News that there are no plans to make an announcement until Friday at the earliest.
"If he makes a decision today, you will have it tomorrow in the morning," Jean Claude Kouandjio, the father, said. "He's still confused. We keep talking with him, I don't think he's ready yet. He's the one that who wants more time."
There is no timetable for a final decision, Jean Claude Kouandjio said: "I'm hoping that it will be as soon as possible."
"He's deciding between Alabama, Auburn and even Iowa," Jean Claude Kouandjio said. "It may even come back to Iowa. He's considering his options even more now. Those three (schools) have been floating in his mind."
Obviously, it's nice to see Iowa back in the mix for the talented prospect out of Baltimore. Kouandjio has the potential to be Kirk Ferentz's best offensive tackle since Robert Gallery, and he'd probably make a pretty damn good guard too.
More than that, though, I'm glad he has enough time to make this decision on his own terms. It's pretty obvious Kouandjio rushed into the Auburn decision, and while I'm not to use that as evidence of poor character on Gene Chizik's part--I'm sure Nick Saban and Kirk Ferentz were pushing for a decision too--I do think that National Signing Day is more of a deadline than it ought to be. I realize that scholarships are a scarcity and coaches just want to get their players locked in ASAP and all that, but choosing a college is an awfully big deal, and if Kouandjio's not ready then he's just not ready.
As for Ferentz, as no-nonsense as he likes to keep his program, his handling of the Brandon Wegher situation and Iowa's continued involvement in the Kouandjio recruiting process indicates that he has a pretty good grasp on when his players/recruits find themselves in stressful situations (so long as the guy doesn't end up in jail, anyway; then it's Hammer Time), and he can be patient when need be. I still don't expect Iowa to land Cyrus--Bama and Auburn are two of the best programs in the nation, and Iowa isn't on that level--but IF what this ultimately comes down to is the coaches earning the family's trust, I like Ferentz's chances.