Iowa Football Recruiting: Hawkeyes Land Commitment From California QB Spencer Petras

As we outlined a week ago, the new early signing period has things really heating up on the recruiting trail. We are a mere five days away from the first signing day and the Hawkeyes are sitting at 15 commitments after the addition of Florida WR Calvin Lockett earlier this week.

With so little time, the staff has been acting quickly to fill the remaining needs for this class. Primarily, that means seeking out options for another linebacker and a quarterback. Today, the staff filled that last need in a big way as 4-star California quarterback Spencer Petras announced his decision to decommit from Oregon State and commit to the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Petras is a big time get this late in the recruiting cycle. He’s got a very good frame for a QB, standing 6’5” and 225 pounds, and has a big arm to go with it. He preps at Marin Catholic, the same high school as former #1 draft pick and current LA Ram Jared Goff and as I pointed out a week ago, he stacks up quite well to Goff as a senior in high school.

Petras had been committed to Oregon State since May, but the change in coaching staff and heavy interest from Ken O’Keefe and the Iowa staff persuaded him to take a visit to Iowa City last weekend. While the visit was short, lasting only about 24 hours (Petras flew in Sunday after competing for a State Championship on Saturday night), it was enough for him to make the change. In addition to Oregon State, Petras chose the Hawkeyes over offers from Cal, Louisville, Nebraska, Syracuse and a slew of mid-majors.

Spencer intends to sign his NLI during the early signing period next week and enroll in January. That should give him a head start on learning the playbook and getting acclimated to Iowa City and the team.

Here’s a look at what the Hawkeyes will be getting. Overall, it’s an incredibly impressive film. Not only does Petras have a big arm, he shows good accuracy on his deep passes - something Hawkeye fans will certainly appreciate. He also shows a really good ability to read a defense and step up in the pocket to avoid pressure. One obvious concern is playing exclusively out of the shotgun. It’s becoming incredibly common in the high school ranks and Petras isn’t the first and won’t be the last commit in this boat. Arriving early and having two seasons under Nate Stanley should help his development and understanding of Iowa’s pro-style offense.

In joining the Hawkeyes, Petras becomes the third 4-star commitment in the class of 2018 according to Rivals. That’s the first time since 2012 the Hawkeyes have more than a pair of 4-stars in a single class. Perhaps more exciting is Iowa sits well with a few others that are expected to wait until February to make their decisions.

Here’s an updated look at the class of 2018, which now stands at 16 members. All current commitments are expected to sign their NLIs during the early signing period December 20-22.

Welcome aboard Spencer Petras!