The 2018 #Swarm: This Moment in Time

Ahhhh.

The dry, summer sports wasteland is upon us. As a guy who’s never played an organized game of baseball in his life (not even t-ball and slow pitch softball doesn’t count) I am particularly parched this time of year. What better way to pass the time than to get a head start on the over analysis of our newest football commits?

As a quick reminder, Iowa is currently holding strong with 8 commitments in the class of 2018 so far. While things are pretty slow elsewhere, this is when they pick up for recruiting so that number may grow throughout the summer. The Hawkeyes will likely take around 20 recruits in this class.

Feel free to tear apart the scouting reports of a guy with only one year of college football experience under his belt and many more years of drinking experience over his belt. Let’s take a peek at the current commit list of the Hawkeye football class of 2018, shall we?

Cody Ince

POS: OL

HT: 6’5”

WT: 260 lbs

Iowa’s most recent commit hails from the sub one-thousand suburban town of Balsam Lake, Wisconsin. Like many small town prospects pulled from Iowa, it can be difficult to evaluate a standout talent based on his ability to maul hapless, 180 pound opposing lineman, but Cody’s tape proves he transcends the simple role of local bully. He possesses a notably low center of gravity for a guy with such a long body.

While listed as a committed offensive tackle, Cody shows an equal amount of gleeful impoliteness on both sides of the ball. If (when) he fills his frame, I see potential to be a brutish big man wherever he decides to play. He looks and plays decidedly Iowa.

Terry Roberts

POS: DB

HT: 5’10”

WT: 170 lbs

As a guy who previously only had an offer from Duquesne, word is going to get out about Terry Roberts. While a bit small in stature, his back pedal fluidity, ball skills, recognition and ability to open up and run with people put him ahead of most high school level competition.

A true receiver pest, Terry is a sticky DB who always has a feel for his target’s hip pocket and is prepared to pick it. Add in some great open field vision on both defense and special teams and I think you’ll see a player who bumps up a star in the near future.

Samson Evans

POS: ATH

HT: 6’1”

WT: 190 lbs

What’s not to love about a quarterback wearing the number 22 named Samson? While I’ll admit it’s difficult to pin down where he will fit best based on his tape alone, his designation as ‘athlete’ translates to ‘great football player’.

Say what you want about the triple option, but it’s never orchestrated by a blockhead. Following many masterfully executed dive pulls are gritty highlights showcasing both wiggle and strength. There is nothing dainty about his speed and he hates going out of bounds. It will be interesting to see which position he ultimately settles on, because it could be one of many. Remember:

Tyler Linderbaum

POS: DL

HT: 6’2”

WT: 255 lbs

Angry. Burst.

Much of Tyler’s tape plays the same (and that’s not a slight); him beating the offensive line off their own snap count and proceeding to steamroll the backfield. The added insult of putting the sweet spin cycle on a QB after a fumble recovery wasn’t bad either. His on-tape dominance can be criticized similarly to Cody Ince’s; many of the linemen he bull rushes are literally boys. Having said that, his pad level is always low and you never see him fall backward. Here’s how I hope this familiar storyline shakes out:

Iowa feeds Tyler to Doyle, Doyle feeds Tyler iron and protein, Tyler graduates from power cleans to feasting on the children of our enemies.

Tyrone Tracy Jr.

POS: ATH

HT: 6’0”

WT: 185 lbs

Tyrone possesses the smooth, effortless stride of an elite athlete. Evidenced by his 12 other FBS offers (not including Indiana State), colleges coast to coast recognized this. With soft hands, great vision and sharp cuts, Mr. Tracy will have ample opportunity to showcase his value wherever it translates best in Iowa City. Right now, my bets are on WR based on depth and style. It doesn’t hurt his early playing time chances by featuring a few slobberknocker, blindside blocks in the highlight reel either.

Henry Geil

POS: RB

HT: 6’1”

WT: 200 lbs

Henry appears to be a great get for the Hawkeyes. Not only were we able to snag a quality back from the clutches of Michigan State, but his running style should be a snug fit in the Iowa backfield.

Much like Tyrone Tracy, Geil has that smooth stride that effortlessly burns the opposition in the open field, even if his listed 40 time doesn’t suggest it. Already possessing the ‘KF Seal of Approval’ size and decisiveness of a successful Iowa back, Henry should only improve when he finally reaches campus.

Dillon Doyle

POS: LB

HT: 6’3”

WT: 214 lbs

Part-time strength coach and full-time monster-maker, Chris Doyle, will see his own kin hit the field for the Hawks. An otherwise unheralded recruit nationally with other offers from Central Florida, Northern Illinois and South Dakota, Hawkeye fans have to believe there is plenty of diamond in the rough potential coming the way of Papa Rock Breaker’s genes and mentality.

Observing the first few clips of Dillon’s junior year highlights, one theme seems clear; the dude is a bodacious hitter. In fact I’m convinced a couple of the hits filmed ended with skin grafts. He likes to pop folks. If the hype train is at warp speed, it’s hard not to imagine young Doyle producing some historic, game changing hits a la Matt Roth or Pat Angerer. At the very least, this class has added a demolition man who could make an early difference turning out lights on special teams duty.

Jeff Jenkins

POS: OL

HT: 6’4”

WT: 274 lbs

Jeff has spent much of his high school career paving lanes for the highlights of his teammate and fellow commit, Samson Evans. The dynamic duo helped their high school squad cruise to an easy state title this past year.

The first few minutes of highlights feature a young man listed at 6-4, 274# pulling with chilling speed. In one particular clip, he nearly catches a much smaller defender from behind following a fumble recovery. There is no doubt he’s a nimble big man. At peak Doyle-ification, it will be interesting to see what he is capable of.

As of this sentence, that is where the 2018 class ends. With many more commitments in store, I like what I’m hearing already on the recruiting trail from our new group of coordinators. Who joins the #swarm next? Who is most likely to bounce? Who am I? Share below.