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For all the talk of diamonds in the rough, building around the run game, defense winning championships and it all starting in the trenches, college football teams are only as good as their quarterback. Perhaps that’s why the Iowa staff has put so much time and effort into getting the perfect fit at the quarterback position the last several years.
In the class of 2020, they certainly have just that - the perfect fit.
Deuce Hogan is a 4-star prospect according to Rivals and a 3-star per 247 Sports. Regardless of star rating, he’s the prototypical pocket passer Iowa covets.
Today, Iowa’s first commit in the class of 2020 is officially a Hawkeye.
Throwing Deuces | #Swarm20 @_DeuceHogan__ https://t.co/OXeNkLu015 pic.twitter.com/TmPy7mMEGE
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) December 18, 2019
At 6’4” and just north of 200 pounds, Hogan has an ideal frame for a college QB. Like many other quarterbacks today, he has worked primarily out of the shotgun, but he shows a good ability to read a defense and a knack for fitting the ball into tight spaces. He also appears to have a canon for an arm.
As a senior at Faith Christian, Hogan threw for 2,363 yards with 29 touchdowns and 6 interceptions on 169 of 291 passing (58.1%). Faith Christian ultimately fell in the state semifinals to Trinity Christian and fellow Hawkeye Elijah Yelverton.
Perhaps the most important aspect of what Iowa fans should expect of Hogan’s game is his moxie. Most of Iowa’s great QBs have had a certain air about them, an “it” factor. Whatever “it” is, Hogan has it, as demonstrated by this tremendous story from Scott Dochterman of The Athletic:
If ever a single snap could define a career and shape a legacy, it was fourth-and-17. Grapevine Faith Christian faced Austin Regents and trailed by seven points in the 2016 TAPPS (Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools) Division II state championship game. It was overtime and Grapevine Faith battled the state’s top-ranked defense.
In 20-plus years of coaching Texas high school football, Kris Hogan played only one freshman on varsity for an entire season, and it was his son, Deuce. He was too good to hold back, and Deuce was worthy of his position.
In that desperate moment, facing fourth down and 50 feet, they chatted briefly and Deuce walked back on the field.
“I grab his arm, I pull him back and he said, ‘I know, Dad,’” Kris recalled. “‘Slide left, look off the safety.’ And he just walked off, calm as could be. He gets the ball, he slides to the left, looks off the safety and throws a 32-yard touchdown pass.
“You can imagine what the stadium was doing. I’ll never forget him jogging over to the sideline. People are just jumping on him and even assistant coaches are jumping. Fourth-and-17, you don’t expect much, much less a touchdown. And he’s like, ‘Everybody, calm down. We’ve got double overtime here.’ He acts like we’re sitting here drinking tea or something.”
Hogan ultimately chose the Hawkeyes over offers from 11 other schools, including Georgia, Tennessee, Baylor, Boston College, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Syracuse And others. Iowa fans are going to enjoy this one for years to come.
Welcome aboard, officially, Deuce Hogan!