Iowa Football Recruiting: 3-Star LB Ethan Hurkett Signs with Hawkeyes

When you think about the best Iowa football recruiting classes, they come down to sealing the borders of the state, landing the best prospects from Iowa, mining some nearby states and sprinkling in some talent from around the country. That’s precisely what the staff has done in 2020.

One of those top in state players the staff fought hard to keep home and away from Iowa State was Cedar Rapids Xavier linebacker Ethan Hurkett. Hurkett committed to Iowa roughly 10 months ago in February. Today, he is officially an Iowa Hawkeye.

Hurkett is a prototypical Iowa recruit. He comes in as a 3-star by both Rivals and 247 Sports. He was still in the early goings of his recruitment and had no other offers, but interest from Notre Dame, Iowa State, Purdue and essentially the entire Ivy League.

As a prep at Xavier High School, Hurkett played linebacker primarily, racking up 70 tackles, 14.5 TFL, a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery as a senior. He has a body ready to step into a middle linebacker role from day one. However, his future at Iowa is more likely to be along the defensive line.

We’ve seen this story a thousand times before. An under recruited kid comes to Iowa with solid measurables for a position, the Iowa staff and Chris Doyle work their magic, two years later the player emerges at a different position.

Expect Hurkett to add some bulk over the next couple offseasons and re-emerge from Doyle’s lab as a defensive lineman. There he’ll have plus speed and burst and will be able to fully take advantage of his strengths, which include his literal strength, his aggressiveness and his finishing ability.

Welcome aboard, officially, Ethan Hurkett!

Ethan Hurkett, LB

Hometown: Cedar Rapids, IA (Xavier)
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 230
Stars: 247 Sports - 3 Rivals - 3
Commitment Post: Iowa Football Recruiting: Hawkeyes Land In-State LB Ethan Hurkett