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Lukas Van Ness recently received an scholarship offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes and decided to cash in on his official visit.
100% Committed #Swarm20 #GoHawks @CoachK_Bell @HawkeyeFootball pic.twitter.com/t9m4zmPFDV
— Lukas Van Ness (@lukas_vanness) June 23, 2019
The 6’5”, 230 defensive end shows a variety of moves both the pass rush and run defense. In a couple clips, he does a solid job setting the edge on the zone read. He lines up almost exclusively from the right side of the line and possesses a relentlessness to him, as he catches quite a few ball carriers from behind.
Since his measurables are in line with what one might expect for a defensive end coming into Iowa (he has a 6’9” wingspan), it’s easy to see him turning into an Anthony Nelson-type with the proper personal development. Perhaps the better comp at this juncture is RS freshman John Waggoner.
He also has some personal ties to Iowa as his father went to the university, as does his sister. Like many other Hawks, he has a multi-sport background with his Twitter bio listing him as a hockey (!!!) player.
Though a redshirt seems imminent, Iowa will have plenty of playing time available in 2021 when both A.J. Epenesa and Chauncey Golston exhaust their eligibility (if they aren’t gone already). With an eight-man rotation along the line, he’ll have a shot.
Welcome aboard, Lukas Van Ness!