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The last time the Iowa Hawkeyes put together a recruiting class ranked as highly as the class of 2021 is tracking, they relied heavily on the talent-rich area around Chicago. In this wild year, that’s become more difficult with limited visits for prospects, but it hasn’t stopped Iowa from getting a good one out of the area.
Arlington Heights native Jeremiah Pittman is one of a pair of Chicagoland natives in Iowa’s haul this year and he’s a talented defensive end. Pittman is still waiting on a senior season due to COVID-19, but committed to the Hawkeyes last May after a stellar junior campaign.
Despite the delayed senior season in Illinois, Pittman told EdgyTim he’s been able to use the time without games to get into the best shape of his life:
“I mean so much has changed for me since last season. If anything good has come from COVID it’s that I’m in great shape these days. It’s the strongest I’ve ever been and I’ve made so much progress in my strength training. I’m now working on my cardio and speed work and also going to EFT for training sessions. I want to make sure I keep my cardio up since I haven’t been getting that work with no football season.”
Today, Pittman was able to make things official.
Piano Man Pittman Hits All The Keys@jeremiahpitt55 #Swarm21 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/OAQ1WcX3DN
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) December 16, 2020
At 6’2” and 260 pounds, Pittman has a solid frame for an edge rusher with room to continue filling out. On film, Pittman looks like a man among boys. He sheds blockers with ease and uses his speed and athleticism to rip into backfields and explode through tackles.
While he is expected to come to Iowa as a defensive end, his film does show some position flexibility to move inside and play defensive tackle. He’s got a solid starting repertoire of moves, highlighted by a nice swim move that shows up a lot in highlights.
A 3-star prospect according to both Rivals and 247 Sports, Pittman chose the Hawkeyes over a dozen other division one offers. That included the likes of Wisconsin, Michigan State, Minnesota, Iowa State, Illinois, Northwestern, Missouri and others.
Pittman is one of three total commits in Iowa’s class of 2021 from the state of Illinois. He’ll be joined by Winnetka native David Davidkov and Lena native Gennings Dunker, both of which project as offensive linemen. Pittman is one of four defensive linemen expected to sign during the early period, joining a trio of Iowa natives in Max Llewellyn, Jeff Bowie and Griffin Liddle.
Welcome aboard, officially, Jeremiah Pittman!