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Iowa football’s strategy since the advent of the early signing period has been to largely load up early on in the cycle and then evaluate senior film down the stretch. That has proven effective as the hit rate on late offers has continued to rise in recent years.
In the 2021 cycle, Iowa went months between commitments after getting the notorious early start. The most recent commitment came from Iowa Falls native Karson Sharar who certainly fits the bill as an underrated prospect who was evaluated as a senior and emerges as a steal. Sharar committed to Iowa less than a week before signing day.
Today, he makes it official.
Karson to Kinnick.@karson_sharar #Swarm21 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/2jNm17l47Y
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) December 16, 2020
Sharar is a Northern Iowa legacy whose father was an all-conference tight end for the Panthers in the 90s. Prior to Iowa’s offer a week ago, he was committed to UNI, but wasted no time jumping on the power 5 offer.
As a prep, Sharar did a little bit of everything for Iowa Falls Alden. On defense, he finished 80 total tackles, including 10 tackles for loss. On the offensive side of the ball, he showed off his athleticism with more than 1,300 rushing yards and 13 TDs.
On film, Sharar shows good instincts and an ability to quickly fill running lanes and finish tackles with explosion. He has the quickness and athleticism to play coverage in the passing game and will come to Iowa with an excellent frame for a linebacker at 6’3” and 205 pounds.
Before he committed to football at the next level, Sharar’s first offer came from Drake as a basketball prospect. On the gridiron, in addition to Iowa, Sharar held offers from South Dakota State and the aforementioned UNI Panthers.
A 3-star prospect according to 247 Sports, Sharar is one of 10 Hawkeyes expected to sign in the early period from the state of Iowa. He’s also one of four linebackers expected to sign, joining Minnesota native Justice Sullivan and fellow Iowans Zach Twedt and Jaden Harrell.
Welcome aboard, officially, Karson Sharar!