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Under head coach Kirk Ferentz, the Iowa Hawkeyes have long been built from the inside out. The former offensive line coach is a firm believer that if you can’t control the line of scrimmage, little else matters. As such, Iowa’s recruiting over the last several cycles has been built similarly, starting with the offensive and defensive lines and working out.
If you were looking to build up front, Winnetka offensive tackle David Davidkov is about as good a place as you could imagine. The Hawkeyes were able to reel in the big man back in April and begin their march away from the ball to skill players early. Today, Davidkov made things official.
Big Dave to the Big Ten. @davidkov_d #Swarm21 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/dTZ4M7pg06
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) December 16, 2020
Big Dave lives up to the nickname. Coming in at 6’6” and 290 pounds as a high school senior, Davidkov is already built to be a starting tackle in the Big Ten. On film, he holds up to the expectations your eyes immediately place on a person his size.
As New Trier’s left tackle, Davidkov imposes his will on defenders. He shows solid footwork and an ability to get out in space to attack the second level. When he gets there, he finishes with a healthy serving of pancakes in the run game. He also shows the versatility to play on the right side, potentially opening up the opportunity for earlier playing time at Iowa.
His physical abilities earned Davidkov a 4-star rating by both Rivals and 247 Sports. It also earned him a slew of offers, including Ohio State, LSU, Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon, Nebraska, Iowa State, Duke, Purdue and several others.
Davidkov is one of three commits from the state of Illinois in Iowa’s class of 2021. He joins fellow offensive lineman Gennings Dunker of Lena and defensive lineman Jeremiah Pittman Arlington Heights. Davidkov is also one of four offensive lineman expected to sign in the early period. He joins the aforementioned Dunker, as well as Cedar Rapids native Connor Colby and Missouri native Beau Stephens up front.
Welcome aboard, officially, David Davidkov!