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After a relatively quiet period on the recruiting trail for the Iowa Hawkeyes, things have started to pick up. Iowa landed a final commitment before signing day in the class of 2022 to kick off the month and the staff has since turned its attention to the class of 2023. That became very clear when the Hawkeyes landed a commitment from 3-star Colorado defensive linemen Chase Brackney earlier this week.
Now, the Hawkeye are at it again, this time landing a commitment from an important in-state athlete as Marion product Alex Mota announced his decision on Friday morning.
All the GLORY goes to my parents in heaven.
— Alex“A1M”Mota (@_AlexMota23) February 18, 2022
COMMITTED#GoHawks pic.twitter.com/5xtpVpUsva
Mota is a critical pick up for the Hawkeyes, who are looking to continue locking down the state’s borders. Iowa has again produced a tremendous crop of talent in the class of 2023 and Mota is a big part of that.
As a junior at Marion High School, Mota played both ways, starting at quarterback and safety. On the offensive side of the ball, he finished with 879 passing yards and 629 rushing yards to go with 12 total touchdowns. On defense, he racked up 28 tackles as a junior.
He’s a tremendous athlete who is great with the ball in his hands. At the 3A level in Iowa, he consistently out-maneuvered and out-ran would-be tacklers on offense. On the defensive side of the ball, he shows good instincts, an eagerness to make a big hit and an ability to run down ball carriers.
As for how he projects at Iowa, that remains to be seen. His commitment graphic indicates wide receiver, which is certainly a possibility, but he was reportedly grouped with defensive backs on his most recent visit to Iowa City and clearly projects well as a safety prospect for Phil Parker. Versatility is an asset and Mota certainly brings that.
Mota is a big time pick up for the Hawkeyes beyond his physical talents. The class of 2023 is another incredibly deep one in the state of Iowa and Mota has been making the rounds with a pair of other high end prospects in Urbandale WR/TE Kai Black and Des Moines athlete Jamison Patton. The trio have talked extensively about playing together at the next level and all three have been top priorities for Iowa’s in state rival Iowa State.
If that’s not reason enough to be excited for the addition of Mota to Iowa’s class of 2023, his backstory will give Hawkeye fans more than enough reason to cheer for the young man. Per the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Mota lost both of his parents when he was under the age of six.
Mota’s mother, Lynn, died in February 2010 after the mini-van she was driving collided with the back of a school bus on a highway. Alex was just 5 years old.
About a year and a half later, Mota’s father, Alfonso, died by accidental carbon-monoxide poisoning while sitting in his parked and running car. Alfonso Mota was a native of the Dominican Republic, played professional baseball for the Cedar Rapids Kernels in the mid-1990s and ended up settling in town.
Mota and his brother, who went to Iowa State, have been raised by their aunts and uncles. Rita and Carlos Cabello relocated to Iowa from Texas to help raise Alex and Andrew after their father passed, along with Deana and Scott Arebaugh.
‘It kind of helps you mature faster,’ the soft-spoken Alex said. ‘I have my aunts, and they have helped a lot. My mom’s sisters, my aunts, they took custody of me. Everyone in our family has been involved in raising us ... I have a lot of people looking out for me.’
It’s a tragic past that could have a storybook future as Mota heads to Iowa City. He chose the Hawkeyes over offers from Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kansas, and Miami of Ohio.
Mota is Iowa’s 5th commitment in the class of 2023 and the second in a week. He joins 4-star QB Marco Laines, 3-star DL Maddux Borcherding-Johnson, 3-star LB Ben Kueter and most recently 3-star DL Chase Brackney. Mota is Iowa’s third commitment from within the state’s borders. His addition moves Iowa’s class of 2023 up to 14th nationally according to Rivals and 16th according to 247 Sports. That’s good for fifth in the Big Ten and tops in the Big Ten West.
Welcome aboard Alex Mota!