2015 IOWA FOOTBALL RECRUITING: QUARTERBACK, RUNNING BACK, WIDE RECEIVER

RYAN BOYLE

Quarterback, 6'1", 215
West Des Moines, IA (Dowling)
3★ Rivals, 3★ Scout, 3★ ESPN, 3★ 247Sports

You Might Remember Him From Such Posts As: Have a Seat, Ryan Boyle | Ryan Boyle Recruiting Capsule

Is Boyle Iowa's quarterback of the future?  Well, maybe.  If C.J. Beathard stays at Iowa (and that seems likely at this point), the QB position is (maybe?  probably?  hopefully?) locked up through the 2016 season.  But the race is wide open beyond that.  Last year's quarterback recruit, Tyler Wiegers, will have something to say about that battle, but Boyle has the skills to push Wiegers (and maybe fellow Class of '15 member, Drew Cook) for the starting gig.  What makes Boyle particularly interesting is not his arm (it looks fine), but his legs -- he ran for 1300 yards and 24 TDs this past season for Dowling, the 4A champions in Iowa.  Iowa hasn't had a true running threat at QB since Brad Banks, but Boyle could bring that dimension back to the Iowa offense.  Greg Davis' offenses at Texas always worked best with a running threat at quarterback, which could also favor Boyle.  Then again, it's not entirely clear if Greg Davis -- or Kirk Ferentz -- will still be at Iowa when Boyle is getting ready to contend for the starting job.

2015 Outlook: If it's not a redshirt year for Boyle, then something will have gone horribly wrong. With newly anointed starter, C.J. Beathard, as well as the starting quarterback of the last two season, Jake Rudock, both slated to return (knock on wood, fingers crossed, etc...) the quarterback spot looks pretty well locked down. The only non-transfer, non-injury way Boyle could see the field at QB might be if Iowa really starts to develop a role for a running QB in the offense. Beathard played that role at times this year and though he's capable as a runner, Boyle could be a much more legit threat.

FUN FACT: Boyle dreamed a dream of singing for Simon Cowell and becoming a major super star in Britain. But settled for playing football for the Hawkeyes.

DREW COOK

Quarterback (for now), 6'5", 218
Iowa City, IA (Regina)
3★ Rivals, 2★ Scout, 4★ ESPN, 3★ 247Sports

You Might Remember Him From Such Posts As: Have a Seat, Drew Cook | Drew Cook Recruiting Capsule

This recruiting class is very much a family affair -- Iowa also added a set of twins on the offensive line (Levi and Landan Paulsens) and the younger brothers of former Hawkeye Riley Reiff (Brady Reiff) and current Hawkeye LeShun Daniels (James Daniels) -- but family ties at Iowa don't get a whole lot better than Marv Cook, the standout former tight end for the Hawkeyes.  He's assembled a small school powerhouse at Iowa City Regina and the standout player of those teams over the last few years has been his son, Drew Cook.  Cook played quarterback for Regina, but that was in part because he was one of the best athletes on the team.  His future at Iowa may not be at quarterback.  He's been discussed as a potential tight end ever since it was clear he would be a D-I recruit and while that might be partially because his father was one of Iowa's greatest tight ends, he does seem to have the size and the skills to do well there.  But for now he's a quarterback and he brings some very interesting skills to bear at that position as well.  He's got a powerful arm and, like Boyle, he has some definite ability as a runner; it's odd (but kind of exciting) to see Iowa add two potential quarterbacks who are more dual threat-types than the traditional pocket passers Iowa usually brings in.  Again, it sounds like Cook will start at Iowa as a quarterback.  If he's still at that position next spring, then he might actually have a future at that position at Iowa.

2015 Outlook: Like Boyle, Cook doesn't have much of a shot of taking any snaps at QB this year. Iowa doesn't often take multiple QBs in a class, and with both kind of an "athlete" we'll see if both stick at QB. Could Cook follow his father's footsteps and be the next great Iowa tight end? A switch in position likely wouldn't lead to playing time this year either. So a red-shirt looks very likely.

FUN FACT: You can never have Too Many Cooks here at BHGP.

ERIC GRAHAM

Running Back, 5'10", 200
Prattville, AL (Autaga Academy)
NR★ Rivals, NR★ Scout, NR★ ESPN, 2★ 247Sports

You Might Remember Him From Such Posts As: Eric Graham Recruiting Capsule

Graham was the RKO Outta Nowhere member of this year's recruiting class, emerging after Karan Higdon's 11th hour departure to Michigan and creating some surprised reactions when @HawkeyeFootball tweeted a welcome message to him.  Graham was so far off the radar that none of the recruiting services really had a rating for him (247's 2* rating feels like a placeholder), nor even really had a page set up for him.  It's almost impossible to find a recruit that doesn't have a page on Rivals or Scout, at least among guys that major schools are targeting.  As it turns out, Graham may have slipped through the cracks because he attends a tiny tiiiiny school in a very rural state and played against other very small school competition.  Graham does have some impressive moments in his highlight video -- there's some real breakaway speed on display at times and who doesn't love to see dudes get hurdled?

-- but, again, the level of competition he faced (pretty weak) and the fact that he was so completely and utterly off the recruiting radar should temper our excitement.  We have very little idea what Iowa really has in Graham, but even in the best case scenario he's probably going to need a few years to develop.

2015 Outlook: Redshirt

FUN FACT: As Skittes are to Marshawn Lynch, S'mores are to Eric Graham.

EMMANUEL OGWO

Wide Receiver, 6'0", 170
Mesquite, TX (Horn)
3★ Rivals, 2★ Scout, 3★ ESPN, 3★ 247Sports

You Might Remember Him From Such Posts As: Have a Seat, Emmanuel Ogwo | Emmanuel Ogwo Recruiting Capsule

We've been down this path before, with a standout track athlete being recruited by Iowa to play football.  When it works really well, you get Tim Dwight, a lightning-quick sparkplug that quickens pulses every time he touches the ball.  When it doesn't work so well, you get Paul Chaney and Calvin Davis, freakishly fast guys who produce a few eye-catching plays, but who struggle to translate their track speed to the football speed on a consistent basis.  One crucial difference between those guys?  Dwight was a standout football player AND a standout track player in high school -- he was already very experienced at translating his track skills to the football field.  Ogwo doesn't have that experience -- he didn't play football as a junior in high school and is relatively new to the game overall.  There's a steep learning curve here.  The payoff could certainly be worth it -- Iowa doesn't get guys with Ogwos' brand of speed all that often -- but expectations should definitely be tempered here.

2015 Outlook: Redshirt

FUN FACT: Hailing from Mesquite, Ogwo is a barbecue connoisseur. Ribs, brisket, smoked turkey, pulled pork, smoked sausage. Oh god, I'm hungry now...

JERMINIC SMITH

Wide Receiver, 6'1", 175
Garland, TX (South Garland)
3★ Rivals, 3★ Scout, 3★ ESPN, 3★ 247Sports

You Might Remember Him From Such Posts As: Have a Seat, Jerminic Smith | Jerminic Smith Recruiting Capsule

What's this, another WR that is sub-200 pounds and a burner?!  It's almost like Iowa has a very specific type that they look for in their receivers... Smith might be the fastest of all of Iowa's receiver prospects this year, and that might be able to get him on the field soon. Damond Powell never quite took off at Iowa (a late arrival last year and an injury this year certainly didn't help matters, nor did his alleged difficulties learning the playbook), but there is a place in this offense for a speedster. Iowa got the ball into Jonathan Parker's hands using the jet sweep and usually at least let Powell run deep a few times a game. Speed could give Smith a chance to be a role player in Iowa's offense early on.

2015 Outlook: Possible spot duty at wide receiver.

FUN FACT: Prior to his big rivalry game against North Garland, Smith and his South Garland teammates captured the NGHS's mascot and wrapped it in a strand of beautiful flowers hand picked from the fields of Texas.

ADRIAN FALCONER

Wide Receiver, 6'1", 185
Leesburg, FL (Leesburg)
2★ Rivals, 2★ Scout, 3★ ESPN, 3★ 247Sports

You Might Remember Him From Such Posts As: Have a Seat, Adrian Falconer | Adrian Falconer Recruiting Capsule

Falconer is probably the most decorated receiver that Iowa brought in this year -- he earned second-team all-state honors in Florida at the Class 6A level -- as well as one of the most productive: 51 receptions, 951 yards, 7 touchdowns.  Falconer played offense and defense for his high school, as well as special teams, so he could have several options to see playing time as early as this fall.  Iowa doesn't have any sure things at wide receiver this year other than Tevaun Smith and the kick returner job seems open as well after Jonathan Parker's catastrophically bad performance in the Tax Slayer Bowl.  That said, Iowa tends to ease in receivers slowly, so a redshirt also seems pretty likely.

2015 Outlook: Redshirt or spot duty at wide receiver.

FUN FACT: Adrian is a lover of Dr. Pepper Ten. He lives in the mountains, chops down trees, and canoes with bears. He's also able to command falcons and control them into bringing him a can of the almost-diet pop when ever he's thirsty. That could come in handy on game days.