:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46507660/hansen.0.jpg)
In a week where Iowa football is stocking up on 2016 prospects, it made a quick dip into the 2017 pool (Coy pond?) for Madrid (Iowa) defensive lineman Coy Kirkpatrick. The 6'4, 240-pound junior-to-be received an Iowa offer on Sunday and committed on the spot. He had received no other offers, and has not been graded by the scouting sites.
While he has the frame to move inside or possibly even to the offensive line, Kirkpatrick says he's being recruited as a defensive end.
Depending on how you look at Juan Harris' double-decommitment, Kirkpatrick is either the first, second or third recruit in Iowa's 2017 class. His high school program is perennially successful but small, and there could be a steep learning curve before Kirkpatrick becomes an effective Big Ten-level defender. Reese Morgan's eye for talent in these situations is unparalleled, though, and Iowa has made starters out of far less raw material than this.
Of course, all of these future commitments are based in large part on relationships with Kirk Ferentz's staff, a relationship that could be severed if there are any changes in the staff (including a potential retirement by the soon-to-be 65 year-old Morgan). So while we're happy to see another Hawkeye in the fold, we are fully aware that the earth continues to spin on its axis.