RECRUITING: In-state offensive lineman commits to ISU

One year ago last Monday, the Iowa State coaching staff secured their first commitment in the class of 2016. On Saturday, Matt Campbell and his staff picked up commit No. 14 in the class of 2017.

Iowa City, West offensive tackle Alex Kleinow made his commitment to the Cyclones on the spot after picking up an offer during a visit this weekend. The 6-foot-6-inch, 280-pound, prospect also held offers from Colorado State, Toledo, Buffalo and a handful of FCS programs.

He’s the fifth offensive lineman in Iowa State’s class, and the second from the state of Iowa. He’s the fourth in-state commit overall.

“Just seeing all the facilities and getting to know the engineering program throughout my junior year from when the old staff offered me my sophomore summer,” Kleinow told CF over the phone on Saturday about his decision to commit. “Just getting to know the engineering program more, the new staff and the facilities were amazing.”

Kleinow attended Iowa State’s Big Man camp on Monday before returning for the weekend visit. He was one of the top performers at the camp but was still waiting for the new staff to reaffirm the offer that had been extended to him by Paul Rhoads’ staff.

That reaffirmation came on Saturday in offensive line coach Tom Manning’s office.

“He’s just a really physical, straight-up guy,” Kleinow said about Manning. “No (B.S.ing) or cutting corners. Just straight up if you want to get the work done and you have goals, he can get you there. You just got to put in the work. Also, (Matt Campbell) is just straight-up and knows what it takes to win.”

Rated as a three-star by Rivals, but a two-star by Scout, Kleinow will likely be seen as a diamond in the rough type of player. He missed his junior season with a leg injury, and his lack of film has led to a lower rating and fewer schools jumping in on his recruitment.

He seems to be a guy that fits Manning’s mold. He describes himself as a tough and hard-nosed.

He isn’t overly active on Twitter. He doesn’t tweet out every offer or publicize his commitment. He’s a guy that is just about handling his business — and doing it quietly.

“Very physical and still have a lot to go technique wise,” Kleinow said when asked to describe himself as a player. “There’s a ton of room for growth there. I’m just hardworking to get it done when it comes to crunch time.”

We’ll have plenty more from a busy recruiting weekend on Cyclone Fanatic on Sunday.