Sep 8, 2018; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell watches his team play against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
See some of the highlights below from what Matt Campbell had to say after his staff helped secure the highest-rated class in the history of Iowa State football.
On the class of running backs, including four-stars Jirehl Brock and Breece Hall…
Campbell: Really a third with Leonard Glass. I think with us it is just continuing to go out and get the best players we can get. We’re really excited about all three of those kids because I think all three of them are really highly talented football players and can do a lot of things. I think that has always been our niche and knew it certainly with obviously we lose Michael (Warren) and David (Montgomery) at some point is going to have to make a decision on his future so we’re continuing to collect the best players we can.
On the message to the running backs with Montgomery’s future up in the air…
Campbell: I said two things. Number one, if David comes back, you to be an understudy of really one of the best tailbacks in the country. If not, then you’ve got an opportunity to come in here and at least have an opportunity to compete with some really good players we have already in our football program.
On the four-man offensive line class…
Campbell: To me, that’s equally as exciting today in terms of continuing to build that. All four of those guys are guys that are as close to ready-made as we’ve been able to recruit. I really like all four of them. They have position flexibility within themselves. They’re guys that come from programs that obviously have had success and know what it takes to be really successful. I think we really helped ourselves and helped the competition for the future of that offensive line.
#CFTV: Coach Campbell discusses what this recruiting class brings to the culture of Iowa State. #Cyclones pic.twitter.com/GqjRGGJGOq
— CycloneFanatic.com (@cyclonefanatic) December 20, 2018
On what graduate transfer quarterback John Kolar brings to the table…
Campbell: Well, I think veteranness. I think John’s a really special kid. Obviously, knowing John’s family and background, I think coming from a quarterback room where there’s been a lot of success and certainly an offense where they’ve had a tremendous amount of success. I think there’s a lot of things that John brings to the table and just the number one aspect of having a veteran I think is really important.
On the three signees from the state of Iowa…
Campbell: You talk about all three, you’re really talking about filling specific needs. Darien Porter, speed, kind of fits the mold of what we’ve been able to recruit at the wide receiver position, length. I love that he played defense, a physical football player on top of it. Certainly, with Jake (Remsburg), you’re talking about a big, physical football player. His development from his sophomore year to his junior year, his junior year to his senior year has been really, really fun to watch. Then Coal (Flansburg), physical football player and, again, all three of those kids coming from high school football programs and coaches, some of the best coaching in the country is done in those programs. Really excited about that.
On scatback Leonard Glass’ versatility…
Campbell: He played in the state championship game this past weekend in the state of California. He had over 100 yards receiving, 100 yards rushing and then also had an interception down on the goal line. You talk about a football player that brings a lot to the table. I think he’s as multiple as anybody we’ve recruited in a long time here. I think he fits one of those molds of guys that are dynamic with the ball in their hand but also a guy that’s elite that can go over and cover. That’s a hard skill set to find today and I’m really excited that he chose to come here.
#CFTV: Campbell on what makes the early signing period unique.#Cyclones pic.twitter.com/wIHIGwfhMl
— CycloneFanatic.com (@cyclonefanatic) December 20, 2018
On the focus entering the late signing period…
Campbell: I think in terms of trying to better your roster. I think you’re finding ways of can you improve your roster in any way, shape and form. I think we can collectively sit back, see where we’re at, let the dust settle a little bit and see if there’s an area or two where we can really go and put a finishing touch on next year’s roster. I think for me, that’s the way we’ve always looked at it and, for me, maybe not so much positionally as well as the whole picture and how we can have the best 2019 roster we can possibly have.
On his impressions of the second early signing period…
Campbell: I love it. I really do. Especially with the fact that they don’t let the head coaches out in the spring. It gives you as the head football coach the opportunity to go watch a basketball game or go watch a wrestling match or certainly have the ability get around, especially in our own state, where it is hard to do that sometimes during that fall period because this year we really only had two weeks to do that. Now, you can take your time and really be able to put a great emphasis on not only 2019 but once we get back from this bowl game go to work on 2020. What’s that 2020 roster look like? How can we make that the best possible roster as well?
