RECRUITING: Cyclones land JUCO defensive tackle

Iowa State has landed one of its biggest targets for the 2020 recruiting class.

The Cyclones picked up a commitment on Thursday from three-star Hutchinson Community College defensive tackle Latrell Bankston. The 6-foot-1, 284-pound Woodstock, Ga. native is considered one of the top junior college defensive linemen in the country.

Bankston is rated as the No. 3 JUCO defensive tackle and No. 17 JUCO player overall by 247Sports. He chose the Cyclones over offers from Boise State, Oregon State, Arizona, Kansas State, Houston, Maryland and a host of other FBS programs.

Iowa State offered Bankston over the summer and he officially visited Ames the weekend of the win over Louisiana-Monroe. Earlier this week, he was named the KJCCC Defensive Player of the Year after recording 58 total tackles, 21 of them solo, 21.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, eight quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Defensive tackle was a major position of need for Iowa State in this recruiting class with Ray Lima and Jamahl Johnson both set to graduate. Bankston joins Gurnee, Ill. high school prospect Willis Singleton as defensive tackles in Iowa State’s class currently considered the No. 36 class in the country and No. 3 class in the Big 12.

Stay tuned to Cyclone Fanatic for more on this story.