Over the last two weeks, I have been catching up with the high school coaches of Iowa State’s current commits for the 2021 recruiting class.
On Tuesday, I talked to Mike Boehm, who is the head football coach at De La Salle Institue in Chicago, and the coach of linebacker commit Aidan Ralph. Ralph, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound three-star recruit, committed to Iowa State on March 24 and is considered the No. 88 outside linebacker prospect in the country by 247Composite.
Get Coach Boehm’s thoughts on Aidan’s development over the years, what he’ll bring to the table for Iowa State and more in the Q&A below.
Q: How have you seen Aidan develop in your program over the last three years?
Boehm: “I mean, we knew as an eighth-grader that he was a good player. Coming in as a freshman, he just eventually grew into his tenacity and the way he plays the game. His involvement in the offseason in the weight room really set him apart from the others and what he’s capable of in the future.”
Q: What was it about him as an eighth-grader that made him stick out to you?
Boehm: “I think it was his intensity. He always gave 100 percent and still does. He ran well. He was all over the field. He just played so intensely that it was fun to watch.”
Q: What have your interactions with the Iowa State coaches been like during his recruitment?
Boehm: “They’ve been awesome. Coach (Tyson) Veidt is the one who really recruited him. There have been periods of time where I’ve talked to him four times a week. He’s really been keeping in touch with Aidan and his mom and making sure he’s on top of his grades. They’ve been awesome. They’ve really impressed me with how they pursued him and everything on top of outside football as well.”
Q: What will Iowa State’s program be gaining in Aidan not only as a player but as a person as well?
Boehm: “I think they’re getting a vocal leader. They’re getting a kid who doesn’t like to lose. They’re getting a kid who gives maximum effort. He’s going to bring it every single day at practice and on game days. He’s a throwback guy. You’re standing around, he’s going to hit you in the mouth.”
