Beau Freyler did not know much about Iowa State before starting the recruiting process.
It is understandable that a kid from Colorado might not have the Cyclones front and center on his radar considering it has been a decade since Iowa State and Colorado shared a conference. But, it did not take long for Freyler, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound three-star safety, to fall in love with Iowa State and Matt Campbell’s elevating football program.
So, on Sunday, Freyler announced his commitment to Iowa State.
“It was definitely the people and the relationships I’ve built with the coaches and everything they did for me in recruiting. I just felt good about everything. They checked all my boxes,” Freyler told Cyclone Fanatic on Monday. “It really just felt like home to me.”
It is interesting to hear the Colorado Springs native say Ames feels like home when you consider the fact he has not been on a visit to campus, but it proves the effectiveness of Iowa State’s recruiting efforts during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions limiting everyone’s recruiting process.
“I had planned on taking my official in June, but they extended the dead period so I can’t do that,” Freyler, who added he hopes to officially visit Iowa State for a home game in the fall, said. “Just (a lot of communicating) through texting and then a lot of phone calls, FaceTime and a lot of Zoom calls. We’ve done virtual tours. I’ve talked with professors, the strength coach. I’ve talked to players. I feel like I’ve done everything I can so I feel good about my decision.”
Aside from the football field, where Freyler says the coaching staff has pegged him as an option at the star safety position, the school’s kinesiology program was a major selling point to the No. 12 prospect from Colorado and No. 89 safety in the class, according to 247Composite.
Fitting his needs on the academic side as he hopes to ultimately pursue a career in physical therapy, plus eventually starting his own gym, was crucial in setting Iowa State apart from a list of other college options that included Nebraska, Michigan State, Kansas State, Wisconsin and a host of other major FBS programs.
Of course, the continued rise of the program, which has included three-straight bowl appearances, was a major selling point as well.
“They’re a winning team and I feel like they’re definitely on the rise, too. That was big for me,” Freyler said. “Also, being able to play early was big for me. Of course, I’m going to have to earn that, but there’s definitely and opportunity there for me. They have really good fan support and they fill out their home games. They have a good game day experience, which was big for me too. I have really good relationships with the coaches at this point. That’s from a football aspect of things… Just talking to the player and coaches, it’s a great town. It’s a college town so it’s a bit smaller than where I’m from, but all the people are super nice and welcoming and it’s a super-safe city so I just felt good. There’s really nothing negative to say about it.”
