Ethan Plumb is no stranger to the camp setting.
Despite having just one season of high school football under his belt, the 6-foot-3 quarterback in the class of 2025 is a veteran on the camp circuit and knows a well-run camp when he sees one.
That’s exactly what the Saint Charles, Ill. native encountered on Wednesday when he attended and stood out at Iowa State’s final prospect camp of the 2023 summer recruiting cycle.
“I think efficiency-wise and the amount of stuff you can get in for such a short amount of time, this is definitely one of the shorter camps but I think it’s awesome and one of my favorites come to with the way it’s run,” Plumb, who already holds offers from Iowa State and Purdue, said. “The pace at which it’s run is great, like you see exactly how this program is run. They’re very efficient. They want to get a lot of stuff done so I think it is a really great camp with all the coaches listening to you or giving you feedback on what you’re doing and whatnot. I think he’s really well-run camp overall.”
Obviously, going into just his sophomore season of high school football, there’s a long way to go for Plumb as far as his recruitment goes. That makes these camp experiences especially valuable just in the sense of picking up little tips and pointers that can be used to improve his game once he returns home.
He said Wednesday night’s experience in Ames reminded him of the importance of working on his footwork and continuing to grow as the leader of a football team.
It was also a crucial opportunity to keep building relationships with Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, quarterbacks coach Joel Gordon and the rest of the Cyclone staff.
“Coach Campbell, I mean, I got to talk with him a little bit today. Talk a little bit with him last year, more this year, it was actually nice to finally meet him in person this year,” Plumb said. “He’s a great coach and I’m really excited to keep coming back here and build a relationship with Iowa State because I’m really excited. It’s a great school. Coach Gordon, who I reach out to quite a bit, he’s talked to me before for recruiting.”
Plumb said the positive camp experiences have him wanting to come back to Ames soon, hopefully for a game at Jack Trice Stadium this fall to check out the Cyclones in person and continue to build those relationships with the staff.
Until then, he’ll be focused on continuing to improve his game to become the best quarterback he can be at the high school level, while also hoping to find the right fit for his four years at the college level.
“I think just communication-wise wanting to be there and being interested in me, like coming down to see me and wanting to build that relationship by getting closer,” Plumb said when asked what he’ll be looking for in a school. “I want to make sure I’m going to school with the right fit that I know before going in that this is the school I’m gonna be at. I’m not gonna transfer, because I really want to stay true to that. I’m going to go to a school I did my research on and I’m gonna have a great four years, whatever it be there and have a great career there and hopefully maybe play at the next level someday.”
