Michigan guys I wish we were recruiting.

[ljhlax]

So, I'm a Cyclone in the heart of Michigan country. I've seen these guys play over the past few years and this year, and I wish they had Cyclone offers. Some still haven't chosen and some are committed, but I think ISU could really prosper from a better presence in Michigan.

Kelby Latta - OL Harper Creek (Battle Creek)

Kyle Knapp - OL Portage Central - Committed Syracuse

Corey Smith - WR Grand Rapids CC (Community College there is also CC for Catholic Central)

Devin Church - RB Brother Rice (Southfield)- Committed Northern Illinois

So here are my porposals for 2013 from Michigan that we should recruit.

Jon Reschke - LB Brother Rice - Good kid, good program and plays in the style of Klein and Knott

Demar Dorsey - CB Grand Rapids CC (Community College) - I'm thinking mainly of the hole LJ might leave.

Onaje Miller - Athlete Grand Rapids CC (Community College) - Athleticism is sick. I'm not sure about off the field though.

Brandon Campbell - FB Otsego - If we find a place for Woody and use him well, then here is his replacement

Caleb Wedel - Safety/Nickel Otsego - Otsego is becoming a very solid program and Caleb is just good. Violent hitter, but doesn't face too much in the air.

Bobby Drew - OL Holland - 6' 4" - 280 and only a Jr in HS. He could use a good camp to develop skills and quicken feet, but major major potential.

 

[Tre4ISU]

Demar Dorsey is probably the best JUCO athlete in the country. That kid is really good. If he can get his stuff together everyone will be recruiting him. He has had some trouble in the past but last I checked he had worked his *** off to get close to qualifying but fell just short. I think in his sophomore or junior year there was basically no chance of him making it and he got close. I also think Dorsey is more suited to safety but that's just me.

All that said, we don't do much in Michigan judging by our history.

 

[Wesley]

That is a lot of Grand Rapids players. They must have a lot of talent. I have a relative in Kalamzoo. Maybe he can go check them out also.

 

[Senolcyc]

Because you live there is not a reason for Iowa State to attempt to recruit Michigan.

 

[ljhlax]

Because you live there is not a reason for Iowa State to attempt to recruit Michigan.

You are correct, but talent is talent no matter where you find it. Grand Rapids is pretty much today what suburban detroit was 20 years ago. There are a lot of quality programs that feed players all over the Big 10, MAC, and even Big East. Iowa is showing up on a lot of guys lists, but we aren't. I know year one Rhoads era we weren't equipped to have a presence in Michigan. Year three we got a great stable from California, Texas and Florida. 2012 / 2013 sounds like a good time to start cracking into Michigan's talent pool.

I live in Kalamazoo. I get to games in Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and then venture up to Grand Rapids. Brother Rice is about the only team on the East Side I'm interested in anymore. Lansing has a ton of talent right now, but they are almost automatic Mich or Mich St.

The culture on the west side of the state I think lends itself well to the ISU family too. I'm just hoping we can even get a spot on one of these guys lists. I would consider that a victory, because it means we are further along than we were 3 years ago.

 

[nicmilani]

I live in the Detroit area ... we SHOULD be recruiting Michigan, and Ohio, for that matter. One of the problems is, none of the local talent sees Big 12 sports, so they don't know or appreciate it. However, having refereed in the area for a few years, there is some SERIOUS talent in the state of Michigan. I also went to school in Kalamazoo, and ljhlax is correct ... the mentality of Western Michigan does lend itself very well to ISU. Very different from Southeastern Michigan.

Maybe a big win in BBall against Michigan will help the cause? I'm trying like hell to be courtside in my finest ISU attire!

 

[ljhlax]

I live in the Detroit area ... we SHOULD be recruiting Michigan, and Ohio, for that matter. One of the problems is, none of the local talent sees Big 12 sports, so they don't know or appreciate it. However, having refereed in the area for a few years, there is some SERIOUS talent in the state of Michigan. I also went to school in Kalamazoo, and ljhlax is correct ... the mentality of Western Michigan does lend itself very well to ISU. Very different from Southeastern Michigan.

Maybe a big win in BBall against Michigan will help the cause? I'm trying like hell to be courtside in my finest ISU attire!

Maybe I'll see you at the game. I won't be courtside, but I'll be there (unfortunately surrounded by Maize and Blue). In fact, literally surrounded by Maize and Blue since those are my neighbors kids names.

That is cool that you went to school in Kalamazoo (K-College, WMU or a HS). I'd love to see a Maroon Giant at ISU someday. They are building one heck of a powerhouse in Basketball. They made Ray Lee look sad last year.

As for Football, I have been nothing but impressed by the talent. I haven't been to Ohio, but I know it is there too. It would be nice to know some of the kids I'm seeing at these games are at least thinking about ISU as a possibility someday. I know the Battle Creek kids should be all over it. Most of their parents probably work at either the Kelloggs, Post or Ralston Cereal facilities in town so they would have a great Food Science program to go into at ISU if they ever wanted to come back to Michigan after their athletic careers are over. Lets just hope it might work out someday.

 

[Stormin]

With limited resources and limited exposure in Michigan, I question whether that would be very prudent to recruit there. We need to recruit the areas where our assistants have connections. And focus on the hotbeds of Texas, Florida. IMO, we are doing a decent job. Years ago, under Earle Bruce we recruited Chicago hard as well as Ohio. Bruce had connections there though.