Obvious question: did anyone give Bo Pelini a map of Iowa? For a guy who constantly bitched about the lack of prospects within a 250-mile radius around Lincoln, he seems to be very geographically-challenged. The only Iowa kid he ever signed was Barney Cotton's son.
******2008******
Three-year starter for Missouri was originally committed to Nebraska
1.) Dan Hoch, Missouri; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 18th-best offensive guard in the 2008 recruiting class; Three-year starter at right tackle for Missouri who earned All-Big 12 honors in each of his junior and senior seasons; Verballed to Nebraska, but changed his commitment after Bill Callahan's job was in jeopardy.
Barney Cotton's oldest son
2.) Ben Cotton, Nebraska; 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 25th-best tight end in the 2008 recruiting class; Started 39 games for Nebraska at tight end and was honorable-mention All-Big Ten in 2011 and 2012.
3.) James Ferentz, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.6 RR, 16th-best center in the 2008 recruiting class; He's Kirk Ferentz' son - there was no way we were going to pry him away from Iowa.
First-team All-Big 12 defensive end in 2012
4.) Jake McDonough, Iowa State; 3-stars, 5.5 RR, 47th-best strongside DE in the 2008 recruiting class; Two-year starter at DE for Iowa State who was named First-Team All-Big 12 in 2012.
Three-year starter at QB for Kirk Ferentz
5.) James Vandenberg, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Three-year starter at QB for Iowa; Was third in the Big Ten in passing yards per game (232.5) during his senior season.
******2009******
1.) David Barrent, Michigan State; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #85 on the Rivals 100, 9th-best offensive tackle in the 2009 recruiting class; Spent two years at Michigan State before a chronic lower back problem forced him to go on a medical scholarship.
Two-year starter for Iowa
2.) Keenan Davis, Iowa; 4-stars, 5.9 RR, #138 on the Rivals 250, 21st-best WR in the 2009 recruiting class; Two-year starter at WR for the Hawkeyes and finished with 112 receptions for 1,470 yards and seven touchdowns.
Wegher managed to resuscitate his career at Morningside College, and is now with the Carolina Panthers
3.) Brandon Wegher, Iowa; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 14th-best all-purpose back in the 2009 recruiting class; Finished his career at Morningside College, after stints at Iowa and Iowa Western CC; At Iowa in 2009, he rushed for 641 yards and a school freshman record eight touchdowns; Transferred briefly to Oklahoma where he couldn't get qualified, and then failed out at Iowa Western; Took three years away from football and then enrolled at Morningside; In two seasons, he became the school's all-time leading rusher with 3,815 yards and 52 touchdowns; Signed with the Carolina Panthers this year as an undrafted free agent.
4.) Jordan Cotton, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 46th-best Athlete in the 2009 recruiting class; Spent most of his career as a kickoff-return specialist for Iowa; Ranked fourth in the Big Ten and 26th nationally in KO return average (25.2) in 2013.
Three-year starter at offensive guard
5.) Kyle Lichtenberg, Iowa State; 3-stars, 5.5 RR, 86th-best offensive tackle in the 2009 recruiting class; Three-year starter at offensive guard for the Cyclones; Dealt with multiple injuries throughout his career; Four-time Academic All-Big 12.
******2010*******
Taken in the 6th-round of the 2015 NFL Draft
1.) A.J. Derby, Iowa; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #181 on the Rivals 250, 18th-best Athlete in the 2010 recruiting class; Taken in the 6th-round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots after finishing his career at Arkansas; Derby played only one season at tight end but finished fourth on the team in catches (22) for 303 receiving yards; Derby spent two seasons at Iowa, playing quarterback for the first season and then switching to linebacker the second; He left Iowa and enrolled at Coffeyville Community College to play quarterback; Derby completed 149 of 321 passes for 1,936 yards and 22 touchdowns and then elected to walk on at Arkansas.
A four-year starter at middle linebacker
2.) James Morris, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 26th-best outside LB in the 2010 recruiting class; Four-year starter at middle linebacker for the Hawkeyes; Second-team All-Big Ten and led the team in sacks in 2013; Only the sixth player in school history to record 400 career tackles.
Dan Hoch's younger brother was a three-year starter at DT for Missouri
3.) Matt Hoch, Missouri; 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 24th-best strongside DE in the 2010 recruiting class; Three-year starter at defensive tackle for Missouri; Younger brother of Dan Hoch, who was originally committed to Nebraska.
Taken 5th-overall in the 2015 NFL Draft
4.) Brandon Scherff, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 44th-best offensive tackle in the 2010 recruiting class; The fifth-overall player selected in the 2015 NFL Draft; Three-year starter at left tackle for Iowa and won the Outland Trophy in 2014.
5.) Andre Dawson, Northern Iowa; 3-stars, 5.6 RR, 54th-best running back in the 2010 recruiting class; Never played a down of college football; Redshirted at UNI in 2010, transferred to Iowa Western in 2011, and then went to Iowa, but left shortly thereafter.
*******2011********
Cedar Rapids, IA native is yet another example of Bo Pelini's failure to secure recruits within a 500 mile radius of Lincoln
1.) Christian French, Oregon; 4-stars, 5.9 RR, #87 on the Rivals 100, 5th-best Athlete in the 2011 recruiting class; Now an outside linebacker, French led the Ducks with 6.5 sacks in 2014; In 15 games, he had 26 tackles, 7.5 TFL, and a forced fumble; Appeared in 11 games as a reserve defensive end in 2013 and had 8 tackles; Appeared in 9 games in 2012 and had 13 tackles on the season; Redshirted in 2011, and has one year of eligibility remaining; Despite being from Cedar Rapids, IA, Nebraska wasn't even among his top three choices.
Second-team All-Big Ten center in 2014
2.) Austin Blythe, Iowa; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #148 on the Rivals 250, 7th-best offensive guard in the 2011 recruiting class; Two-year starter for the Hawkeyes; Second-team All-Big Ten center in 2014.
3.) Alex Carr, Northern Iowa; 3-stars, 5.6 RR, 58th-best cornerback in the 2011 recruiting class; Is now at Concordia University in St. Paul, MN, a Division II program.
4.) Henry Krieger-Coble, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Started three games at TE in 2014 for the Hawkeyes; Has 7 career receptions for 58 yards.
Started two games in 2014
5.) Darrian Cotton, Iowa State; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Started the final two games of 2014 at safety for the Cyclones and finished with 27 tackles and 1.5 TFL on the season; Spent the prior two years as primarily a special teams player.
********2012*******
Michigan's 2nd-leading receiver in 2014
1.) Amara Darboh, Michigan; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #215 on the Rivals 250, 30th-best WR in the 2012 recruiting class; Has appeared in 22 games, making seven starts at WR for Michigan; The Wolverines' 2nd-leading receiver in 2014 with 36 receptions for 473 yards and 2 TDs.
2.) Barkley Hill, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Now at Northern Iowa; Tore his ACL in preseason practice during his freshman year at Iowa and transferred to UNI after that; Rushed 17 times for 91 yards last year.
3.) Charles Rogers, Iowa State; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Now at Minnesota; Redshirted his freshman year in 2012, then started two games at cornerback for Iowa State in 2013 and then transferred to Iowa Western for the 2014 season; Was a member of Jerry Kill's signing class this past February.
4.) Michael Malloy, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Now at Northern Iowa; Left Iowa after his redshirt freshman season in 2012.
Started five games at LB in 2014
5.) Kane Seeley, Iowa State; 2-stars, 5.4 RR; Started five games at LB for Iowa State in 2014, and registered 52 tackles, 1.0 TFL and one forced fumble; Redshirted in 2012 and played in 11 games in 2013.
******2013******
Starting left tackle as a redshirt freshman
1.) Jake Campos, Iowa State; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #188 on the Rivals 250, 16th-best offensive tackle in the 2013 recruiting class; Starting left tackle for Iowa State in 2014 as a redshirt freshman; Was not offered by Nebraska.
2.) Jon Wisnieski, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 21st-best tight end in the 2013 recruiting class; Missed the entire 2014 season due to an ACL injury, but projects to be Iowa's starting TE in 2015.
Young (#91) is now playing for Bobby Petrino at Louisville
3.) Trevon Young, Iowa Western; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Now at Louisville, where he is a hybrid DE/outside LB; Appeared in 11 games in 2014 and had 7 tackles, 2.0 TFL, and 1 sack; Was committed to Iowa, but two arrests - third-degree burglary and interference with official acts, and a second December 2012 charge of criminal trespassing forced Iowa into pulling his offer, so he spent 2013 at Iowa Western CC.
4.) Joel Lanning, Iowa State; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Has appeared in one game over two seasons in Ames; He is penciled-in as Iowa State's 3rd-string QB entering the 2015 season.
5.) Ryan Glenn, Iowa State; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Hasn't appeared in a game over two years in Ames; Missed all of 2015 spring practice with a back disc issue.
******2008******
Three-year starter for Missouri was originally committed to Nebraska
1.) Dan Hoch, Missouri; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 18th-best offensive guard in the 2008 recruiting class; Three-year starter at right tackle for Missouri who earned All-Big 12 honors in each of his junior and senior seasons; Verballed to Nebraska, but changed his commitment after Bill Callahan's job was in jeopardy.
Barney Cotton's oldest son
2.) Ben Cotton, Nebraska; 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 25th-best tight end in the 2008 recruiting class; Started 39 games for Nebraska at tight end and was honorable-mention All-Big Ten in 2011 and 2012.
3.) James Ferentz, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.6 RR, 16th-best center in the 2008 recruiting class; He's Kirk Ferentz' son - there was no way we were going to pry him away from Iowa.
First-team All-Big 12 defensive end in 2012
4.) Jake McDonough, Iowa State; 3-stars, 5.5 RR, 47th-best strongside DE in the 2008 recruiting class; Two-year starter at DE for Iowa State who was named First-Team All-Big 12 in 2012.
Three-year starter at QB for Kirk Ferentz
5.) James Vandenberg, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Three-year starter at QB for Iowa; Was third in the Big Ten in passing yards per game (232.5) during his senior season.
******2009******
1.) David Barrent, Michigan State; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #85 on the Rivals 100, 9th-best offensive tackle in the 2009 recruiting class; Spent two years at Michigan State before a chronic lower back problem forced him to go on a medical scholarship.
Two-year starter for Iowa
2.) Keenan Davis, Iowa; 4-stars, 5.9 RR, #138 on the Rivals 250, 21st-best WR in the 2009 recruiting class; Two-year starter at WR for the Hawkeyes and finished with 112 receptions for 1,470 yards and seven touchdowns.
Wegher managed to resuscitate his career at Morningside College, and is now with the Carolina Panthers
3.) Brandon Wegher, Iowa; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 14th-best all-purpose back in the 2009 recruiting class; Finished his career at Morningside College, after stints at Iowa and Iowa Western CC; At Iowa in 2009, he rushed for 641 yards and a school freshman record eight touchdowns; Transferred briefly to Oklahoma where he couldn't get qualified, and then failed out at Iowa Western; Took three years away from football and then enrolled at Morningside; In two seasons, he became the school's all-time leading rusher with 3,815 yards and 52 touchdowns; Signed with the Carolina Panthers this year as an undrafted free agent.
4.) Jordan Cotton, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 46th-best Athlete in the 2009 recruiting class; Spent most of his career as a kickoff-return specialist for Iowa; Ranked fourth in the Big Ten and 26th nationally in KO return average (25.2) in 2013.
Three-year starter at offensive guard
5.) Kyle Lichtenberg, Iowa State; 3-stars, 5.5 RR, 86th-best offensive tackle in the 2009 recruiting class; Three-year starter at offensive guard for the Cyclones; Dealt with multiple injuries throughout his career; Four-time Academic All-Big 12.
******2010*******
Taken in the 6th-round of the 2015 NFL Draft
1.) A.J. Derby, Iowa; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #181 on the Rivals 250, 18th-best Athlete in the 2010 recruiting class; Taken in the 6th-round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots after finishing his career at Arkansas; Derby played only one season at tight end but finished fourth on the team in catches (22) for 303 receiving yards; Derby spent two seasons at Iowa, playing quarterback for the first season and then switching to linebacker the second; He left Iowa and enrolled at Coffeyville Community College to play quarterback; Derby completed 149 of 321 passes for 1,936 yards and 22 touchdowns and then elected to walk on at Arkansas.
A four-year starter at middle linebacker
2.) James Morris, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 26th-best outside LB in the 2010 recruiting class; Four-year starter at middle linebacker for the Hawkeyes; Second-team All-Big Ten and led the team in sacks in 2013; Only the sixth player in school history to record 400 career tackles.
Dan Hoch's younger brother was a three-year starter at DT for Missouri
3.) Matt Hoch, Missouri; 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 24th-best strongside DE in the 2010 recruiting class; Three-year starter at defensive tackle for Missouri; Younger brother of Dan Hoch, who was originally committed to Nebraska.
Taken 5th-overall in the 2015 NFL Draft
4.) Brandon Scherff, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 44th-best offensive tackle in the 2010 recruiting class; The fifth-overall player selected in the 2015 NFL Draft; Three-year starter at left tackle for Iowa and won the Outland Trophy in 2014.
5.) Andre Dawson, Northern Iowa; 3-stars, 5.6 RR, 54th-best running back in the 2010 recruiting class; Never played a down of college football; Redshirted at UNI in 2010, transferred to Iowa Western in 2011, and then went to Iowa, but left shortly thereafter.
*******2011********
Cedar Rapids, IA native is yet another example of Bo Pelini's failure to secure recruits within a 500 mile radius of Lincoln
1.) Christian French, Oregon; 4-stars, 5.9 RR, #87 on the Rivals 100, 5th-best Athlete in the 2011 recruiting class; Now an outside linebacker, French led the Ducks with 6.5 sacks in 2014; In 15 games, he had 26 tackles, 7.5 TFL, and a forced fumble; Appeared in 11 games as a reserve defensive end in 2013 and had 8 tackles; Appeared in 9 games in 2012 and had 13 tackles on the season; Redshirted in 2011, and has one year of eligibility remaining; Despite being from Cedar Rapids, IA, Nebraska wasn't even among his top three choices.
Second-team All-Big Ten center in 2014
2.) Austin Blythe, Iowa; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #148 on the Rivals 250, 7th-best offensive guard in the 2011 recruiting class; Two-year starter for the Hawkeyes; Second-team All-Big Ten center in 2014.
3.) Alex Carr, Northern Iowa; 3-stars, 5.6 RR, 58th-best cornerback in the 2011 recruiting class; Is now at Concordia University in St. Paul, MN, a Division II program.
4.) Henry Krieger-Coble, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Started three games at TE in 2014 for the Hawkeyes; Has 7 career receptions for 58 yards.
Started two games in 2014
5.) Darrian Cotton, Iowa State; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Started the final two games of 2014 at safety for the Cyclones and finished with 27 tackles and 1.5 TFL on the season; Spent the prior two years as primarily a special teams player.
********2012*******
Michigan's 2nd-leading receiver in 2014
1.) Amara Darboh, Michigan; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #215 on the Rivals 250, 30th-best WR in the 2012 recruiting class; Has appeared in 22 games, making seven starts at WR for Michigan; The Wolverines' 2nd-leading receiver in 2014 with 36 receptions for 473 yards and 2 TDs.
2.) Barkley Hill, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Now at Northern Iowa; Tore his ACL in preseason practice during his freshman year at Iowa and transferred to UNI after that; Rushed 17 times for 91 yards last year.
3.) Charles Rogers, Iowa State; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Now at Minnesota; Redshirted his freshman year in 2012, then started two games at cornerback for Iowa State in 2013 and then transferred to Iowa Western for the 2014 season; Was a member of Jerry Kill's signing class this past February.
4.) Michael Malloy, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Now at Northern Iowa; Left Iowa after his redshirt freshman season in 2012.
Started five games at LB in 2014
5.) Kane Seeley, Iowa State; 2-stars, 5.4 RR; Started five games at LB for Iowa State in 2014, and registered 52 tackles, 1.0 TFL and one forced fumble; Redshirted in 2012 and played in 11 games in 2013.
******2013******
Starting left tackle as a redshirt freshman
1.) Jake Campos, Iowa State; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #188 on the Rivals 250, 16th-best offensive tackle in the 2013 recruiting class; Starting left tackle for Iowa State in 2014 as a redshirt freshman; Was not offered by Nebraska.
2.) Jon Wisnieski, Iowa; 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 21st-best tight end in the 2013 recruiting class; Missed the entire 2014 season due to an ACL injury, but projects to be Iowa's starting TE in 2015.
Young (#91) is now playing for Bobby Petrino at Louisville
3.) Trevon Young, Iowa Western; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Now at Louisville, where he is a hybrid DE/outside LB; Appeared in 11 games in 2014 and had 7 tackles, 2.0 TFL, and 1 sack; Was committed to Iowa, but two arrests - third-degree burglary and interference with official acts, and a second December 2012 charge of criminal trespassing forced Iowa into pulling his offer, so he spent 2013 at Iowa Western CC.
4.) Joel Lanning, Iowa State; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Has appeared in one game over two seasons in Ames; He is penciled-in as Iowa State's 3rd-string QB entering the 2015 season.
5.) Ryan Glenn, Iowa State; 3-stars, 5.5 RR; Hasn't appeared in a game over two years in Ames; Missed all of 2015 spring practice with a back disc issue.
