Iowa recruiting: Projecting roles for the Hawkeyes' 2018 football signees
Matthew BainIOWA CITY, Ia. — Letters of intent began flowing into Iowa City at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning. We'll update this story as each of Iowa's new 2018 recruits officially become signees.
Kaevon Merriweather
Signed at 8:04 a.m.
S: 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, Belleville (Michigan)
Rivals: 2 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Hawkcentral.com Projection: Merriweather is raw and likely won't see the field right away. He projects as a strong safety but he could grow into a linebacker.
HAWKEYE FILM ROOM:Physical Merriweather is what Iowa wants on defense
Jayden McDonald
Signed at 8:31 a.m.
LB: 6-2, 200, North Gwinnett (Georgia)
Rivals: 3 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: McDonald projects as a play-making weak-side linebacker. He'll need to add some weight and strength as a freshman, but don't be surprised if he cracks the rotation as a sophomore.
FILM ROOM:Jayden McDonald is perfect fit for 4-3 defense
Logan Klemp
Signed at 10:17 a.m.
LB: 6-3, 210, South Hamilton (Jewell, Iowa)
Rivals: 2 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: Klemp dominated Class 1A Iowa high school football. There's obviously a huge leap up to Big Ten Conference football, but he's got size and speed you can work with to make a highly productive linebacker down the road.
FILM ROOM:Klemp was his team's top WR, and his hands prove it
Nico Ragaini
WR: 6-0, 185, Avon Old Farms (Connecticut)
Rivals: 2 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: Ragaini is interesting. He's already the age of a college freshman, as he played a post-graduate year at Avon Old Farms this season. He doesn't boast great size or speed, but his film looks good. You could have said the same thing about Nick Easley.
Already signed
Julius Brents
Signed in December, but Iowa officially announced at 7:57 a.m.
DB: 6-2, 180, Warren Central (Indianapolis)
Rivals: 4 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: An elite athlete with a nearly 40-inch vertical, Brents projects at safety or cornerback.
FILM ROOM:4-star DB Brents has tools for success at safety or cornerback
D.J. Johnson
Signed in December, but Iowa officially announced at 8:03 a.m.
CB: 6-0, 170, North Central (Indianapolis)
Rivals: 3 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: Johnson projects as a cornerback at Iowa. With Josh Jackson leaving and no clear frontrunners for the starting jobs, Johnson will have a shot. Needs to add strength, though.
Henry Geil
RB: 6-1, 215, Preble (Wisconsin)
Rivals: 3 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: Geil already has a college-ready frame. The rate of acclimation to the speed and power of Big Ten football will determine how early he sees the field. But running back is one of the easiest transitions to make between the high school and college levels.
Tyrone Tracy
WR: 6-0, 187, Decatur Central (Indianapolis)
Rivals: 3 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: Easley and Ihmir Smith-Marsette are likely the top two receivers next season. Tracy will compete with Brandon Smith and Devonte Young, among others, for the next in line.
John Waggoner
DE: 6-5, 245, West Des Moines Dowling Catholic (West Des Moines)
Rivals: 4 stars; 247Sports: 4 stars
Projections: With his frame and speed, Waggoner projects as a productive Big Ten defensive end. Don't expect to see him on the field as a freshman, though. Iowa's current crop of defensive ends is too good.
FILM ROOM:John Waggoner has ideal pass-rusher traits for Iowa's scheme
Spencer Petras
QB: 6-5, 225, Marin Catholic (Greenbrae, California)
Rivals: 4 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: With Tyler Wiegers and Ryan Boyle gone, Petras could be the No. 2 as soon as this fall. He's already on campus as an early-enrollee.
FILM ROOM:Petras' pocket presence, live arm stand out
Dallas Craddieth
S: 6-1, 197, Hazelwood Central (St. Louis)
Rivals: 4 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: Craddieth is too talented, fast and strong to keep off the field. He's got a chance to crack the depth chart in a secondary that needs some help next year. But he'll almost certainly get special teams reps.
FILM ROOM:Hard-hitting S Dallas Craddieth looks every bit like a future star
Calvin Lockett
WR: 6-2, 160, Largo (Largo, Florida)
Rivals: 3 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projections: Lockett will need to bulk up plenty before he sees the field. Of course, we said the same thing about Smith-Marsette — although he came in at 175 pounds.
Jeffrey Jenkins
OG: 6-4, 270, Prairie Ridge (Crystal Lake, Illinois)
Rivals: 3 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: Jenkins projects as a solid contributor on the line a couple years down the road. Very hard to crack the offensive line rotation as a freshman. (Tristan Wirfs is an anomaly.)
Tyler Linderbaum
DT: 6-2, 270, Solon (Solon)
Rivals: 3 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: Once he finds a balance between size and speed with strength coach Chris Doyle, Linderbaum has a chance to be impressive. He's also a prototype center, and played that position in high school. We'll see what Iowa does here.
MORE:Linderbaum shows off explosive first step at U.S. Army All-American Bowl
Noah Shannon
DT: 6-1, 300, Oswego (Oswego, Illinois)
Rivals: 3 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: Shannon is a big body who will need some time to acclimate to the speed of the college game. Like Linderbaum, he'll need work with Doyle to find his balance of size/strength and speed.
Dillon Doyle
LB: 6-3, 215, Iowa City West (Iowa City)
Rivals: 3 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: With a full spring head start and a great frame entering college, Doyle could compete for time at linebacker. Not saying he'll get it — that's so hard for a freshman to do. But he'll make everyone around him better through competition.
Jack Plumb
OT: 6-8, 250, Bay Port (Green Bay, Wisconsin)
Rivals: 3 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: If Iowa can mold his frame into that of a college offensive tackle, Plumb could be very good down the line. You can't teach 6-8. The issue will be preventing defensive ends from staying low and getting leverage, but this is what Iowa is known for developing.
Seth Benson
LB: 6-1, 210, Sioux Falls Washington (South Dakota)
Rivals: 2 stars; 247Sports: 2 stars
Projection: An under-the-radar pickup, Benson projects as a solid piece in the linebacker rotation down the road.
Cody Ince
OT: 6-5, 260, Unity (Balsam Lake, Wisconsin)
Rivals: 3 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: Ince projects as a solid piece of Iowa's offensive line rotation down the road. Will need time with Doyle, but has prototype frame.
Samson Evans
ATH: 6-1, 205, Prairie Ridge (Crystal Lake, Illinois)
Rivals: 2 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: A dual-threat quarterback in high school, Evans projects as a slot receiver/running back/jack-of-all-trades for Iowa. He may see the field sooner than you think, simply because he can do so much.
Terry Roberts
CB: 5-10, 171, Cathedral Prep (Erie, Pennsylvania)
Rivals: 3 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: Roberts is quick and can elevate with taller receivers. He'll need to add plenty of weight before he sees the field.
Daviyon Nixon
DT: 6-5, 295, Iowa Western Community College
Rivals: 3 stars; 247Sports: 3 stars
Projection: A stalwart for Iowa Western with an Alabama offer, Nixon could start for Iowa next year. He's already on campus as a mid-year transfer. His body is Big Ten-ready. He's got speed and power, and he dominated some of the best junior-college talent in the country this fall.
MORE:How Daviyon Nixon stuck with Iowa, despite his Alabama offer
Riley Moss
DB: 6-1, 182, Ankeny Centennial (Ankeny)
Rivals: 2 stars; 247Sports: 2 stars
Projection: Moss is a blueshirt, which basically means he's a walk-on until he gets on scholarship in the spring. He'll start competing for snaps next spring.
Matthew Bain covers college football and basketball recruiting for the Des Moines Register. He also helps out with Iowa and Iowa State football and basketball coverage for HawkCentral and Cyclone Insider. Contact him at mbain@dmreg.com and follow him on Twitter @MatthewBain_.