Colorado's Purchase likes Jack Trice story, has I-State in favorites list
As one of a trio of schools that stands out to a Colorado cornerback in the 2021 class, Iowa State’s appeal comes in a number of areas including the story of how its football facility became known as Jack Trice Stadium.
Greenwood Village rising senior Myles Purchase, who said he’s dug into most everything about the school and football program, believes the Cyclones are one of his best options.
“What really stood out to me on a recent Zoom call was the story behind Jack Trice,” said Purchase during an in-person interview with CycloneReport.com earlier this week. “I really didn’t know anything about it until they showed me about it. I really think that’s a great tradition that they follow.
“I’ve also been doing my research on the school itself, about the city and college town. There’s no real professional team there, so the fan base shows a lot of support towards Iowa State and the Cyclones. The fans show a lot of priority to Iowa State. I really like that as well.”
As the Cyclones compete against other Power-5 offers such as Kansas and Kansas State, in addition to others in the G5 ranks, Purchase said it’s been important to him to learn the football program is serious about competing at a high level.
“They showed me the new things that they’re building, like the new facility and locker rooms,” he said. “They’ve also shown me the different floors and the plan on how they’re building it. Coach (Derek) Hoodjer sent me some pictures of the stage they’re at right now. I saw a video of some of the guys in the dorms and I really liked they energy they had there.”
The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Purchase received an offer from the Cyclones in late-May, but has been unable to visit Ames over the past six weeks due to the extended dead period.
In the absence of an in-person look at I-State, Purchase said he’s developed a solid relationship with assistant Matthew Caponi.
“My recruiting process is going pretty well,” Purchase said. “I’m building a lot of different relationships with coaches. With Iowa State, I’ve been talking to Coach Caponi a lot. I got on a Zoom call a couple weeks ago, just learning about the program, stadium and tradition at Iowa State. I really liked that a lot. I like how I’m building a relationship with the coaching staff. I’m supposed to talk to Coach (Matt) Campbell in the near future and am looking forward to that.”
Caponi and Purchase have also delved into how the cornerback could be used in the defense if he signs as a member of the 2021 class.
“They think I play into their defense really well,” Purchase said. “I got into a Zoom call right after they offered me and we talked about the scheme and how they play with the corners. They just think I fit really well in the defense that they run. The defensive coaches like the versatility that I play with. Like in Cover-4 that we play, their defense is kind of similar to that at my school.”
In addition to getting the coaching staff’s perspective, Purchase said he’s hearing frequently from members of the Cyclones’ 15-man 2021 class.
“They’re telling me it’s a great place to go and are showing me love,” he said. “They want me to come to the school. I like talking to them and getting their views on everything.”
The Colorado defensive back said the Cyclones have now moved into his list of favorites.
“Iowa State is definitely one of my top schools,” Purchase said. “I would say the schools that I’m focusing on a lot right now are Iowa State, Kansas State and Tulane.
“I really like what they’ve been doing the past couple years, a lot of winning and building a winning culture. I really like the coaching staff. I really like how I could fit into the defense. I feel like I can excel at the next level with Iowa State.”
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