Defensive end priority in '21 class goes in-depth on first virtual visit
The entire Cyclone coaching staff has made it apparent that a Lone Star State prospect is a priority in the 2021 class and made their biggest pitch yet yesterday.
Haslet (Texas) Eaton rising senior Jayden Gray got his first intimate look at the Iowa State football program and academic offerings during a virtual visit.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Gray, who had been committed to North Texas before opening things up earlier this month, went in-depth on everything he experienced.
“We scheduled it with Coach (Derek) Hoodjer and Coach (Eli) Rasheed hopped on there with me,” said Gray, who has also secured Power-5 offers from Northwestern and Virginia Tech. “It was me and my dad, and my mom was watching from the side. At first, they broke down the academic stuff. We walked around the campus and they showed me some videos. They gave me some history of the campus. They had some pictures of a lot of the buildings around the area. It was cool to get a view of the campus. It’s a big campus, but not so big that I would need a car every day to get place to place.
“Then, we started heading into the football stuff and I got to see the huge indoor (facility). I got to see a video of the new (Sports Performance Center). I saw the meeting rooms, the practice fields and a good view of the stadium. They showed me a video of all the new stuff. I really liked the hangout area for the guys with a PlayStation and TVs. On the outskirts was the locker room. I saw the new academic center that they’re building, which was super nice. My whole family and I loved everything that they showed us.”
Gray, whose father Jonathan was an All-Big 12 offensive line at Texas Tech in the late-90s, said the virtual visit further solidified ISU’s standing with him but that he hopes to soon check out the program first-hand.
“This was my first one and it made a great impression on me,” Gray said. “Everything I saw was something I would want to be a part of. My dad, who had already been through the process, asked when are we signing. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. I know that if I take care of my part, I’ll be taken care of by them.
“My whole family was already a huge advocate for Iowa State, so this was like the cherry on the top. I still want to go up there on a visit. Seeing something through a screen can only give you so much of a feel. I really want to catch a game and get that feeling first-hand. I want to try on the cardinal and gold uniform and go through that. But for the time being, I’m really glad I got to do that. It gave me more of a reason to choose Iowa State.”
Not only did Gray catch a glimpse of the Cyclone football program from the coaching staff’s perspective, but he also visited on the phone with a pair of commits in running back Deon Silas and tight end Tyler Moore.
“I talked to Deon and we were chopping it up,” Gray said. “I also got on the phone with Tyler and he said that I’ve got to do what’s best for me, but that they’d love to have me as a Cyclone. He told me what happened with his recruitment and what’s going on with his football. We chopped it up and built a good connection. I told him the same thing, that Iowa State was at the top of my list and I didn’t want to rush anything.”
Other I-State commits in the 2021 class have also reached out to Gray in hopes of landing him. It’s been a role reversal of sorts for Gray, after he played a similar role while pledged to his first school.
“When I committed to North Texas, I was trying to get guys to come in with us and build those connections,” he said. “Now I’m one of those guys that (Iowa State commits) are trying to get to come in. I’m building relationships with those guys. Talking to those guys on the phone, it would be cool to hang out with them sometime or when I get there. I’d love to chop it up with them. We all have the same goals.”
In search of their first verbal at his position for the 2021 class, Gray has become the focal point of the staff’s recruiting efforts after recording 54 tackles and eight sacks as a junior.
“I know that they have two defensive tackles (committed) and they’re still looking for defensive ends,” he said. “They have other guys that they’ve offered out there. I’m just taking my time and not rushing into anything. But they know that I’m super-psyched about them.
“I get the feeling that me and my family are a top priority for them. I’m on calls with them every other day. Coach (Colby) Kratch and Coach Hoodjer are always saying how they would love to have me. I have the same energy about Iowa State. Iowa State is leading my recruitment and is my number-one school. I’m leaning really heavy on Iowa State. I just don’t want to rush anything.”
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