I-State coaches covet bigger Michigan back in 2021 class
Although Iowa State got a commitment from a smaller running back over the weekend in Florida’s Deon Silas, the coaching staff could also opt to add a bigger three-down option in the mold of a Breece Hall in the 2021 class. One of the top prospects to take that scholarship is from Michigan.
Portage Northern junior Anthony Tyus said he’s in constant contact with area recruiter D.K. McDonald and is getting a good feel for the program and University, despite the NCAA currently blocking on-campus visits due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Everything is going great,” said Tyus, a three-star prospect who has attained a 5.6 Rivals rating. “I’ve heard from Coach McDonald the most. He’s been sending me videos of the campus, talking to me and texting me. Communication has been great.
The biggest thing that separates him from other coaches, is that he’s been sending me workout schedules to help during the current circumstances. He asks me how everything is going and checks up. I really like the culture down there at Iowa State. The campus looks beautiful. So far, they look pretty good.”
In addition to ISU, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Tyus has Power-5 offers from Indiana, Michigan State and Northwestern. Last fall, the running back carried 199 times for 1,861 yards and 19 touchdowns on his way to first-team all-state honors. Rivals also considers him the 22nd overall recruit in Michigan and 42nd running back nationally in the 2021 class.
According to Tyus, I-State covets him as a running back that could be used in variety of roles.
“They seem pretty excited to be recruiting me and really want me to be a Cyclone,” he said. “They like that I’m a bigger running back, but not just a big running back that’s one cut and downhill. I’m able to move better than most big running backs can. Being 6-foot-1 and 213 pounds, they said I move like a back that’s 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds.”
The offense run in Ames is also a positive for Tyus.
“I like that they’re not just like a passing team or running team,” he said. “They like to mix it up. They like to get the running back out in space and the ball downhill. They use the running back in any way possible.”
A visit sometime in the future remains a possibility, says Portage Northern standout, but he hasn’t planned anything yet.
“We haven’t talked about too much, because we don’t know what’s going to happen with summer stuff with the NCAA and dead periods,” Tyus said. “Everything is crazy and chaotic right now.”
Although he’s being kept from visiting ISU and other colleges right now, Tyus is tackling the pandemic with a positive mindset.
“I’d love to be able to get on campus to get a feel for the actual environments,” he said. “I’ll probably play things out a little while and maybe when the summer starts (I’ll start whittling down my list). But under the circumstances, everything is going great.
“Coaches are reaching out and I’m reaching out. Communication has been great with a lot of coaches. This is a hard time for juniors, because this is when we go on recruiting visits and campus. This is the last recruiting offseason to get noticed.”
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