ISU gets post-visit commitment from Arizona RB
Iowa State finally got the bell cow running back it needed in the Class of 2021 on Sunday, snagging a commitment from a borderline four-star prospect from the state of Arizona. Matt Campbell's coaching staff also scored a huge victory over in-state rival Iowa on the recruiting trail.
Chandler senior Eli Sanders had de-committed from Boise State last month and visited both Ames and Iowa City over the weekend. Although those visits were not school-sponsored ones, they allowed the 6-foot-0, 190-pound Sanders to lay eyes on the two Power-5 programs that became his finalists in recent weeks.
Immersed in a deep playoff run with his high school team, one that ended with a Class 6A state championship game victory in which he ran for 131 yards and two touchdowns, Sanders opted not to sign during the December period to further weigh his options. He de-committed from the Broncos a short time after its head coach Bryan Harsin departed for Auburn.
Iowa State's backfield had become quite depleted in the weeks that followed a 34-17 victory over Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl in Sanders' home state, as senior Kene Nwangwu passed up his free year and running back/wide receiver Johnnie Lang entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. That left just two scholarship running backs, Breece Hall and Jirehl Brock, returning to the mix in 2021.
Having the opportunity to play alongside Hall and join incoming scat back Deon Silas were two draws for Sanders in becoming a Cyclone.
“Breece is a great running back and I could learn a lot from him and things like that,” said Sanders in a prior interview with Cyclone Report. “They’re bringing in another running back in my class (Silas) and we’ve talked before. I followed him on Twitter and we started messaging each other. We got our social medias, our numbers and Facetime here and there.
“Our relationship has been growing from there. We’re kind of close and getting to know each other a little more. He’s telling me the team they’re building up there is going to be different and the atmosphere is great. He says it’s a family up there.”
In 10 games as a senior, Sanders rushed for 1,377 yards and 23 touchdowns on 183 carries. He also caught 16 passes out of the backfield for 173 yards and another score.
