Noel nears decision date, still between Iowa State, Nebraska
Iowa State has secured a commitment from the outside receiver it likes the most in the 2021 class, and has long coveted a Kansas City (Mo.) rising senior for the inside role.
Park Hill standout Jaylin Noel, a three-star prospect with a 5.6 Rivals rating and the 11th overall prospect in Missouri for next year’s class, has narrowed his final list to a pair of schools: ISU and Nebraska.
“I don’t have a certain date that I’m going to make an announcement,” said Noel, who was a former high school teammate of incoming Cyclone freshman defensive end Johnny Wilson.
“It will be sooner than later. Right now, I’m just feeling comfortable with the process and taking my time. I’m pretty confident in what I’ve seen of the two schools. I’ve been able to visit both, which is really good for me and puts me in a good spot. I’ve seen their programs and what they have to offer. The next is really just making a decision on what school is best for me.”
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Noel arrived at his final two after eliminating other Power-5 offers such as Iowa, Kansas State, Minnesota, Vanderbilt, Washington State and Wisconsin.
In keeping the Cyclones in his mix, Noel said it’s mainly due to the connections he’s built with members of Matt Campbell’s staff.
“Of course, the relationships I have with the coaches,” Noel said. “Their coaching staff is a really good group of guys that knows me and understands what I’m capable of. They can put me in a position to be successful on and off the field. They can help me achieve my dream of reaching the NFL.
“The relationships I’ve built with them are really good. Each day, the relationship between me and the coaching staff gets better. We get to know each other better. They’ve done a great job of recruiting me. The new strength coach they’ve brought in is really good. He has a resume of getting guys to the NFL, such as Aaron Donald. Those two things really stick out to me right now.”
Although he wasn’t able to take the June official visit he had scheduled to Ames, Noel said he still has a good feel for the program. He took a game day visit to ISU last September and returned for a Junior Day on February 1st.
“They’ve been consistent with the Facetime calls, Zoom calls and phone calls,” he said. “I’ve been in touch with the academic advisors and strength coach. I’ve even spoke to the athletic director. They’ve been pretty busy keeping me in the loop and up to date on everything that goes in there.
“They said I’m their (inside) receiver that they want in this class and am the priority there. If I was to join that class and commit to Iowa State, I would be a big piece and be the leader of that class going in.”
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