Noel says fit in Cyclone offense, communication have kept them in mix
Getting through the door with an offer first and continuing to show a Kansas City (Mo.) wide receiver the love in the months that have followed could help the Cyclones land one of the top prospects on their 2021 wish list.
Park Hill junior Jaylin Noel, who recently released a top-six that included Iowa State, had nothing but positives to say about the program during a recent in-person interview with Cyclone Report.
“Iowa State has really been in contact with me consistently,” said Noel. “Each day, Coach Nate (Scheelhaase), my lead recruiter and the receivers coach, is in touch. He asks how I’m doing, when I’m coming up for my next visit and how school is going. I hear from them every day and they’re trying to keep in touch with me. I am still very interested in Iowa State.
“They’ve been there since the beginning. They were the first Division I offer I had. They’ve stuck in there and shown real interest in me. They’re showing that I could be a real factor at that school with how I could fit into the program. It’s given me insight into how I could be there and do big things.”
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Noel, a three-star recruit with a 5.6 Rivals rating that's considered the 11th-overall prospect in Missouri for the 2021 class, is being recruited to slot into the role former Cyclone star Deshaunte Jones occupied throughout his college career.
Having watched ISU’s offense perform several times, Noel said he likes its potential if he entered the mix starting in 2021.
“Coach (Matt) Campbell’s thing with the ‘M’ position…he feels like he is the founder of the position and how they utilize it,” Noel said. “They feel like I can be a really good M-receiver for them and do everything that they want that position to do. I could be that next big guy and help the program.
“When I sat down with Coach Nate, it was really about Deshaunte Jones and what he does, how his game compares to mine and how I could do some things just as good if not better than him. He’s the exact person they’re comparing me to.”
The Kansas City junior said he’s also excited about the possibility of playing with quarterback Brock Purdy for a season, assuming the starter returns for his senior year and doesn’t turn pro.
“I watched the things he can do and this past season with some of the records he’s broken and numbers he’s put up in that offense,” Noel said. “It’s really cool, seeing that they’ve been at the top of the list for a lot of passing statistics. They’re big in passing and getting their playmakers the ball. That’s a big deal for me.”
Next up for Noel is a June official visit to ISU, where he will get an even more intimate look at the program.
“I have scheduled my official visit for June 19th through the 21st,” he said. “They’ve been there since the beginning, so I definitely want to take that (trip). It’s a top priority for me to come up and visit. I’m anxious to check out more about the culture.
“I want to know if it stays consistent, which I think it will. I want to get more in-depth with the education, because that’s a big thing for me. I want to see how the players and coaches live their normal day through being at Iowa State. I want to get to know the people there more and being able to know I could be comfortable around them.”
Noel has also expressed interest in taking unofficial visits to Nebraska, Kansas State and Wisconsin, but those trips are now in flux given a dead period which will last until April 15th.
Asked what has made the Cyclones unique amongst his list of favorites, Noel said it was his fit in the system and the length of time Scheelhaase and company have been involved.
“They’ve really expressed to me how important I would be to their program and offense,” he said. “They said I could help change the program and better the program. They’ve given me an idea of what I could do there. They were there first for me and that’s a big thing in my recruitment.”
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