Click here for the Hawkeye Insider article on Duzey’s decision.

Duzey is a 6-foot-4, 215 lb TE/H-Back/WR from Athens H.S. in Troy, Michigan. Duzey is rated three stars by both Scout and Rivals. He picked Iowa over Cincinnati, Michigan State, Oregon, Purdue and several other programs.

Check out iowahawkeyesblog on YouTube for more videos.

Wednesday has been a busy day for the Iowa Hawkeyes, as they added two new commitments to their 2011 recruiting class.

Ray Hamilton, a TE out of  Strongsville H.S. in Ohio, and John Raymon, a DE/TE from Council Rock H.S. North (Newtown, PA), pledged their allegiances to the black and gold this afternoon.

Hamilton is ranked a three-star recruit by both Scout and Rivals. He is a big kid at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds but can move, claiming a 4.70 40-yard dash. What’s most impressive is the list of schools Hamilton turned down to become a Hawkeye. That list includes Boston College, California, Cincinnati, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Stanford, West Virginia and Wisconsin–among others.

Scoutingohio.com has some good video footage of Hamilton in action. Looks like your typical Iowa tight end–and that’s saying something.

Raymon is listed primarily as a DE. He’s only a couple of pounds bigger than Hamilton at 235 and is 6-foot-5, as well. Neither Rivals or Scout hasRaymon ranked but he attracted offers from Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina State, Purdue, Temple and West Virginia.

Iowa Recruiting Review

Not including Raymon, as his main position is presumably DE, five of the Hawkeyes’ seven commitments are either TEs or WRs. Raymon is the first defensive recruit. This will even itself out but I’d like to see the Hawkeyes make a splash with some higher-ranked defensive recruits, mainly defensive linemen (like Raymon) and linebackers. Looking at the latest depth chart from Rivals, a lot of seniors pop up at those two positions–first and second string.

In another note, it’s always good to see home-grown kids on the list. The Hawkeyes have welcomed two Iowa natives to the team, OL Austin Blythe (Williamsburg) and TE Henry Kreiger-Coble (Mt. Pleasant).

Rivals has Blythe listed as Iowa’s only four-star recruit so far. Scout ranks Blythe three-stars.

According to Rivals, Iowa has recruited fairly well with Blythe (four stars) and JaCorey Shepherd (WR), Ray Hamilton (RB), and Marcus Grant (RB) all ranked at three stars. With Blythe ranked only three stars and Grant dropped to two on Scout, the Hawkeyes look as though they’ve done an average job recruiting this offseason–but it’s hard to tell and there’s still a long way to go.

Here are links to the sites’ Iowa recruit lists:

Scout

Rivals

Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes will once again find themselves playing “catch-up” with Ohio State in terms of recruiting. The Buckeyes have already claimed two five-star and seven four-star players, according the Scout.

Hope that didn’t ruin your evening.

I’m just going to come out and say it. Track is an awesome sport.

It’s even more awesome when I have the chance to attend as a member of the media (for the Iowa Sports Connection, not my blog) and get a front row seat to watch the spectacular display of athletics. Aside from all the excitement, I also got to watch several future Iowa Hawkeyes tear up the Blue Oval at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

Here is a list of the future Hawkeyes and how they fared at State.

Austin Blythe, Williamsburg, Class 3A (2011 OL Recruit)

Shot Put: 7th

Discus: 15th

John Chelf, Iowa City High, Class 4A (2010 WR Walk-on)

400 Meter Hurdles: 10th

Shuttle Hurdle Relay: 10th in Preliminaries (Team did not advance to finals)

Blake Haluska, Carroll, Class 3A (2010 QB Walk-on)

100 Meter Dash: 11th in Preliminaries (Did not advance)

200 Meter Dash: 16th in Preliminaries (Did not advance)

Tanner Miller, Mid-Prairie, Class 2A (2010 S Recruit)

Tanner Miller gets set for the start of the Class 2A 400 Meter Hurdles

110 Meter Hurdles: 2nd

400 Meter Hurdles: 1st

200 Meter Dash: 2nd

4×400 Meter Relay: 4th

James Morris, Solon, Class 2A (2010 LB Recruit)

4×100 Meter Relay: 1st

4×200 Meter Relay: 2nd

Shuttle Hurdle Relay: 2nd

Shot Put: 4th

Brandon Scherff, Denison-Schleswig, Class 3A (2010 OL Recruit)

Shot Put: 1st

Discus: 3rd

Iowa Prep Sports — Iowa Hawkeyes OL recruit Austin Blythe (Williamsburg H.S.) and Christian French (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) have been nominated to participate in next year’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

For the full story, click here.

Williamsburg, Iowa product Austin Blythe is the Iowa Hawkeyes’ third recruit for the 2011 recruiting season. The 6-foot-3 275-pounder is listed by Scout as a three-star OG and was recruited by the Hawkeyes to fill the offensive trenches.

The website ranks Blythe as the 28th overall OG. According to Scout, Blythe had scholarship offers to play ball from Iowa State, Kansas State, Stanford and Wisconsin.

Blythe is not rated by Rivals.

All of Iowa’s recruits thus far have been from the offensive side of the ball. Blythe played both sides of the line but excelled as a guard, where he was a Class 2A all-state selection.

Blythe is also a two-time defending champion in wrestling…any other Iowa wrestling fans licking their chops? His accomplishments are enough to get any fan of the mat excited.

It’s doubtful, however, that Kirk Ferentz will allow Blythe to pull double duty. The last Hawkeye to do that was reserve fullback/linebacker Jordan McLaughlin in the 2006-07 season after the wrestling squad suffered multiple injuries at 197 and Hwt.

McLaughlin debuted with a pin, imagine what Blythe could do.

For now, Blythe is expected to merely put his wrestling skills to use at the guard or possibly center position for the Hawkeyes. It may be best to just focus on football anyway.

Check out the rest of Iowa’s 2011 recruits here.

Hey, maybe Erik Campbell likes ‘em with no ego. I can’t complain.

Iowa has two early commits on its 2011 list and neither of them have spectacular credentials. But that likely means they won’t come with an attitude.

They are: Marcus Grant of Lawrence Academy (Groton, MA) and JaCorey Shepherd of Horn (Mesquite, TX).

Neither are ranked by Scout or Rivals.

Grant is 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and a Boston Herald All-Scholastic selection. He grabbed 22 passes for 413 yards and six touchdowns. He also returned three punts for scores. Connecticut and Syracuse offered and Boston College showed some interest, according to Rivals.

Shepherd is on the small end at 5-foot-11, 170 pounds but hauled in 46 snags for 669 yards and six touchdowns. He was District 11-5A offensive newcomer of the year in 2009. Rivals shows Shepherd as having been offered a scholarship from Wyoming as well.

Also, I trust Erik Campbell’s judgement. He was one of those responsible for developing Steve Breaston, Jason Avant, Mario Manningham, and Braylon Edwards. It’s possible he sees something worth developing in these two.

Also, it’s important to note that they still have a season of ball left to play.

Scout.com shows the Iowa Hawkeyes have thrown their name into the ring for three five-star recruits for 2011. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on whether these high school studs drop the Hawkeyes from their list of possible colleges or stick with them for the long haul.

Below is a list of the three athletes and a brief reason why they would fit in at Iowa.

Cyrus Kouandjio OT (6-6, 291) Dematha Catholic H.S. (Hyattsville, MD)

Kouandjio is from the same school as incoming freshman RB, Marcus Coker. Who wouldn’t love to block for a former teammate at the next level?

Braxton Miller QB (6-3.5, 199) Wayne H.S. (Huber Heights, OH)

Because everybody else goes to Ohio State. It’s time for somebody to step up to the plate and be a true trailblazer.

Jameel Poteat RB (5-11, 200) Bishop McDevitt H.S. (Harrisburg, PA)

After Robinson, Hampton, Wegher and Coker get done tearing up Big Ten defenses, it’ll be Poteat’s turn.

Extra Info:

The Hawkeyes are also interested in 11 four-start recruits.

Austin Blythe of Williamsburg is the first possible Hawkeye-state recruit listed at three stars.

Tanner Miller’s recruitment ride started out slow.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound basketball, track and football athlete out of Mid Prairie High School (Wellman, Iowa) was holding on to preferred walk-on offers from Iowa State and Nebraska, an 80-percent scholarship offer from Northern Iowa and full ride offers from South Dakota and South Dakota State.

He also received attention from smaller basketball programs and an offer to continue his track success at Missouri.

Miller, who grew up in a Hawkeye black and gold community, had accepted the football offer from Northern Iowa.

But then a phone call came on the bus ride home from a basketball game on Feb. 1. Iowa Hawkeyes’ head coach Kirk Ferentz was on the other end with a full-ride scholarship offer.

Miller pounced on the offer. His basketball teammates celebrated.

The Hawkeyes rounded out their 2010 recruiting class with Miller’s commitment. Miller will take a shot at safety for the Hawkeyes this season.

In the past, the last guy on board for the Hawkeyes has been prone to success.

Some notables who have been final additions include NFL tight end Brandon Myers and next year’s starter at tight end, Allen Reisner.

Miller Could Follow Suit

He’s got the head to succeed at Iowa, no need to worry there. Miller was a member of the prep honor roll with a 3.56 GPA. Also, kids coming out of small Iowa communities tend to have that motivation and work ethic Ferentz wants out of his athletes prepackaged.

As a multi-sport standout, he’s got the versatility and athleticism to succeed at the U of I. Miller earned four letters in track as a hurdler and sprinter. He won the 400-meter hurdles state title as a junior. His time of 53 seconds was one of the Top 25 times in the nation.

Miller, however, excelled in football. In his senior season, Miller racked up 68 tackles as a free safety and totaled 1,846 yards and 23 touchdowns as a running back. Miller was also a punter, averaging 38 yards per boot.

Miller holds multiple school records including career points (513), single season points (266), touchdowns in a game (6), touchdowns in a season (32 his junior year), career rushing yards (4,004) and rushing yards in a single season (2,034).

But what stands out the most is Miller’s resemblance to current Iowa safety Tyler Sash.

Miller vs. Sash

Miller’s size is similar to Sash (6-foot-1, 210 pounds) and they were both known for their excellent running abilities in high school—perhaps more so in Miller’s case. Both played defensive back and running back.

Both were two-time first team all-state selections. While Sash’s sophomore season was a bit more impressive with a third team all-state selection, Miller didn’t lag far in comparison with his first team all-district selection in his sophomore year.

As far as recruiting goes, well, nobody can honestly say they saw Sash’s success coming. He held offers from just Iowa and Iowa State, while Kansas and Northern Iowa also took notice.

Miller’s recruiting experience was similar, if not just a bit more under the radar. I’ll bet not too many people will be able to say they saw him coming if he succeeds at Iowa.

I guess we’ll see what happens. It’s probably unlikely Miller will see much playing time at safety with Sash and second team all-Big Ten media selection Brett Greenwood. With the transfer of David Cato, however, Miller may have an opportunity to move up on the depth chart.

Miller might also be the next big-play guy on special teams for the Hawkeyes. He might also need a year or two to develop.

Only time will tell, but I’d set your sights on Miller as a player to watch come fall.

James Morris’ passion for sports extends beyond the gridiron to the mat.

Though he’ll lend the University of Iowa his linebacking skills for the next four years, Morris has made a statement in this year’s Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament.

While Morris may have a tad more success on the football field, having helped lead Solon High School to its third straight state football championship, he shares his love for wrestling with many of his fellow Iowa athletes.

Iowans love their football whether it’s high school, college or professional. The Hawkeyes’ trumping of Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl shows promise for a team that has most the state excited for the 2010 season.

But for Iowans, wrestling is more than a sport. Calling it a way of life may come off as far too cliche but it’s simply a truth for many Iowans.

Iowa and wrestling are as inseparable as Canada and hockey.

Wrestling is a one-on-one battle against you and your opponent. It takes hard work, determination, passion and guts. As the legendary, former University of Iowa wrestling coach Dan Gable once said:

“Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy.”

The sport represents the pride and work ethic of the Midwest.

Many kids first learned wrestling in their own living rooms from their father, or from an older brother who learned it from their father and wanted an excuse to “hone their skills” on a little twerp.

Making it to the Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament is a feat in itself. James Morris is one of many young Iowans who have stood tests of endurance, strength, patience and pure heart.

Morris entered the tournament with an impressive 34-0 record but was handed his first defeat in the Class 3A 215-pound quarterfinals Friday afternoon by Senior Ryan Fank of Independence (40-2).

Morris will wrestle Logan Johnson of Algona High School tonight for a chance to wrestle for third place—no small accomplishment in the country’s best high school wrestling showcase.

Just placing is reason enough to hang your head high and Morris won’t finish any worse than sixth place.

No matter where he stands on the podium when it’s all said and done, Morris has shown that he has the right traits to make a mark in Norm Paker’s Iowa defense.

Hopefully for Morris, now that his wrestling career winds down, everything else will be easy.

Read this article and more Iowa Hawkeyes coverage on Bleacherreport.com.

Five-star recruits Cyrus Kouandjio and Jameel Poteat are on Scout.com’s 2011 recruiting board for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

It’s not too early for speculation, right?

Even though this could amount to a crap shoot so early in the game, Kirk Ferentz and his recruiting staff appear to have their sights set high for 2011. Notice all the four-star athletes, too!

Kouandjio is 2011′s No. 1 offensive tackle out of DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville, Md.)–the same school of future Hawkeye RB Marcus Coker. He stands at 6-foot-6 and hits 291 pounds on the scales. While that may seem smallish, remember he’s still got his senior season to develop and add some bulk.

Watch Kouandjio’s Scout.com video. The big guy is relentless, pushing defenders back twenty yards plus!

I’ve already forgotten that kid who went to USC.

Jameel Poteat is Scout.com’s No. 5 RB recruit for 2011 out of Bishop McDevitt High School (Harrisburg, Penn.). He is 5-foot-11, 200 pounds. He’s another physically focused back who runs a 4.48 40.

If the Hawkeyes can stay in the running for these recruits down the stretch–and record another solid season–look for Iowa to possibly return to the top 10 in recruiting classes.

Let’s just hope looking for star athletes this time around pays off for Ferentz and his crew. We don’t want a repeat of how the last top 10 class disintegrated.