‘Not realistic’ to recruit in Ohio State’s neighborhood: Kirk Ferentz outlines plan to keep winning
In a recent, wide-ranging interview with the Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow, Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz discussed some of the Hawkeyes’ approach to name, image and likeness moving forward. While final details from the university haven’t been released yet, Ferentz said to be on the lookout in the coming weeks.
Leistikow put together a really good write up for Des Moines Register and Hawk Central subscribers that shares Ferentz’s full thoughts from their conversation here.
Hawk Central released a portion of Leistikow’s conversation with Ferentz. In this part of their interview, Ferentz detailed how Iowa has won in the past and why it’s not necessarily feasible for the Hawkeyes to try to get in an NIL recruiting war with programs like Ohio State anyways.
Ferentz also outlined the keys of team building, a reminder that Ohio State’s approach is not the rule and guide for success for every team in Division I football.
“I think what you’ve seen is pretty consistent performance if you look at our win totals in our conference and even actually during that last period since 2015 or the last three years. They’re healthy numbers, and not that we don’t want to do better, not that we can’t do better and we’re always looking to do better, but I think you also have to have an appreciation for how those things happen.
“It’s usually not just about one series or one this or one that, it’s a bigger picture. And for us to win—at least in my estimation—for us to win consistently, we’ve got to play good team-concept football. That’s our best opportunity,” Ferentz said.
Again, as Iowa is ironing out its NIL collective and what the plan will be in the future, Ferentz isn’t suddenly under the impression that the Hawkeyes are fighting a losing recruiting battle against a program like Ohio State.
“Ohio State had two first-round draft picks in the (2023 NFL draft), two first-round receivers this past year. You could argue they’ve got the best quarterback in the country right now and you could also, at least I’ve heard NFL people say, the best receiver is coming back. So, potentially that was three first-rounders they had playing for them out there with a great quarterback.
“We aren’t in that neighborhood. That’s probably not realistic based on the last 20 years. It’s not realistic to think that we’re going to be in that neighborhood. So, you know, they’re doing what’s best for them and we’re trying to do what’s best for us. The ultimate objective is to try to win and find the best way to win, and that’s a combination of offense, defense and special teams, you know, just playing good, complementary football. That’s our, in my estimation, our best chance to be successful,” Ferentz said.
What coach Ferentz is saying holds a truth that many won’t want to think about in college football. The market for recruits is a free one, but it is not played on a level playing field. So many factors come into play.
Location, culture, conference and pro prestige. Coaches, past success, and now NIL opportunities are all factors for prospects to consider. There is a reason why the same programs consistently dominate the recruiting rankings. That tradition keeps building on itself for a variety of reasons and keeps the steady flow of prospects coming in.
There are only a select few teams in the nation who can keep up with Ohio State in the recruiting department, much less in just the Big Ten. There is a reason Ohio State has missed a top-ten recruiting class ranking just twice in the past decade.
While Iowa and Ohio State play in the same conference and fight for the Big Ten crown, the two historically have not been in the same recruiting neighborhood. That is completely fine, though.
Ferentz’s comments here about Iowa’s place in the recruiting pecking order can easily be misinterpreted by some as an excuse. It’s actually why Iowa is successful.
If the Hawkeyes tried to recruit with the Ohio States and Alabamas of the world, they might win a recruiting battle here and there. Overall, though, it would just be playing into those teams’ hands. It is a losing battle. Instead, Iowa must do what helps the team out and maximize its recruiting.
Year after year, Ferentz and his coaching staff bring in players that they know will fit their system and really buy into their team-first mentality. While it might not result in as many four or five-star recruits as some of the bigger schools, Iowa is trying to change that a bit moving forward.
Ferentz’s approach is what’s necessary for the program’s success. It’s why Iowa has been able to finish as a top-25 program consistently, fight for the Big Ten title and consistently churn out NFL players. They focus on finding the right players and building the team their way.
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