Bevins accepts ISU offer

Collin Bevins expects to have “goosebumps” the first time he runs out of the tunnel onto the field for a home game at Jack Trice Stadium.

The same tingles he felt the first time he saw Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads’ emotional speech after a victory at Nebraska on Oct. 24, 2009. Rhoads’ “I’m so proud to be your coach” speech became a YouTube sensation.

Bevins, a senior this fall at Creston High School, gave his verbal commitment to Rhoads early Tuesday afternoon on his way to an orthodontist’s appointment in Indianola. It’s a reminder that ISU is getting a “young” high school senior. (The 6-foot-5, 240-pounder recruited as a defensive end won’t turn 18 until a month after he graduates from high school.)

“He’s a young kid, and as a junior prospect he was raw,” said current Creston/O-M offensive line coach Ryan McKim, who was assistant recruiting coordinator at ISU until August 2010. “He’s grown a little and we liked the frame. He came to a bunch of camps this summer and impressed the guys.”

Bevins was extended a scholarship offer by Iowa State on Friday, and responded four days later. He has also been considering Iowa and Northwest Missouri State, the Division II power that has a Creston track record of late with offensive linemen Dane Wardenburg and Nick Neitzel.

“I wanted to get it done before school started, so I didn’t have that hanging over me my senior season and senior year in school,” Bevins said. Official signing date is in February 2012.

Northwest Missouri State was in the picture, Bevins admitted.

“My parents are both alumni of Northwest Missouri, and my mom lives 30 minutes away (Clarinda),” Bevins said.

In the end, Bevins went for the Division I opportunity on a campus he’s felt comfortable with for some time. Despite not taking an official visit yet, he’s attended numerous Cyclone games in recent years and plans to attend all home games this fall.

“I just liked how coach Rhoads treats it like a family at Iowa State,” Bevins said. “You know everybody on the team. It’s really important to him that you perform in the classroom as well as the football field. The future for Iowa State is really bright.”

Bevins plans to major in elementary education and coach football and wrestling.

Bevins said he has been impressed with how Rhoads has developed the Cyclone program since he was hired to replace Gene Chizik in 2008. He was impressed with how Rhoads won the Insight Bowl in his first year with the program.

But it was the following fall, the 9-6 win at Nebraska, that really stood out.

“I knew after that game, when he gave that speech, that I’d love to play for him,” Bevins said. “That one got to me.”

Top wrestlers

Bevins is the ninth known member of the 2012 recruiting class at Iowa State. Ironically, he’s one of the top three Class 2A finishers at 215 pounds last season in the State Wrestling Tournament to commit to Rhoads and the Cyclones.

State champion Kane Seeley of Perry is projected as a linebacker for the Cyclones, Bevins was the runner-up to Seeley, and third-place finisher Devin Lemke of Iowa Falls-Alden is touted as a Cyclone tight end.

Bevins also played tight end last year and finished with 17 catches for 273 receiving yards last year. He had 35 tackles and six sacks as teams often ran away from his side.

This year he’s moving to offensive tackle to shore up the Panther interior line, as there is adequate depth at tight end on the Panther roster to make the move.

Head coach Brian Morrison said Bevins has all the tools necessary to become the program’s first Division I scholarship player since quarterback Kyle McCann signed with the Iowa Hawkeyes in 1997.

“It’s pretty exciting for our program,” said the second-year head coach. “The timing is perfect. Now Collin can relax and focus on this year’s season and have some fun. He’s dedicated himself to play football at the next level, and the upside for him is huge.

“At the Northwest (team) camp, I think he figured out he could do anything he wanted against anybody at the camp,” Morrison added. “He went to Iowa State for their camps. They invite people to those things, and he was performing against good people.”

ISU camps

Bevins started attending Iowa State camps after his sophomore season. This year he went to a junior-senior prospect camp in early June, a one-day padded camp in mid-June and two weekends ago he played in the Friday night one-day camp under the lights at Jack Trice Stadium.

Bevins plans to wrestle at heavyweight (285 pounds) next winter rather than cut weight for the new 220-pound class.

He said he never considered wrestling in college, but he’s thankful for what the sport has done to prepare him for Division I football. His father, Jeff, is activities director at Creston High School and a former wrestling coach. The family moved to Creston from Chariton when Collin was a fifth-grader.

“Wrestling isn’t my top sport, but I know it got me better for football,” Bevins said.

“Wrestling helps defensive linemen,” McKim said. “The guys up there (at ISU) say he’s got that football stuff you can’t teach — he finds a way not to be blocked, and plays great with his hands. He has a nice combination of long arms, good feet and good athleticism.”

Bevins played baseball until last summer when he knew attending so many football camps would be disruptive to the baseball team. Besides wrestling, he participated in both track and field and soccer in the spring.

His versatility was evident in track as he was a discus thrower who also ran the sprints and hurdles. Besides being a member of a state-qualifying shuttle hurdle relay unit, he was Creston’s leader in the 100 meters with a best time of 11.66, and second in both the 200 meters in 24.44 and 400 meters in 54.65.

“Collin has a skill set that’s very deserving of this offer,” Morrison said.

Other recruits

Bevins acceptance Tuesday is one of three ISU commitments in four days.

Adam Pavlenko, a linebacker from Tempe,Ariz., accepted a scholarship offer from the Cyclones on Saturday. P.J. Harris, a wide receiver from Groveland, Fla., made his decision on Monday.

The 6-foot, 165-pound Harris will make his first visit to Ames on Sept. 3, when the Cyclones host Northern Iowa in their season opener.