Recruiting in a world without on campus visits or coaches on the trail is uncharted territory. Never before have coaches had to attract the talent they want, and evaluate it, without face-to-face contact. For the Iowa Hawkeyes, that’s particularly difficult given the program’s emphasis on building relationships and finding prospects who are good fits with the team’s identity.
Despite that, the staff has remained active via phone calls, text messages and even virtual tours of the facilities in Iowa City. Iowa running backs coach Derrick Foster has been one of those staffers active in keeping in contact with prospects in his recruiting area.