By Tyler Devine
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Iowa football team’s 2021 recruiting class now stands at 15 after three-star defensive lineman Jeremiah Pittman announced his verbal commitment on Monday.
Pittman, a native of Arlington Heights, Ill., said when it came down to it, his comfortability with how head coach Kirk Ferentz runs his program played a major role in his decision.
“The old school style, not just the game, but the way they handle their players,” Pittman said. “I got on the phone with several of their staff, including the academic part of things, and I was comfortable with the way they held themselves. I talked to one of the students that will be going into business like I plan to do, so they gave me a good summary of what it would be like to be at Iowa.”
Pittman’s commitment comes during an unprecedented time in which recruits are picking schools without ever having visited campus.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shut down sports at all levels and brought recruiting mostly to a halt with restrictions on in-person contact through most of the summer.
Pittman is the second player to commit to the 2021 class without ever having been on campus.
The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Pittman said he was supposed to visit Iowa the week that widespread shutdowns were implemented due to the pandemic.
The other was Florida defensive back Jordan Oladokun, whose commitment lasted about a week before he reopened his recruitment.
Pittman said that feedback he received from those around him and his relationship with the coaching staff made his feel comfortable with his decision.
“Obviously, it had to be sort of a leap of faith,” Pittman said. “But I felt comfortable just being I had seen everything. All the positive feedback I got from some close friends that have ties to Iowa, they loved it there. The coaches gave me a virtual tour of the facility and whatnot. I’ve heard nothing but good things, especially about the atmosphere there at Iowa.
“Obviously, it’s an extraordinary circumstance, which a lot of guys are going to be put in because visits are not going to be happening. And I wanted to make this decision before the season, so I wasn’t going to wait throughout my season and still have this pressure of making a decision, so I wanted to get that done.”
Pittman chose Iowa over his other top schools Iowa State, Wisconsin, Northwestern and Minnesota.
He also had scholarship offers from Boston College, Bowling Green, Illinois, Michigan State, Missouri, Northern Illinois, Texas Tech and Toledo.
Iowa’s 2021 class
Jeff Bowie, DE, 6-5, 242, West Branch
Zach Twedt, ATH, 6-3, 216, Story City
Connor Colby, OL, 6-6, 275, Cedar Rapids
Griffin Liddle, DL, 6-3, 275, Bettendorf
Jaden Harrell, LB, 6-2, 220, Urbandale
Cooper DeJean, DB, 6-2, 198, Ida Grove
Gennings Dunker, OL, 6-5, 280, Lena, Ill.
Justice Sullivan, LB, 6-2, 225, Eden Prairie, Minn.
Jordan Oladokun, DB, 5-11, 180, Tampa, Fla.
Max Llewellyn, TE, 6-5, 230, Urbandale
Beau Stephens, OL, 6-6, 305, Blue Springs, Mo.
David Davidkov, OL, 6-6, 290, Winnetka, Ill.
Arland Bruce, ATH, 5-10, 185, Olathe, Kan.
Brody Brecht, WR, 6-4, 200, Ankeny
Keagan Johnson, WR, 6-1, 188, Bellevue, Neb.
Jeremiah Pittman, DL, 6-2, 260, Arlington Heights, Ill.