Marc Morehouse, CR Gazette –
Rock Island wide receiver Derrick Willies committed to play football for the Iowa Hawkeyes this morning, according to HawkeyeReport.com.
Last week, Quad-Cities Online reported that Iowa offered the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder last week, so it was a quick run from offer to verbal commitment.
Willies had scholarship offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Northern Illinois, Eastern Illinois and Illinois State.
“(Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz) told me they want me and they need me,” Willies told QC Online.”They made me feel right at home. They all talked to me for hours. They welcomed me with open arms.”
At Burlington last fall, Willies caught 57 passes for 934 yards and seven TDs. He transferred Rock Island High School in January and will play there this fall.
Willies is participating in track at Rock Island this spring. He told HawkeyeReport.com he runs a 4.4-second in the 40-yard dash and currently runs the 110-meter high hurdles and 300 low hurdles, along with the anchor leg of the 4 x 100 and the first leg of the 4 x 400.
Willies is Iowa’s second commitment in as many weeks. He’s also commitment No. 2 for the 2013 recruiting class, joining Indianapolis defensive end David Kenney (6-1, 240).
Next: Still think O-lineman Colin Goebel is seriously considering the Hawkeyes. The Naperville (Ill.) North junior, a 6-4, 275-pounder, visited Iowa a couple of weeks ago and liked it enough to call the Hawkeyes a leader. He has another visit scheduled for April 21, according to HR. Goebel has offers from Cincinnati, Duke, Eastern Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Miami (Fla.), Ole Miss, Northern Illinois, Toledo and West Virginia.
