One of the Most Coveted Recruits in Iowa History Makes Decision
Kadyn Proctor, offensive tackle for Southeast Polk, is one of the top football recruits in the entire country. In the 2023 class, he's ranked the number one prospect in the state of Iowa and seventh nationally, according to 247Sports. He's the number one OT in the entire country, too.
Because of his play on the field and the outstanding rankings, the 6'7, 330-pound young man has been sought after and offered a scholarship by nearly every NCAA Division I program in the country. That includes some of the best -- Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, Oklahoma, USC, Oregon, Penn State, and more.
He shared a little under two weeks ago that he narrowed his final two choices down to perennial national champion Alabama and the home state Iowa Hawkeyes:
And today, June 30, football fans have their answer.
Proctor is staying home.
He's now the highest-ranked recruit to commit to Iowa, ever.
If it isn't clear enough by the opening of the article, recruiting experts (and damn near every coach at the D1 level) believe that Proctor has a real shot to contribute right away at Iowa. They also see him as being an NFL-level offensive tackle. Here's what Allen Trieu of 247Sports -- who projects him to be a first-round NFL Draft pick says in his scouting report about Proctor:
"Prototypical height, length, and size. Lines up at left tackle and currently projects as a future college blindside protector. Good natural athlete. Shows explosiveness off the ball, twitch, and quickness for a big man. Gets out of his stance quickly in pass protection. Has strength and a powerful punch. Can run and get out in front of plays to make blocks in space. Shows few glaring weaknesses, but can still tweak technique and steadily improve on testing numbers. Is a high-end prospect who can play for any school in the country and has the upside and work ethic to play beyond that."
Just watch some of Proctor's highlights from YouTube and you'll see yourself:
SEP has sent off several D1 football players from their 5A state championship team in 2021, including Proctor's newest teammate in Iowa City and equally sought-after recruit, Xavier Nwankpa. Nwankpa chose the Hawkeyes over offers from Notre Dame and Ohio State.
Two other notable players from SEP are quarterback Jaxon Dailey -- who is currently at Arkansas State -- and Abu Sama. Sama is from the class of 2023 and recently committed to play for the Iowa State Cyclones.
Here's Proctor talking about his commitment last fall, when he still had 12 schools on his radar.