Iowa Football Jumps in Mix with 4-Star LB Sebastian Cheeks

Sebastian Cheeks had received impressive scholarship offers before Tuesday when Iowa extended to him an opportunity. Notre Dame, Michigan, Wisconsin and others already had stepped forward.

Despite attention from elsewhere, the four-star linebacker from Evanston (IL) High really was excited by the Hawkeyes jumping into the mix for his services. They showed him they cared about him beyond the field.

“Picking up an offer from Iowa meant a lot because through my first conversation they expressed their value to me not only as a player but person. Iowa has always competed in the Big Ten and is a school that continues to put top guys every year through the draft,” Cheeks told HN.

Rivals sees him as the No. 12 outside linebacker nationally in the 2022 Class and the No. 97 player overall in the country regardless of position. The 247 network pegs him at the No. 11 player at his position and No. 138 overall for the cycle.

“I believe I fit a system that plays free and is able to fly to the ball at all times. I think that’s when I am at my best,” the 6-foot-2, 205-pounder said.

Boston College, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Louisville, Minnesota, Northwestern and Syracuse also have offered Cheeks a scholarship. The Hawkeyes became the fourth program to step forward since Sept. 1.

“I haven’t gotten to speak too much to the (Iowa) coaches. After my conversation with (linebacker) coach (Seth) Wallace, I look to expand my relationship with him and the staff. I grew up on Big Ten football my whole life, so it’s something I’ve always been familiar with,” Cheeks said.

He’s not rushing through his process, especially with the limitations brought about by the pandemic. A dead period that began in March runs through at least September and likely beyond that. There is no in-person contact with college coaches.

“I’ve been approaching recruiting with an open mindset and building new relationships with coaching staffs everyday,” Cheeks said.

Illinois pushed back high school football to the spring because of COVID-19. That meant players would have to wait to show college programs how they’ve improved since last season.

Continue reading below

Related In HawkeyeNation Articles

November 18, 2020 — Keith Duncan Stays Humble, Confident

Keith Duncan has fun with the media interviews, but the Iowa kicker has learned plenty of humility throughout his career. Go back to the 2017 season, when he was a sophomore coming off a season in which he was the Hawkeyes’ primary kicker, delivering a game-winning field goal to defeat Michigan on a Saturday night…

Here are Cheeks’ junior highlights: