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Iowa State Football: Matt Campbell flips four-star to compete with Big 12 big boys

By Dana Becker

AMES, IA - OCTOBER 27: Head coach Matt Campbell of the Iowa State Cyclones argues a call with the referee in the second half of play against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jack Trice Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 40-31 over the Texas Tech Red Raiders. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA - OCTOBER 27: Head coach Matt Campbell of the Iowa State Cyclones argues a call with the referee in the second half of play against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jack Trice Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 40-31 over the Texas Tech Red Raiders. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images) /
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Matt Campbell and the Iowa State football team dove head-first into foreign territory and nabbed four-star safety Isheem Young out of Pennsylvania.

Showing they are ready to compete with Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12, the Cyclones were able to flip Young from a commitment to Penn State, no small task for Campbell and his staff.

Young officially signed on National Signing Day with Iowa State:

https://twitter.com/CycloneFB/status/1093152692174757888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1093152692174757888&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcyclonefanatic.com%2F2019%2F02%2Frecruiting-iowa-state-lands-four-star-safety-on-nsd%2F

This is a big-time move for the Cyclones, as Young held offers from Alabama, defending national champion Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State and the Nittany Lions. The 5-foot-9, 200-pounder had also previously committed to West Virginia, but closed that door when Dana Holgorsen departed Morgantown for Houston.

Young was also a member of the 2018 recruiting class for Penn State before reclassifying to 2019.

The ability to sway Young to come all the way from the heart of Pennsylvania to Ames, Iowa and compete for the Cyclones is a major addition not only for Campbell and his team right now, but the future. This proves that Iowa State can recruit with anybody and anyone out there, adding to previous recruiting wins like star-in-the-making quarterback Brock Purdy.

Young should be part of a Top-50 recruiting class this year for the Cyclones, which, according to Cyclone Fanatic, has not happened at the school since 2006. Young was a standout in high school on both sides of the ball, as he also had over 1,110 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns in his career along with being a ball-hawking member of the secondary. He scored 17 touchdowns alone his senior season on just 74 rush attempts.

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While it is “fun” and “cute” for Iowa State to be able to compete with the Sooners and Longhorns by finding those diamonds-in-the-rough, for them to be consistent year-in and year-out competitors to those big dogs, Young and players like him are the ones Campbell really needs. The talent level between Iowa State and the conference frontrunners must get closer, which happens when you can bring in these Top-500 ranked players to the program.

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