Baytown TX receiver in Iowa City this weekend..

viking611 · Sep 2, 2005

Baytown receiver likes UI

WR Cleveland has Tate's endorsement

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By Andy Hamilton
Iowa City Press-Citizen

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Prior to the summer, James Cleveland was already more than just a dot on a college football recruiter's road map.

He plays in a program known for producing college-ready players in the passing game. He plays in a conference known for turning out Division I prospects. He led the greater Houston area in receptions as a junior.

He wasn't hard to discover in June. He was easier to spot in July after his performance for Baytown Lee at the Texas state 7-on-7 tournament.

Cleveland was named the tournament's most valuable player after Baytown Lee won its second straight state title.

"He dominated," said Jeremy Crabtree, a recruiting analyst for rivals.com. "They needed a big catch and he'd get it. It seemed like he was their go-to guy on almost every single play and everybody in the place knew it and nobody could stop him."

It's inevitable that recruiters will show up at Cleveland's doorstep this fall. Some will sell their warm climate or proximity to his home, but only Iowa can offer Drew Tate as a bargaining chip.

"You always want to go to a school that has a good quarterback to get you the ball from a receiver's perspective," Cleveland said. "That's exactly what he is. Everyone doesn't have a Drew Tate at their school."

Iowa does. Iowa also has Charles Godfrey on its roster and Dick Olin on its side.

Take a guess where the Hawkeyes stands with the 6-foot-2, 180-pound receiver.

"At the top of my list," Cleveland said.

Colorado, Missouri, Illinois, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Arizona, Baylor and Utah could be facing an uphill climb in an effort to land Cleveland, who will be in Iowa City today to begin an official visit.

Cleveland didn't rule out the possibility of making a verbal commitment to the Hawkeyes by the time he returns home, but one thing is for certain -- he likes Iowa.

"It's what you want in a school," he said.

That comment in itself bodes well for the Hawkeyes.

It won't hurt Iowa's chances that Godfrey, a sophomore safety, played high school ball with Cleveland. Or that Tate played from junior high through high school with Cleveland's older brother, Jay'Mond, who caught 91 of Tate's passes when they were seniors at Baytown Lee. Or that Olin is Cleveland's coach and Tate's stepfather and wouldn't mind seeing his star receiver catching passes from his son at Iowa.

Olin was only joking Thursday when he said he makes his top players go to Iowa, "otherwise they can't play for us."

In reality, he encourages his players to drop football from the equation. Would they attend the school if they weren't going there to play?

"Like it or not, something could happen that could end your football career," Olin said. "Would you stay there and finish your education? If you can't say yes to those questions, then perhaps you're going there for the wrong reason. That's from the scholastic standpoint and the school standpoint."

From a football standpoint, Olin discusses coaching longevity with his players.

"How long are those coaches going to be (at a school)?" Olin said. "A lot of coaches say, 'I'm not going to do this or that.' But then they end up turning around and leaving. Coach (Kirk) Ferentz likes Iowa City, he's got family in Iowa City, he's got a great job there, and he's been mentioned several times for several jobs, but he's still in Iowa and that's good for the University."

Cleveland caught 73 passes for 985 yards as a junior and opened this season with 11 receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns last week.

Rivals.com ranks him the No. 32 receiver in the country and gives him a three-star rating on its five-star scale.

"Great guy, great attitude toward the game and he's a great player," Tate said. "The thing about James and Jay, they're very, very smart. They know the game. In high school, they knew the offense. They were like me, they knew every route that every other receiver had on every play."

Tate said he saw those traits in James Cleveland during his performance at the Texas state 7-on-7 tournament in July at College Station.

"He's definitely one of the top receivers in the state of Texas and one of the top guys in the entire region regardless of position," Crabtree said. "He's got great hands and comes to play in the big games. The big thing, too, he plays in a pass-happy offense down there so he's used to going out there and catching a lot of balls every game. You like his consistency. You can count on him to catch between five and 10 balls a night."

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