Ankeny quarterback JJ Kohl had scholarship offers from schools all over the country.
In the end, he decided to stay close to home.
The junior announced his verbal commitment on Monday night to play football at Iowa State, beginning in the fall of 2023.
“It wasn’t an easy decision,” said Kohl. “I had some other schools that I was considering, and I had to turn away a lot of good people at other schools.”
Kohl had offers from more than a dozen schools, including Florida State, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin. But Iowa State was his first offer on June 2, 2021–and the Cyclones’ early faith in Kohl paid off.
“The biggest reason why I chose Iowa State is because of the people,” Kohl said. “I have a great relationship with coach Campbell, coach Gordon and coach Manning. They believed in me before anyone else did. They were my first offer, and they were really excited when I committed.”
Kohl helped the Hawks to a 10-3 record and a runner-up finish in Class 5A last season. He completed 143-of-237 passes for 2,185 yards.
The 6-foot-6 Kohl threw for 25 touchdowns while being intercepted just four times. He was named to the Class 5A all-state second team by the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association.
Kohl is considered the No. 325 player in the country, No. 17 quarterback and No. 3 prospect in Iowa by the 247Composite. The son of former Iowa State kicker Jamie Kohl, JJ is a four-star recruit and the Cyclones’ second-highest rated quarterback commit in the 247 era behind only Hunter Dekkers, the expected starter in 2022.
“I really enjoyed the recruiting process. It went by super fast,” Kohl said. “At the same time, I am glad that my recruiting process is over. I’ll have a lot more time to spend with my family and friends.”