OL Heeringa makes the call
Batavia (Ill.) senior offensive tackle recruit Jackson Heeringa (6-foot-7, 260 pounds) added a recent offer from Northern Iowa and on Friday with an audience of his family, friends and teammates made the call and committed to the Panthers. Heeringa discusses his college decision here.
"I've been in touch with the coaches from Northern Iowa quite a bit," Heeringa said. "Northern Iowa has a great program and they also have a plan and a vision for me and that really impressed me about them. Everything just feels right about them so I committed."
Heeringa also pointed towards an overall level of comfort he felt at Northern Iowa as another key factor in his decision.
"I was able to make the drive out to Northern Iowa on our own and I had a chance to walk around the campus, see some of the facilities and also see the town and get a good feel for everything. Northern Iowa is just a really nice school and I just felt like I belonged there. Everyone told me that I would know when I found the best fit for me and Northern Iowa felt like I was back in Batavia in a lot of different ways. I also have a great relationship with the offensive line coach (Ryan Clanton) and the rest of the coaches at Northern Iowa."
So how big of a factor did the ongoing COVID pandemic play in Heeringa's recruiting process?
"It played a factor for sure. I wasn't able to really get out to see schools like I wanted to and I also wasn't able to show coaches the progress I've made in person since last season. In the end it all worked out with Northern Iowa for me and I'm just very happy and grateful. The timing was also right for me because from very early on I wanted to make my decision before we started the season."
Heeringa is also thrilled to have made his college decision and put his recruiting process behind him.
"I'm just really happy and glad I can now just focus on my team and getting ready for the season. The hardest part of the process was just managing the time dedication and all the phone calls and Zoom meetings."
Jackson Heeringa is verbally committed to Northern Iowa. .