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Iowa State University Athletics
Cyclone Football Signs 26 in Class of 2003
02.05.2003 | Football
AMES, Iowa - Iowa State head football coach Dan McCarney announced the signing of 26 student-athletes for the Class of 2003. Thirteen members of the class hail from Iowa high schools, the highest number during McCarney's tenure at Iowa State.
The Cyclones kick off the 2003 campaign at home against Northern Iowa on Aug. 30. ISU's home schedule also includes Ohio, Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas State and Colorado.
"(Dan) McCarney is like a recruiting machine and is one of the top 10 recruiters in the nation."
--Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming
| Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | Pos. | Hometown (HS/College) |
| Steve Allen | 6-1 | 210 | Fr. | LB | Delray Beach, Fla. (Atlantic) |
| Ben Barkema | 6-4 | 235 | Fr. | TE | Muscatine, Iowa (Muscatine) |
| Caleb Berg | 6-1 | 192 | Fr. | S | Henderson, Neb. (Heartland Community) |
| Jason Berryman | 6-2 | 230 | Fr. | DE | Houston, Texas (Kashmere) |
| Todd Blythe | 6-5 | 200 | Fr. | WR | Indianola, Iowa (Indianola) |
| Aaron Brant | 6-7 | 295 | Fr. | OL | Cuba City, Wis. (Dubuque [Iowa] Wahlert) |
| Brandon Cook | 6-6 | 335 | Fr. | OL | Garner, Iowa (Garner-Hayfield) |
| Brent Curvey | 6-0 | 288 | Fr. | DL | Houston, Texas (Westfield) |
| Nick Davidson | 6-4 | 265 | Fr. | DL | Hurst, Texas (L.D. Bell) |
| Dominique Flower | 6-1 | 200 | Fr. | DB | St. Petersburg, Fla. (Northeast) |
| Josh Griebahn | 5-8 | 188 | Fr. | K | West Branch, Iowa (West Branch) |
| DeAndre Jackson | 6-0 | 180 | Fr. | CB | Garland, Texas (Garland) |
| Nate Mechaelsen | 6-3 | 190 | Fr. | QB | Kamrar, Iowa (Northeast Hamilton) |
| Bret Meyer | 6-3 | 190 | Fr. | QB | Atlantic, Iowa (Atlantic) |
| Milan Moses | 6-2 | 195 | Fr. | WR | Waterloo, Iowa (East) |
| Ron Prelow | 6-1 | 225 | Fr. | LB | Tampa, Fla. (Jefferson) |
| Matt Scherbring | 6-3 | 325 | Fr. | DL | Oelwein, Iowa (Oelwein) |
| Tom Schmeling | 6-4 | 285 | Fr. | OL | Atlantic, Iowa (Atlantic) |
| Bastian Schober | 6-3 | 302 | Fr. | OL | Granbury, Texas (Granbury) |
| Taylor Schrage | 6-2 | 200 | Fr. | LB | Parkersburg, Iowa (Aplington-Parkersburg) |
| Kurtis Taylor | 6-2 | 210 | Fr. | LB | Fort Dodge, Iowa (Fort Dodge) |
| Brandon Tinlin | 6-4 | 230 | Fr. | TE | San Diego, Calif. (Point Loma) |
| John Tjaden | 6-7 | 285 | Fr. | OL | Mason City, Iowa (Mason City) |
| Anthony Walker | 6-3 | 300 | Fr. | OL | Oklahoma City, Okla. (Northeast Academy) |
| Mike West | 6-1 | 195 | Fr. | RB | Citra, Fla. (North Marion) |
| James Wright III | 6-3 | 255 | Jr. | TE | Houston, Texas (Springwoods/Kilgore College) |
Steve Allen
Linebacker
6-1, 210, Fr.
Delray Beach, Fla. (Atlantic)
High School Experience: Listed by the Orlando Sentinel as the No. 44 prospect in the state of Florida ... played on a defense that allowed only 177.8 yards per game his senior season, ranking second-best in Palm Beach County among Class 4A-5A-6A schools ... team was District 10 champion in Class 5A ... lost in the regional finals to the eventual state champion ... finished with a 12-1 record ... team was a state semifinalist in 2001, falling to the eventual champion ... coached by Keith Tillman.
Personal: Born Dec. 3, 1983 ... son of Steve Allen Sr. and Sharon Taylor ... undecided on a major.
Ben Barkema
Tight End
6-4, 235, Fr.
Muscatine, Iowa (Muscatine)
High School Experience: Played tight end and defensive end ... team was 13-8 his final two seasons ... caught 35 passes for 480 yards and seven touchdowns and also made 95 tackles, including 13 for loss and five sacks, over his last two seasons ... first-team all-state in Class 4A ... first-team all-conference on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball ... third-team all-state basketball player as a junior ... first-team all-conference basketball player as a junior ... coached by John Each.
Personal: Born Oct. 6, 1984, in Muscatine, Iowa ... son of Jim and Wanda Barkema ... National Honor Society member ... brother, C.J., plays football at Iowa ... undecided on a major.
Caleb Berg
Safety
6-1, 192, Fr.
Henderson, Neb. (Heartland Community)
High School Experience: Named to the SuperPrep Midlands and All-America teams ... all-state selection by the Omaha World-Herald, Lincoln Journal Star and Huskerland Prep Report ... also selected to the all-area team ... all-state honorable mention as a junior ... in his final two years, rushed for 1,010 yards and seven touchdowns, threw for over 500 yards and six touchdowns, caught 11 passes for 154 yards and made 171 tackles ... also a three-year participant in basketball and track ... earned academic all-state honors ... coached by Erik Wetjen.
Personal: Born Nov. 20, 1984, in Wayne, Neb. ... son of Keith and Janeen Berg ... National Honor Society member ... plans on majoring in exercise and sport science.
Jason Berryman
Defensive End
6-2, 230, Fr.
Houston, Texas (Kashmere)
High School Experience: All-district linebacker (Class 4A District 22) ... first-team tight end, first-team punter, defensive MVP (22-4A) ... second-team all-city ... finished career with 140 tackles and 31 sacks ... also amassed 378 rushing yards and 280 receiving yards ... team was 14-8 his final two seasons ... regional track qualifier in the 200 meters and the 4x100 meter relay ... coached by Kirby Jones.
Personal: Born Feb. 18, 1985, in Houston, Texas ... son of Jewell and Cathy Berryman ... plans on majoring in business management.
Todd Blythe
Wide Receiver
6-5, 200, Fr.
Indianola, Iowa (Indianola)
High School Experience: Made 150 catches for 2,222 yards and 25 touchdowns in three years ... also made 13 career interceptions from his defensive back position ... named Class 4A Player of the Year by the Iowa Coaches Association ... elite all-state, first-team Class 4A all-state, elite all-conference and first-team all-conference at wide receiver as a senior ... first-team all-county on offense and defense and all-county player of the year as a senior and junior ... first-team Class 4A all-state and elite all-conference at defensive back as a junior ... first-team all-conference at receiver as a junior ... second-team all-conference at receiver as a sophomore ... also participated in basketball and track ... averaging 11.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg and 3.0 bpg during his senior season ... honorable mention all-conference as a junior while leading the Central Division of the CIML in rebounding ... member of Indianola's 2001 Class 4A championship team ... three-time participant at the Drake Relays and the Iowa Boys' State Track Meet ... academic all-conference in football, basketball and track ... coached by Dave Summy.
Personal: Born March 31, 1985, in Ames, Iowa ... son of Jim and Cinda Blythe ... National Honor Society member ... carrying a 3.76 GPA ... plans on majoring in exercise and sport science ... father, Jim, was a catcher on Northern Iowa's baseball team and also played in the San Francisco Giants organization.
Aaron Brant
Offensive Line
6-7, 295, Fr.
Cuba City, Wis. (Dubuque [Iowa] Wahlert)
At Iowa State: Enrolled at Iowa State in January, 2003, after graduating from high school a semester early.
High School Experience: First-team elite all-state, first-team all-state, first-team all-area and first-team all-conference an the offensive line as a senior ... first-team all-area and first-team all-conference on the offensive line as a junior ... first-team all-area as a defensive lineman as a sophomore ... second-team all-conference as an offensive lineman as a sophomore ... also participated in basketball and track ... member of Wahlert's 2002 state qualifying basketball team ... finished third in the discus and eighth in the shot put at the state meet as a junior ... placed fifth in the discus at the Drake Relays as a junior ... placed second in the discus at the state meet as a sophomore ... coached by Jim Killoran.
Personal: Born Sept. 16, 1984, in Dubuque, Iowa ... son of David and Mary Jo Brant ... National Honor Society member ... graduated with a 3.75 GPA ... undecided on a major.
Brandon Cook
Offensive Line
6-6, 335, Fr.
Garner, Iowa (Garner-Hayfield)
High School Experience: Three-year starter for Garner-Hayfield ... named to the SuperPrep Midlands Team ... named to Rivals' Iowa Top 10 and Top 75 Offensive Tackles lists ... honorable mention all-district as a sophomore ... first-team all-state, first-team Iowa Newspaper Association all-state and first-team all-district as a junior and senior ... invited to represent the United States in the Down Under Bowl in Australia as a junior ... pre-season all-state as a senior ... invited to play in the Iowa Shrine Bowl ... also a member of the NIC conference championship track squad as a junior ... coached by Doug Winkowitsch.
Personal: Born June 1, 1984, in Mason City, Iowa ... son of Mike Cook and Donna Cook-Wolf ... plans on majoring in agriculture.
Brent Curvey
Defensive Line
6-0, 288, Fr.
Houston, Texas (Westfield)
High School Experience: Team captain and all-district selection as a senior ... team was 17-7 his final two seasons ... honorable mention all-district as a junior ... amassed 56 tackles as a senior, including eight for loss ... also had an interception and three fumble recoveries ... coached by Ron Lynch.
Personal: Born March 15, 1985, in Houston, Texas ...son of Jerry and Audrey Curvey ... plans on majoring in finance ... relative Roderick Robinson plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars ... last name is pronounced cur-VAY.
Nick Davidson
Defensive Line
6-4, 265, Fr.
Hurst, Texas (L.D. Bell)
High School Experience: Second-team all-district ... second-team all-county ... finished career with 20 tackles for loss ... had 78 tackles, including 10 for loss, as a junior ... also caught nine passes for 158 yards and one touchdown as a senior ... participated in basketball and track ... earned first-place all-district honors in the discus ... coached by Ross Dodson.
Personal: Born Feb. 28, 1985, in Austin, Texas ... son of Perry and Debra Davidson ... plans on majoring in education.
Dominique Flower
Defensive Back
6-1, 200, Fr.
St. Petersburg, Fla. (Northeast)
High School Experience: Team was an at-large state qualifier in Class 5A ... second-team all-Suncoast wide receiver ... first-team all-county defensive back ... played for the South squad in the Pinellas All-Star Football Classic ... second-team all-county defensive back as a junior ... team was a regional semifinalist his junior season ... cuurently averaging over 12 points and four assists per game on the hardwood, as well as shooting better than 85 percent from the free-throw line ... coached by Jerry Austin.
Personal: Born July 26, 1985 ... son of Malcolm and Tina Flower ... undecided on a major.
Josh Griebahn
Placekicker
5-8, 188, Fr.
West Branch, Iowa (West Branch)
High School Experience: First-team Iowa Newspaper Association all-state, first-team Iowa Coaches Association all-state, first-team all-conference and first-team all-district as a junior and senior ... named to the all-area team by the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Iowa City Press-Citizen and Quad City Times as a junior and senior ... school record-holder for longest field goal (48 yards) and most PATs in a game (seven) ... earned academic all-conference honors as a senior ... also played soccer ... was named team's offensive MVP in 2000 and 2001, and broke the school scoring record in 2000 ... coached by Butch Pedersen.
Personal: Born June 10, 1984, in Iowa City, Iowa ... son of Lynn and Brenda Griebahn ... plans on majoring in architecture ... last name is pronounced GREE-bahn.
DeAndre Jackson
Defensive Back
6-0, 180, Fr.
Garland, Texas (Garland)
High School Experience: Two-year starter at quarterback ... team was district champion his sophomore and senior years ... played free safety as a sophomore ... three-year letterwinner ... first-team all-district quarterback ... game MVP of the Tom Landry Classic ... rushed for 435 yards and seven touchdowns and threw for 401 yards and three touchdowns as a senior ... missed entire junior season due to a bruised kidney in the first game of the season ... kidney was removed and he was cleared to play as a senior ... has also returned punts ... coached by Jeff Jordan.
Personal: Born April 1, 1985, in Garland, Texas ... son of Darryl and Mary McDonald ... undecided on a major.
Nate Mechaelsen
Quarterback
6-3, 190, Fr.
Kamrar, Iowa (Northeast Hamilton)
High School Experience: All-stater ... team was 11-7 his final two seasons ... three-time all-district selection ... holds eight school passing records ... all-state basketball player ... two-time honorable mention all-state and four-time all-conference in basketball ... three-time all-conference baseball honoree ... also all-district baseball player ... on school's academic honor roll every year ... coached by John Seiser.
Personal: Born May 14, 1984 ... son of Tim and Rhonda Mechaelsen ... both parents played college basketball ... carrying a 3.64 GPA ... plans on majoring in turf management ... last name is pronounced muh-KALE-sen.
Bret Meyer
Quarterback
6-3, 190, Fr.
Atlantic, Iowa (Atlantic)
High School Experience: Passed for 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns his senior season, leading Atlantic to a 13-0 record and a state championship in Class 3A ... named to SuperPrep Midlands Team ... named to Rivals' Iowa Top 10 and Top 35 Dual-Threat Quarterbacks lists ... first-team all-conference as a junior and senior ... Iowa Newspaper Association All-State selection as a junior and senior ... first-team all-western Iowa as a junior and senior ... all-class MVP in the state finals as a senior ... high school teammate of Cyclone recruit Tom Schmeling ... also played basketball, baseball and ran track ... first-team all-conference in basketball his first three seasons ... two-time first-team all-western Iowa selection ... all-state honoree as a freshman ... coached by Gaylord Schelling.
Personal: Born Feb. 13, 1985, in Chicago, Ill. ... son of Dan and Beth Meyer ... plans on majoring in communications ... nephew of former Cyclone and All-Pro offensive lineman Keith Sims.
Milan Moses
Wide Receiver
6-2, 195, Fr.
Waterloo, Iowa (East)
High School Experience: Currently a starter on the No. 1-ranked boys basketball team in Class 4A ... all-state football selection ... also named all-metro and all-conference ... team MVP ... all-metro basketball player ... state track and Drake Relays participant in the high jump ... academic honor roll ... coached by Leshane Saddler.
Personal: Born Nov. 13, 1984 ... son of Jerry and Shirley Moses ... father Jerry and brother J.J. both played football at Iowa State ... undecided on a major ... first name is pronounced MI-luhn.
Ron Prelow
Linebacker
6-1, 225, Fr.
Tampa, Fla. (Jefferson)
High School Experience: Team finished 13-2 his senior season, losing in the Class 4A championship game ... recorded 10 tackles (six solo) in the championship game, second-most on the team ... District 8 runner-up ... team was a state semifinalist in 2001, losing to the eventual champion ... coached by Mike Simmonds.
Personal: Born Dec. 4, 1984 ... son of Dother Prelow ... undecided on a major ... last name is pronounced PRAY-low.
Matt Scherbring
Defensive Line
6-3, 325, Fr.
Oelwein, Iowa (Oelwein)
High School Experience: Three-time all-district selection ... first-team all-state as a senior ... played defensive and offensive tackle, and also kicked off ... in three seasons of varsity play, amassed 175 tackles, 31 for loss, 19 sacks, three fumble recoveries, two blocked kicks and an interception ... team finished a combined 18-3 his junior and senior seasons, and made school history as the first back-to-back state qualifiers ... district co-champions as a junior ... district champions as a senior ... team's defensive MVP as a senior ... selected to play in the Iowa Shrine Bowl ... also participated in basketball, baseball and track ... state qualifier in the shot put ... coached by Jim Yokas.
Personal: Born Nov. 14, 1984, in Dyersville, Iowa ... son of Terry and Twyla Scherbring ... undecided on a major.
Tom Schmeling
Offensive Line
6-4, 285, Fr.
Atlantic, Iowa (Atlantic)
High School Experience: Played both offensive and defensive tackle on Atlantic's 13-0 Class 3A championship team as a senior ... first-team all-state as a senior ... also named to the all-state elite team ... honorable mention all-state as a junior ... first-team all-district as a junior and senior ... high school teammate of Cyclone recruit Bret Meyer ... also participated in basketball and track ... as a junior, was named second-team all-conference, second-team all-western Iowa and honorable mention all-state in basketball ... took second place at the Drake Relays in the discus ... Class 3A champion in the discus as a junior ... named to high school academic honor roll all four years ... coached by Gaylord Schelling.
Personal: Born Oct. 19, 1984, in Atlantic, Iowa ... son of Gene Schmeling ... plans on majoring in computer science ... last name is pronounced SHMEL-ling.
Bastian Schober
Offensive Line
6-3, 302, Fr.
Granbury, Texas (Granbury)
High School Experience: Played offensive guard and defensive tackle ... second-team all-state selection on offense ... first-team all-district on offense ... second-team all-district on defense ... made 54 tackles as a senior, including three sacks, three fumbles forced and one fumble recovered ... currently ranked third in the state in powerlifting (superheavyweight class) ... coached by Mike Lebby.
Personal: Born Dec. 19, 1983, in Neuendettelsau, Germany ... son of Jackie and Joelle Jackson ... plans on majoring in international business.
Taylor Schrage
Linebacker
6-2, 200, Fr.
Parkersburg, Iowa (Aplington-Parkersburg)
High School Experience: Played running back and linebacker ... saw limited duty as a senior after a torn ACL in the first game of the season ... managed to rush for 330 yards and six touchdowns and make 40 tackles ... all-state running back as a junior ... honorable mention all-state running back as a sophomore ... three-time all-district honoree ... school record-holder for single-season carries (291, sophomore), career carries (626) and career rushing yards (3,983) ... led the district with 1,816 rushing yards as a sophomore ... finished defensive career with 146 tackles, four interceptions and four fumble recoveries ... also participated in track ... state qualifier in the high hurdles as a sophomore and junior ... state qualifier in the 4x100 meter relay as a sophomore ... Drake Relays participant in the 4x100 as a sophomore and junior ... all-conference track honoree as a sophomore and junior ... team MVP as a junior ... academic honor roll ... coached by Ed Thomas.
Personal: Born April 3, 1984 ... son of Craig and Nancy Schrage ... brother, Landon, is a defensive end for Iowa State ... plans on majoring in either agriculture or exercise and sport science.
Kurtis Taylor
Linebacker
6-2, 210, Fr.
Fort Dodge, Iowa (Fort Dodge)
High School Experience: Three-year starter played end, back, linebacker and defensive back ... team captain as a senior ... first-team all-conference at back as a senior ... first-team all-conference at end as a junior ... rushed for 664 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior ... caught 35 passes for 725 yards and seven touchdowns during his career ... four-year participant in basketball and track ... coached by Sam Moser.
Personal: Born April 6, 1985, in Fort Dodge, Iowa ... son of Andrew and Kristina Taylor ... undecided on a major.
Brandon Tinlin
Tight End
6-4, 230, Fr.
San Diego, Calif. (Point Loma)
High School Experience: Played both tight end and defensive end ... caught 19 passes for 355 yards as a senior ... made 40 tackles, including 12 sacks, as a senior ... second-team Northern Nevada at tight end ... first-team Sierra League at tight end ... first-team Eastern League at defensive end ... Eastern League defensive player of the year ... second-team all-county defensive end ... also played baseball and basketball ... earned all-academic team honors with a 3.2 GPA ... coached by Mike Hastings.
Personal: Born Jan. 11, 1985, in South Lake Tahoe, Nev. ... son of Bill and Karen Tinlin ... plans on majoring in business.
John Tjaden
Offensive Line
6-7, 285, Fr.
Mason City, Iowa (Mason City)
High School Experience: Three-year letterwinner at tackle ... team qualified for state playoffs his junior and senior years, finishing a combined 15-6 ... named to SuperPrep Midlands and All-America teams ... named to Rivals' Iowa Top 10, Midlands Top 100 and Top 75 Offensive Tackles lists ... honorable mention all-CIML as a sophomore ... unanimous all-conference pick as a junior and senior ... all-CIML elite team as a senior ... three-time academic all-conference ... Iowa Newspaper Association honorable mention all-state as a junior, and first-team all-state as a senior ... Des Moines Register Class 4A first-team all-state and Elite all-state as a senior ... team captain as a senior ... voted "Mr. Mohawk" by coaching staff for leadership, academics and ability ... three-year letterwinner in basketball ... two-year letterwinner in track ... three-time academic all-conference in basketball ... two-time academic all-conference in track ... coached by John Lee.
Personal: Born June 16, 1984, in Mason City, Iowa ... son of Ron and Stephanie Tjaden ... plans on majoring in chemical engineering ... National Honor Society member ... State of Iowa Scholar ... father, Ron, played football at Morningside College (1972-75) ... last name is pronounced JADE-en.
Anthony Walker
Offensive Line
6-3, 300, Fr.
Oklahoma City, Okla. (Northeast Academy)
High School Experience: Second-team all-state pick ... state heavyweight powerlifting champion ... also threw the shot put ... scholar-athlete nominee ... coached by Archie Jones.
Personal: Born Sept. 19, 1984 ... son of Anthony and Earline Walker ... carrying a 3.77 GPA ... relatives Elbert Craig (free safety) and Marcus Craig (defensive tackle) play at Oklahoma State ... plans on majoring in pre-law.
Mike West
Running Back
6-1, 195, Fr.
Citra, Fla. (North Marion)
High School Experience: Florida Class 3A player of the year ... first-team all-state and first-team all-county as a senior ... rushed for 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior ... team MVP ... team was district runner-up and qualified for the Class 3A state playoffs ... averaged between 20 and 25 carries per game ... also started at safety and on special teams ... recorded 61 tackles and an interception as a senior ... team advanced to the regional semifinals his junior season ... coached by Craig Damon.
Personal: Born Jan. 26, 1985 ... son of Levy and Darlene West ... plans on majoring in construction engineering.
James Wright III
Tight End
6-3, 255, Jr.
Houston, Texas (Springwoods/Kilgore College)
At Iowa State: Enrolled at Iowa State in January, 2003.
Junior College Experience: Caught seven passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns ... squad went 12-0 as a freshman, winning the Red River Bowl ... coached by Jimmy Rieves.
High School Experience: Caught 31 passes for 570 yards and six touchdowns his final two seasons ... first-team all-district as a senior ... named to the Houston North/South All-Star game ... second-team all-district as a junior ... played both defensive end and tight end as a sophomore before switching solely to tight end ... played basketball as a freshman ... regional qualifier in the discus ... coached by Mike Sciba.
Personal: Born Sept. 28, 1982, in Houston, Texas ... son of James Wright and Glenda Wright Evans ... father played seven seasons in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos ... undecided on a major.
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