Iowa lands 5-star OT Kadyn Proctor, getting a player with 'unlimited potential'

Des Moines (Iowa) Southeast Polk head coach Brelen Zelenvioch has seen his fair share of talent come through his program and his state. But no prospects hold quite as much potential as five-star offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor.

The hulking 6-foot-6, 318-pounder — and the No. 5 player in the On3 Consensus — will bring that and more to Iowa, who he committed to on Thursday afternoon. Proctor is the highest-ranked commitment ever for the Hawkeyes, and he will come in with sky-high expectations as a local prospect.

But Zelenvioch told On3 that believes his star player is more than up to the task.

“I think he is just scratching the surface. … Wherever he ends up going, No. 1 he is going to get developed. Not only physically, but also emotionally. All of the resources those schools have available to pour into him every single day. You have a kid with natural size, athleticism, strength and speed, but you have a kid who is 17 and a multi-sport athlete in high school. So you fast forward to a college setting where he can focus on four days a week of training, nutrition, the mental part of the game, the sky is really the limit for him.”

Iowa was the right fit

Proctor entertained offers from across the country, including Alabama (his other finalist) Notre Dame, Penn State, Oregon and more. He took an official visit to Tuscaloosa earlier this month, but had been on campus in Iowa City more than a half dozen times over the past year and a half. Visits were scheduled for him to see the Wolverines, Nittany Lions and Ducks, but he ultimately canceled those. He knew where he wanted to be.

“I think it first starts with his character; he’s a great person,” Zelenvioch added. “In terms of the intangibles, working, attacking things for a kid his age, he’s a great teammate. All of those things are at the top of the list in terms of getting him to the level he’s at.

… Obviously, he’s got great length and athleticism. He’s got the physical attributes that people are looking for at that position. He’s handled this whole process extremely well. At the core of who is, he takes pride in being the best high school player for his high school team. A lot of kids in his spot, it doesn’t always happen that way.”

Relentless work ethic defines what Kadyn Proctor will bring to Iowa

More than his obvious physical attributes, Zelenovich thinks what will set Proctor apart at the next level is his desire to be great and accompanying work ethic.

“He’s just a kid that works hard for all of the attention that he’s getting,” he said. “[On the field], he’s got some nasty to him, being an attacking run blocker at the point of attack. Kadyn has that natural nastiness that guys at that position like. You talk about an offensive tackle’s skill set and the things they need to play at the highest level, he’s got that in terms of hand position, footwork, and understand leverage and technique. … He also understands the importance of perfecting his craft. When you think about that, I think we’ll see big jumps going into his senior year.”