O'Lontae Dean makes college decision
Florida defensive back O’Lontae Dean has made his college decision. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior from Armwood High School announced today that he will be signing with the University of Iowa to play for the Hawkeyes next year.
“What stood out most to me were the people,” Dean told HawkeyeReport.com.
Dean, who made an official visit to Iowa City in mid-October, went back and forth between Iowa and Louisville in the 48 hours leading up to signing day, but slept on it Tuesday night and decided to go with the Hawkeyes. At Iowa, he looks forward to the challenge of playing in the Big Ten and branching out on his own to the Midwest for college.
“The opportunity I feel is great because not everyone has the chance to play at the college level and do what they love,” said Dean. “Even though I’m going to be away from my family and it may be tough, I always say, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.'”
A playmaker on both sides of the ball in high school, Dean finished his senior season with 547 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns on offense along with 27 tackles and four interceptions on defense. At Iowa, the plan is to enroll early in January and start out at strong safety, but his versatility was definitely a selling point for the Hawkeyes.
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“I feel like this is a great opportunity due to the fact they develop players and get them to the next level, which is my goal,” Dean said. “Also, I have an opportunity to play early and it fits my skill set because I can play all around, which would be a great impact, maybe even playing some offense.”
A three-star prospect, Dean earned scholarship offers during the recruiting process from Iowa, Louisville, Iowa State, LSU, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Boston College, USF, UNLV, Florida Atlantic, Arkansas State, East Carolina, Coastal Carolina, Toledo, Western Michigan, James Maddison, and Jackson State, among others.
Overall, Dean is commitment No. 15 in Iowa’s recruiting class of 2025.