A good recruiting pitch can go a long way with a recruit, but it was what Craig Bohl's new coaching staff at Wyoming didn't say that got Cedar Rapids (Iowa) offensive lineman Cole Turner to pick Laramie as his college choice.
"I kind of think what they didn't say," Turner said Monday of Bohl's staff, which has has won two FCS titles at North Dakota State. "They weren't talking about coming in and dominating college football or any of that. I don't feel like they are guys who offer a lot of talk. They are guys who are going to go out and get things done. They went from a DII program to a I-AA program about to win their third title in a row."
"I come from a successful high school program and we put a lot of emphasis on winning. That is what I think that is what they do best and that is, I think, what they want to do there."
Turner selected Wyoming over offers from Illinois State, Northern Colorado, Western Illinois, and South Dakota State. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound offensive lineman was an All-Conference selection in the Mississippi Valley Conference last year as he helped his Cedar Rapids Xavier program to the state finals. Over the past two seasons, Xavier has amassed a 25-3 record.
The sales pitch - or lack thereof - was enough to confirm Turner's interest in Wyoming. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound offensive lineman came to Laramie this summer to take part in the Cowboys' summer camp. While he didn't walk away with a scholarship at that point, he was impressed by the school and the state.
"I did go to the camp over the summer and got to tour the campus and fell in love with the state. It is tough not to," Turner said. "I have never really seen the Rocky Mountains before. That was a great opportunity and I like to fish a lot and I hear the Miracle Mile is not too far away and I'd love to spend some time there this summer."
Turner said the excitement over the Wyoming program as well as the state bubbled over to his family.
"My mom is a little nervous about being so far away, but she is excited about taking the trips over there. My dad really, really loves the state. He was hoping as soon as we left Wyoming that they would offer and we could commit."
Turner said he was offered a scholarship by Wyoming about three weeks ago. He said he was excited by Wyoming's hiring of Bohl, and pointed out North Dakota State plays a similar style of football to what Turner plays in high school.
Turner said he called incoming Wyoming offensive line coach Scott Fuchs this week to commit. Turner said Fuchs gave him the rundown of the other linemen the Cowboy coaches were looking at when Turner stopped him in his tracks.
"He was talking about how a lineman from Colorado who was going to be the other guy to take my spot and I told him, let me stop you right there, I was calling to commit to the University of Wyoming."
While he did visit Wyoming this summer, Turner will also likely come out for an official visit in one of the last three weekends in January.
"I'm looking forward to just getting to know the players and how they feel about going to the University of Wyoming and what campus life is like and that kind of thing," he said.
This year Turner is ranked seventh in the state in the heavyweight division with a 14-1 mark in Class 4A, the largest class in Iowa.
Cole Turner
"I kind of think what they didn't say," Turner said Monday of Bohl's staff, which has has won two FCS titles at North Dakota State. "They weren't talking about coming in and dominating college football or any of that. I don't feel like they are guys who offer a lot of talk. They are guys who are going to go out and get things done. They went from a DII program to a I-AA program about to win their third title in a row."
"I come from a successful high school program and we put a lot of emphasis on winning. That is what I think that is what they do best and that is, I think, what they want to do there."
Turner selected Wyoming over offers from Illinois State, Northern Colorado, Western Illinois, and South Dakota State. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound offensive lineman was an All-Conference selection in the Mississippi Valley Conference last year as he helped his Cedar Rapids Xavier program to the state finals. Over the past two seasons, Xavier has amassed a 25-3 record.
The sales pitch - or lack thereof - was enough to confirm Turner's interest in Wyoming. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound offensive lineman came to Laramie this summer to take part in the Cowboys' summer camp. While he didn't walk away with a scholarship at that point, he was impressed by the school and the state.
"I did go to the camp over the summer and got to tour the campus and fell in love with the state. It is tough not to," Turner said. "I have never really seen the Rocky Mountains before. That was a great opportunity and I like to fish a lot and I hear the Miracle Mile is not too far away and I'd love to spend some time there this summer."
Turner said the excitement over the Wyoming program as well as the state bubbled over to his family.
"My mom is a little nervous about being so far away, but she is excited about taking the trips over there. My dad really, really loves the state. He was hoping as soon as we left Wyoming that they would offer and we could commit."
Turner said he was offered a scholarship by Wyoming about three weeks ago. He said he was excited by Wyoming's hiring of Bohl, and pointed out North Dakota State plays a similar style of football to what Turner plays in high school.
Turner said he called incoming Wyoming offensive line coach Scott Fuchs this week to commit. Turner said Fuchs gave him the rundown of the other linemen the Cowboy coaches were looking at when Turner stopped him in his tracks.
"He was talking about how a lineman from Colorado who was going to be the other guy to take my spot and I told him, let me stop you right there, I was calling to commit to the University of Wyoming."
While he did visit Wyoming this summer, Turner will also likely come out for an official visit in one of the last three weekends in January.
"I'm looking forward to just getting to know the players and how they feel about going to the University of Wyoming and what campus life is like and that kind of thing," he said.
This year Turner is ranked seventh in the state in the heavyweight division with a 14-1 mark in Class 4A, the largest class in Iowa.
Cole Turner
