Lake
Travis's James Bailey perfectly fits the type of player the Cyclones
are looking for as a nickelback. The Cyclones fit Bailey well, too
A week's worth of visits completed — Fresno State on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at Nevada, Friday at
Iowa State — and Lake Travis (TX) defensive back
James Bailey is able to call one school his leader.
"My favorite right now is Iowa State for sure," Bailey told
AllCyclones.com on Friday night. "Then Fresno, then like Texas State."
The 6-foot, 197-pound Bailey was a standout at the Cyclones' camp.
The fact that it was non-padded didn't stop him from playing rough,
battling with receivers to the ground and giving pass-catchers a hard
shove the moment their mitts touched the football.
"I showed them my man coverage, my physicality," Bailey said. "Coach
Rhoads said he appreciated I came out here and did really well, too."
Bailey's held an Iowa State offer since the spring, having caught the
eye of Tommy Mangino on his Central Texas trips to check out
quarterback Dominic DeLira, who the Cyclones eventually offered and
added as a member of the 2015 class.
"Dom's texting me, asking how I liked it, how's the coaches, it's cool," Bailey said.
Rhoads likes to say he recruits 12 positions on defense, the
nickelback being the new add, and he spoke about that at Big 12 Media
Days, saying they were looking for a safety/SAM 'backer hybrid.
Bailey fits that mold perfectly. He played linebacker for the
Cavaliers last season and will be a safety this fall. He's long and
lean, with the physique of a soccer player. In fact, he's nearly a clone
of former ISU nickel Charlie Rogers, who played well as a freshman
before strangely transferring to Iowa Western.
A timetable is murky at this point. Bailey could shut down his
recruitment tomorrow and pick Iowa State, or he might keep the door open
for new interest and offers.
"It all depends," he said.
The Cyclones, though, are in great shape.
"It's awesome, it's so cool," Bailey said of the ISU campus. "I was
so impressed with the weight room and locker room, it was so cool. The
environment, too, was great."
