Iowa State welcomed East St. Louis offensive line recruit Paris Patterson and his family to campus on Tuesday, with Patterson competing in the summer camp session that took place.
Patterson, a 6-foot-6, 345-pound prospect, impressed coaches throughout the day and liked his experience at the school.
“This is really a good place to be,” Patterson said. “There’s really good coaching here and I can see myself developing here and making it to the league.”
Since Iowa State offered a year ago, Patterson has attracted attention and offers from programs like LSU and Nebraska. He also had a previous offer to play at Tennessee.
Getting in early proved to be important for the Cyclones.
“Iowa State was one of my first offers, so you know – I’m always loyal to the people that are loyal to me,” Patterson said. “I just wanted to come, check it out, see what the environment is really like and get a feel for the coaching staff.”
Iowa State is also recruiting Patterson’s high school teammate Brandon Henderson – a 6-foot-4, 320-pound three-star offensive tackle with offers to Illinois and Nebraska among others.
The thought of playing college football at the same school is on the mind of Patterson.
“We talk about it, but everybody has their own path,” Patterson said. “Hopefully we can reunite at Iowa State.”
When asked about what he’s looking for in a program, Patterson frequently mentioned the environment around him being an important aspect.
“Just the environment, my playing time and being in a place where I can develop,” Patterson said. “I just want a feel for the players and just the feel that this is a good place to be – I’m looking for a second home from home, basically.”
Iowa State hopes he will find that in Ames.
