Interview: Top College Teams Making Moves for 2017 Iowa DE Dylan Boles

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

If patience is a virtue, Van Meter High School’s 2017 defensive end Dylan Boles is among the most virtuous of us all. The 6-4, 253 pound, defensive end has put in all the work he can earning first team All-State honors on the field and is a scholar in the classroom with a 3.879 GPA and a 31 on his ACT. Despite all the positives, Boles has just seven offers but his time awaiting more good news seems to be coming right around the corner.

Boles senior season was just about as good as it can get. His team posted an 11-1 record making a three-game run into the playoffs earning each bus ride back home as a two-way star at end and guard. At the end of the year, Boles was name a first team All-District defensive lineman for the second year in a row while earning Unanimous Defensive MVP of District 6 honors. Another honor worth noting, Boles was a three-time Academic All-District selection (2014-16). When all was said and done in 2016, Boles had 48 total tackles, 23 solo, 14.5 tackles for a loss, and 5.5 sacks.

At the snap of the ball on defense, Boles is quick off the ball, head hunts, and gets to the pigskin party in an angry mood punishing ball carriers at every opportunity. College teams hoping to sway him their way on National Signing Day includes Army, Yale, Lamar, Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth, and Navy. The list of teams showing interest and hoping to get a steal on the recruiting trail with a preferred walk-on offer (PWO) is long and impressive. Some of those walk-on offers may just turn to a scholarship extension before all is said and done.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I caught up with Boles after his senior season getting a recap on the year that was as well as an in-depth look at his recruiting process to date.

Interview

Dylan, did you play ironman football all season?

“Yeah, I was a two-way player. I’ve been doing that since last season. My sophomore year I played all over the field, wherever they needed me. This year, in nickel packages I became a rush end.”

You played end and guard for the Bulldogs, which do you like best?

“I prefer end. It is good to be out on defense and hit some people. It is fun making a way for your teammates on offense but it is a more physical game on the other side of the ball. You are inflecting your will on the opposition on defense. It is a mindset that they are not going to get past you.”

With the step up in competition in the playoffs, how did your game jump to the next level?

“For me, watching additional film and watching the tendencies of some of the teams was key. For us, we were able to play two teams we had played in the past. Madrid was in our conference, we were able to look back at old game film to see how they played us earlier in the year. AHSTW (Walnut – Avoca) was a new team for us. We had not played them in a couple of years. Looking at their play calls and tendencies was important.”

How did the game go against AHSTW (won 21-14 in OT)?

“It went really well. In terms of actual playing, I had some tackles for a loss and some QB hits. On offense, I had some good blocks. Late in the game I was able to strip a ball out of the running back’s hands. The score was at 14-14. That killed their drive. We were able to get our kicker in position for a try. He missed it. In overtime, we scored on the first play. On defense we were holding them off. Three out of the four plays they ran in overtime, I was in on it including the game winner.”

You guys beat Madrid in the regular season 31-24 in overtime but really got them in the playoffs winning 28-7, what was the difference for the Bulldogs the second time around?

“That was largely Michael Santi, he is a really good running back. He’s one of the best rushers in the state. We knew they were going to get him the ball. They were run-heavy running a Wishbone and Wing-T kind of offense. We had to keep hitting Michael and keep him at bay. On offense we had to convert and push it down the field. We took care of business on both sides of the ball. The first time we played them we made some mistakes to keep them in the game.”

The Bulldogs had a tough game against Western Christian, how did that game go for you?

“For me personally, they had me in containment, not in pass rush. That is not normally what I like to do, but still had a good showing. I had some tackles. A lot of teams ran away from me this year. They knew I was taking care of my edge. That game was making sure I was playing backside containment. I felt like I executed my assignments.”

How did your game improve overall during your senior year at defensive end?

“Having the confidence in myself to trust what I was doing. I had a focus of improvement understanding what I was doing over my junior year and being aggressive with it. I was better at getting guys’ hands off me and jamming guys at the point of attack. The game slowed down for me. I felt like I could do what I wanted to do out there on the field.”

Do you remember any of your off-season workout totals in the weight room?

“We tested late in the summer. I had 450 on squat, 315 on bench, and my hand-clean was 285. That’s all we test.”

What was the best 40-yard dash time you ran this summer?

“At a Princeton camp I ran a 4.9.”

Which schools are showing interest in you but have not offered you yet?

“Iowa, Central Florida, and Wake Forest. I have a lot of teams sending me PWOs. UNI (Northern Iowa) is showing interest. They want me to take an official visit then they will give me the financial aid package. I have to visit for the offer. Princeton, Penn, Minnesota, and Cornell are all showing a lot of interest.”

Which schools have extended a preferred walk-on offer to you?

“Stanford, Texas, Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Penn State is talking about that as well. I think Iowa would take me. Minnesota has offered a PWO but they are working on getting me a scholarship.”

Have you taken any official visits yet?

“No. I’m taking my first this weekend to Pennsylvania. They have one more D-line spot open. I think it is there for whoever jumps on it first.”

Do you have any other planned visits coming up?

“It is difficult trying to identify all five visits with such few weekends left. If I could, I would like to visit Yale, Brown, UNI, Western Illinois, they have reached out to me as well, Army, Navy, and Dartmouth. There are a lot of schools I would like to visit. It is all about time I have left until signing day.”

With full-ride offers it seems kind of crazy to consider talking a PWO, but is that something you are seriously considering?

“Maybe. At Stanford I have a possibility of attaining a scholarship. They are a very good school. I get along well with their staff. Texas too. Those are the two that are the most enticing. I have a good relationship with their staff too. I had a PWO from Houston. Tom Herman said the PWO is still there for me when he went to Texas. I had one under Charlie Strong too.”

Are you playing any spring sports?

“Track and field. I throw the discus and shotput. I do some short distance stuff to stay in shape.”

What is your greatest achievement on the football field, or something you will be most proud of looking back that you will always remember?

“I’d say, with this team and the high school program, it has been a great journey coming up with the program. As a sophomore, playing varsity and continuously improving. It has been enjoyable. What we accomplished as a program as four-time district champs, we made it to the dome three out of four years. That’s a big accomplishment for our program. We’re leaving it for our younger guys to make the improvement and take it to higher heights. Knowing the program is in a better place and will continue that way is great.”

Dylan, thanks for your time today and good luck on your official visit to Penn this weekend.

“Thank you.”

Photo credits: C Varsity photo in Waukee; No. 58 Dylan Boles.