Michael Kilbane Reacts to Iowa Football Offer

On Apr 13, 2022

It’s been a good year for Michael Kilbane. The Class of 2023 defensive end/outside linebacker from Lakewood (OH) St. Edward High has reported 19 scholarship offers since the calendar flipped to January.

The latest of his 26 overall opportunities came on Tuesday. Iowa jumped into the mix for the Rivals four-star prospect.

“Iowa has been recruiting me for roughly a month now,” Kilbane told HN. “The offer was a little bit of a surprise because I haven’t made it to campus as of yet, and I know they’re very strict with recruitment.”

Kilbane (6-4, 240) visited Northwestern this past weekend and Cincinnati earlier this month. Those programs along with Duke, Indiana, Iowa State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Virginia Tech and West Virginia were among his offers.

Ohio State and Notre Dame have shown Kilbane interest. He visited the Buckeyes at the end of March.

Hawkeye defensive line coach Kelvin Bell is leading the school’s pursuit of Kilbane.

“Coach Bell and I have a very good relationship. I can tell he’s a genuine guy, who I like a lot,” Kilbane said.

Kilbane recorded 104.0 total tackles and 16.5 sacks last fall. His Hudl video listed his 40-yard dash time at 4.75 seconds and his pro agility a 4.22.

Kilbane finished fourth at 285 pounds during the state wrestling meet in March. That sport gave him some insight into Iowa.

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“My head wrestling coach, John Heffernan, wrestled there. So that’s a cool connection for me,” he said.

Kilbane still is researching Iowa Football, but likes what he’s learned so far.

“I know Iowa is a blue-collar program that has a great culture. That attracts me there,” he said.

He looks forward to finding out more about the Hawkeyes.

“I personally am not too familiar with the Iowa scheme as of yet, but I definitely am excited to learn more about the defense and where they project me playing at,” he said.

Iowa saw a fit in Kilbane that led it to offer a scholarship.

“Coach Bell told me that I have great tape and he loves the style of play I bring to the table. He thinks the way I’m wired could translate into their culture,” Kilbane said.

Kilbane is considering a Business major in college. He’d like to learn more about what Iowa offers on the academic side as well as gaining a better understanding of the football program.