Slim Lineman Nets ISU Offer

(This article originally appeared on iowastate.rivals.com.)

Iowa State is in the running to obtain the commitment of a self-proclaimed "big finisher" from a traditional hotbed of football talent - Garland, Tex. But he's got visits to take and weight to gain and a senior season to play. Still, Jimmy Chase is pumped to have an offer from ISU.

Chase is a 6-foot-3, 235-pound offensive line prospect who currently holds offers from Iowa State and UL-Monroe. And several other BCS conference programs are showing him solid interest including Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa and Louisville.

Coach Scott Fountain is the point person on Chase's recruitment for the Iowa State staff, and according to Chase, Fountain has made a good impression.

"He's a cool person," said Chase. "I talked to him a couple times, and I just kept thinking that he seemed like a real cool person."

The offer from Ames was the first Chase received from a major D-I school and it came in a very now way - via text message.

"Coach Fountain texted me one day and just said 'We're ready to offer you, we're going to play ball'," said Chase. "I was pretty excited because that was my first big school."

Chase currently lists Arkansas as his favorite school, due both to the Razorbacks' recent emergence on the national scene, and their proximity to his Texas home. According to Chase, he will likely visit there, Kansas, Iowa and Iowa State come fall.

Wherever Chase ends up, his top priority once he hits college will be putting on pounds to his strong, but lean frame. He thinks his ideal playing weight is somewhere around 290, leaving him about 55 pounds to gain by the peak of his career.