The recruitment of Isaiah McMorris took a major turn last fall. In the midst of his junior season at Bellevue West the 6-foot 170-pound receiver started seeing Power Conference schools offer him a scholarship.
First was Texas Tech followed by Kansas in October. Three more, Kansas State, Penn State and Nebraska came in November. Since the end of his junior campaign he’s added Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Tulane to the list of schools that have offered.
McMorris had what some consider a breakout season with 90 catches for 1,297 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.
Last weekend (March 17-18) he took a trip to Columbia to take in a practice and scrimmage at Missouri.
“It was nice,” McMorris said. “The facilities were nice. I like how the receivers coach (Jacob Peeler) told me how they do things and I saw a meeting with him and how he operates with his receivers.”
The Tigers may have an ace in the hole when it comes to recruiting McMorris. His Bellevue West teammate and quarterback Daniel Kaelin recently committed to Missouri and their relationship is strong.
“We have a good connection and I know if I went there I already have chemistry with him,” McMorris said of Kaelin. “It definitely makes me take Mizzou a little more seriously.”
McMorris recently spent some time in Lincoln getting to know the staff at Nebraska in a more intimate setting.
“I was the only one down there that day. Coach Rhule wasn’t in town but I finally met with coach (Garret) McGuire in person and he told me I was a priority for them and how I would fit in their offense,” he said. “He (McGuire) sees me playing everywhere on the field. It’s kind of like I am for Bellevue West, outside inside, reverses and basically everywhere.“
His visit to Lincoln was about more than just football. Beating a few members of the NU staff in a game of Madden certainly didn’t hurt.
“I beat coach Omar (Hales), I twenty-oned him,” McMorris said. “I beat coach (Mike) Wallace on a Hail Mary the last play of the game.”
Southern California and Oregon are two schools that haven’t offered but have shown interest in McMorris. He is planning on visiting USC in two weeks (April 8) and hoping to get to Oregon for the Ducks spring game but that visit hasn’t been finalized.
“I am going to Oklahoma next weekend on the 31st, Penn State in April (14-15),” he said. “I want to get to K-State and Minnesota sometime this spring.”
