Michigan State offers Iowa QB
Michigan State’s pursuit of a quarterback in the 2017 class extended to Iowa on Monday, where they offered West Des Moines Valley three-star Rocky Lombardi.
Speaking Monday evening, Lombardi said, “I called Brad Salem, who is the quarterbacks coach there. We usually talk about once a week and he told me he wanted to get me on the phone with Coach (Mark) Dantonio. It took awhile to find him and I probably talked to about five coaches.
“They actually found (Dantonio) working out so he was a little out of breath, but he got on the phone and told me he wanted to offer me and what Michigan State had to offer for me. It was awesome. Coach Dantonio is such a high class guy and well-respected. It was cool just getting on the phone with him and after he told me he was going to offer me it made it that more exciting.”
Although the offer from Michigan State is brand new, Lombardi’s relationship with the Spartan’s programs goes back a long time.
“I went to a camp there last summer and I was up there for a game day when they played Oregon," Lombardi said. "When I first went to camp there in the summer I fell in love with the place. The campus is awesome and it is a nice college town. The people there are all so friendly.”
With the offer in-hand, Michigan State is poised to be a strong contender for Lombardi’s services.
“I really like Michigan State. It is a really attractive school for me,” he said. “They have a rich quarterback history and a lot of positives.”
Besides Michigan State, Lombardi has also been offered by Iowa, Iowa State, Virginia and others. He will see Iowa soon when the Hawkeyes use West Des Moines Valley’s field for a spring practice. A visit to Michigan State for a spring practice is also in the works, and he has recently seen Iowa State.
“I met (Iowa State’s) Coach (Matt) Campbell and he is a great guy, great coach,” Lombardi said. “He will do well with that program.”
Among the schools that have yet to offer, Lombardi is talking with Arkansas, Indiana, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin the most. How long additional schools have to offer the class of 2017’s No. 20 ranked pro-style passer is undetermined at this point.
“I don’t really have a time schedule of when I want to be committed by, other than before this next season starts,” Lombardi said. “I feel like one day I am going to wake up and feel, ‘this is the place.’ Whether that will be in the next few weeks or the next few months, I don’t know.”
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Lombardi is coming off a junior season in which he completed better than 57 percent of his passes for 2,258 yards and 25 touchdowns against just five interceptions.