Yahya Black has huge upside

A two-way lineman that earned Division I scholarship offers on both sides of the ball, Yahya Black is just beginning to tap into his vast potential. On Friday, the 6-foot-5, 253-pound Minnesota native announced his commitment to the University of Iowa after attending their one-day camp. According to Black’s coach at Marshall High School, Terry Bahlmann, the Hawkeyes are getting quite a player.

"I believe his upside is huge,” said Bahlmann.

"As a player, he is a little over 6’5" and about 253 pounds and is still growing,” Bahlmann said. “He has run a 4.9 forty and pretty consistently runs in the 5.0 range. One of his biggest assets is his arm length and his hand strength."

Not one to draw attention to himself, Black quietly earned scholarship offers from Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas State, Buffalo, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, South Dakota, and North Dakota this spring without much fanfare.

"Yahya Black is a throwback type of player,” said Bahlmann. “He doesn’t need a lot of attention, just wants to play football. He doesn’t do much social media, so that is why his recruiting has gone a little under the radar."

At Iowa’s camp on Friday, Black worked out at defensive end, but could also end up at defensive tackle or offensive line in college. Whatever the case, his high school coach expects him to succeed because of his potential combined with a strong work ethic.

"He is an extremely hard worker and very competitive,” Bahlmann said. “He is not afraid of hard work and really likes to be challenged to make himself better."

Overall, Black is commitment No. 12 for the Iowa coaching staff in the Class of 2020.