Alton Meeks, a quarterback for the prestigious Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Fla., now will be playing a different position at Iowa State: linebacker. 

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound player is originally from Iowa City, Iowa, then moved to Florida where he played football. 

ISU football coach Paul Rhoads said with the thin depth at the linebacker position, Meeks has a chance to play when the season comes around. 

“Alton is a physical, mature kid, and our depth is not great at the linebacker position and with a good spring and good development, he might have an opportunity,” Rhoads said.

Meeks said he believed he had a good work ethic while working in high school. He won an individual state title in wrestling. 

When he got to Iowa State, however, he discovered a whole new level of work ethic. 

“I always thought I worked pretty hard,” Meeks said. “It’s tough, but it’s also fun at the same time. The strength coaches, they make it enjoyable for you and they push you, but at the same time you’re excited about working hard.”

Facilities play a factor in recruiting

Meeks was also impressed with the Bergstrom Football Complex as a facility, especially the weight room. 

“It’s one of the best I’ve seen,” Meeks said. “They have equipment in there no one else has and they’ve got strength coaches no one else has, and I think those guys are the best I’ve seen out there.”

Aaron Wimbley, a junior college transfer from Iowa Western, also said the Iowa State’s facilities played a role in his committment. 

“We walked through it when it was just poles and cords, so I could picture what it was,” Wimbley said. “Then when I came on my visit it was what [Rhoads] said it was, and I really liked it.”

Wimbley, a junior native from Snellville, Ga., ran for 1,125 yards and 13 touchdowns for Iowa Western last year before committing to the Cyclones for the 2013 season. 

Shawn Curtis, a 6-foot-5, 270-pound offensive lineman said the facility gave him a homey feel.

“I went into the weight room and saw how big it was, I went into the new theater and saw how nice it was; it just felt like home,” Curtis said.