SI All-American Candidate: Iowa Hawkeyes Commitment Arland Bruce IV
A breakdown of Arland Bruce IV, a verbal commitment to Iowa's 2021 recruiting class and a candidate for Sports Illustrated All-American.
Personal
Position — Athlete
Height — 5-10
Weight — 192 pounds
Hometown — Olathe, Kan. (Olathe North High School)
Committed — April 28, 2020
Other offers — Iowa State, Tulsa, Western Illinois
Notes — A versatile player who can play wide receiver, but could fit into multiple spots in Iowa's offense, and could play of defense as well. ... Had 2,487 rushing yards last season. ... Expected to enroll early in January.
SI All-American Analysis
Frame: Bruce IV is a relatively smaller, lean ball carrier. It doesn't appear likely that he will add a significant amount of mass to his frame at the next level.
Athleticism: Bruce is quicker than he is fast, with excellent change of direction and acceleration. Shows solid speed, but excels making defenders miss in open space.
Instincts: Bruce has good vision and sets up defenders well, both to be blocked and so he can make them miss with a cut. Also feels the hole well as a runner. Knows when to press and when to accelerate.
Polish: Bruce does the little things right as a back. He maximizes his blockers, waiting to set them up and accelerating through the hole. Makes decisive cuts into the line, plants his foot and goes. Thinks ahead with his runs, making a defender miss while setting up the next one.
Bottom Line: Bruce has been a workhorse athlete in high school. At the next level he is likely a valuable rotational back and potential Wildcat QB (capable of making some throws) early on. There will be an adjustment to Power 5 talent, and his carries could be limited until he shows his slight frame can take the pounding at the next level. Still, he is a polished runner that should be an eventual starter at the next level.
