RECRUITING: Iowa State the latest to offer four star Ohio safety Kaden Gebhardt

Iowa State became the 19th FBS program to offer Ohio safety Kaden Gebhardt earlier this week.

The four-star prospect is rated as the No. 17 safety in the country by 247 Sports and the Cyclones are joining an extensive offer sheet.

“It’s definitely exciting getting the Iowa State offer,” Gebhardt said. “Historically, they have a really good defense – and they actually run the same defense as we do at our high school, so it fits me really well.”

The Olentangy High School product now holds offers from Iowa State, Penn State, Oklahoma, Purdue, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Duke, Indiana, Illinois, Arkon, Miami (Ohio), Middle Tennessee State, and Iowa – which just offered Gebhardt Friday.

The high school junior has visits scheduled to Oklahoma this week (against Tennessee – Sep. 21), Purdue (against Nebraska – Sep. 28), Penn State (for its whiteout game against Washington – Nov. 9), and a pair of games at Wisconsin (against Penn State – Oct. 26 & Oregon – Nov. 16).

“It’s great,” Gebhardt said of his extensive offers. “It’s definitely a good feeling to have a lot of options. I’m just going to keep working.”

That only rules out Iowa State’s home games against Arkansas State and Cincinnati as conflicts for Gebhardt’s schedule.

Safeties coach Deon Broomfield is the primary recruiter.

“I liked him a lot,” Gebhardt said. “He seems like a really good coach. We had a great conversation and I’m excited to meet him in person.”

There’s a long ways to go in the recruiting process here, but the talented defensive back could end up on campus before season’s end.