There were many underclassmen competing in San Antonio last week. The All-American Bowl Combine was full of Husker targets. One of the most intriguing of the group was 4-star (HV Rating: 89.5) tight end Thomas Fidone. The Iowa native stars at Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs.
Fidone relished the opportunity to compete against other top players. He said that there was a lot of competition so it was good to show what he could do against players from all over. He was one of the standouts of the combine, earning many honors as a top player at his position.
“I definitely thought I did well,” Fidone told Hail Varsity. “I didn’t get as many reps as I would like because we had a list of stuff to go through. But I definitely thought I stood out from the other tight ends, that’s for sure.”
The tight end wasn’t the only Iowan that was there and competing. Another priority target for the Huskers is 4-star outside linebacker TJ Bollers. The hybrid linebacker from Tiffin, Iowa, was there, too. It was a cool moment for Fidone to compete with his friend.
“It pretty cool,” Fidone explained. “Me and TJ hung out. It was mainly me and TJ that hung out. It was really cool that me and him both got MVP and No. 1 overall for our positions.”
2 kids from Iowa put in work during the @NationalComb1ne and rolled out of there with the position MVP hardware. Congrats to @tj35ballin and @ThomasFidone #keepworking pic.twitter.com/gpGFaa3XAl
— Trevor Bollers (@tbollers) January 5, 2020
Bollers and Fidone are able to have some good conversations about the recruiting process. There is overlap between the schools recruiting them. So they are able to compare notes on which coaches they like. Having been on some of the same visits they can also talk through how they feel about the respective schools recruiting them.
This winter, Fidone will play basketball and compete in 7-on-7. He is able to use one of his basketball skills of going up to get rebounds when he is playing tight end. Honing those skills allows him to make those 50-50 balls closer to 80-20 opportunities. The Iowan has been to Lincoln many times for visits. He describes his relationship with Nebraska’s staff as strong.
“Really good. Really good, we get along great,” he explained. “We talk all the time and I really like them all.”
Defensive Coordinator Erik Chinander, who leads Iowa recruiting is who Fidone says he probably talks to the most at this point. Fidone will get another chance to be around Chinander and the rest of the staff on Jan. 18th when he comes to Junior Day. He may also visit Michigan sometime this month.
Fidone says that he will take early official visits in hopes of having his college decision made by the end of his junior school year. It’s a safe bet that both Nebraska and Iowa will get visits from the star tight end. His criteria for what he is looking for hasn’t changed through the process. He’s looking at the feel he gets at the school, his relationship with the coaching staff and the type of impact he can make on the field.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11234829/5dcec9beb3c9eb0ab42f63c4
Greg is the Recruiting Analyst for Hail Varsity and has covered Husker athletics since 2013. He has always had a passion for sports while growing up in the Chicago area. As he got older and had to hang up his cleats and sneakers, he realized his passion for sports went beyond just watching and attending games. He has covered many events from the Rose Bowl to championship boxing matches. If he’s not talking sports, he’s hovering over his grill. He is married to an amazing woman, Kim, and they have a dog that barks when Greg yells at the TV during games.
