Iowa Bound Linebacker - Tom Busch

Looking back on this recruiting year, it was Minnesota linebacker Tom Busch that had one of the most impressive highlight films we've seen all year.

He verbally committed to Iowa last month but he’s still one of the most talked about prospects in the Midwest.

Tom Busch, a 5-foot-11, 230-pound, linebacker from Cottage Grove (Minn.) Park Senior is a Zach Thomas clone that’s accumulated 287 tackles, 40 tackles for loss and 10 sacks, the past two seasons.

What Busch lacks in size, he makes up for in speed, striking ability and determination. We haven’t seen a linebacker all year that plays sideline to sideline as well as Tom Busch.

Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas State and Iowa State were his finalists and he says he’ll play his college football for the Hawkeyes.

“It was a tough decision but in the end I felt that Iowa was the school for me,” Busch said.

“The Iowa coaches are great people. I feel like I could really talk to them and tell them about anything that’s happening in my life.

“Iowa’s strength and conditioning program is another reason I picked them over everyone else. I like the strength coach and I feel that I’m going to benefit in the long run being in that program.”

Busch was named all-state in 2002 and he had 137 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and five sacks on the season.