Brevin Dorr was ready to go when track and field season began this spring, but the ADM senior has been sidelined from competing much since the 2022 football season ended due to injury.
When he returned to track and field after missing most of last fall's football season with a broken arm, everyone realized what they'd been missing: Records were broken at the state meet on Drake's blue oval.
The performance raised questions about whether the 24-year Iowa State running back would also run track in college.
“Everyone's been asking me that because of that big state track and field conference,” Dole said. “I don't know. Obviously, my day job is football, but I'm not ruling it out.”
The Hawkeye track and field team hosted Dole on a recruiting visit before his football interest spiked. Earlier this month, Dole set Class 3A state meet records in the 100 meters (10.4 seconds) and 200 meters (21.10). Dole was the anchor for the winning 4×100 team, which ran the fastest time in Iowa history in its class (41.33).
“I used this track season as a comeback season to prove to myself that I'm still here (after my injury), and I did, so I'm proud of that,” he said.
Dole missed his junior track season with a hip injury. Last fall, he rushed 40 times for 347 yards and four touchdowns but broke two bones in his arm during his third game.
This marked the end of his high school baseball career, and it was a difficult thing to accept.
“The mental part can be even harder than the physical part. Rehab was just part of the battle. Sitting on the sideline watching the team and figuring out how I can contribute was really the biggest challenge for me,” he said.
Fortunately, Dole's football talent began to take off during his junior year, catching the attention of college coaches and leading to scholarship offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Minnesota, Oklahoma State and Purdue, among others. Last spring, the University of Iowa committed to Dole.
“It felt a little rushed at first,” Dorr said of the commitment coming soon after numerous offers.
He felt a sense of urgency because the Hokies recently signed Indiana running back Xavier Williams.
“That's not why I committed, but I did feel a little pressure. I got a call from the University of Iowa and they said, 'We're looking for another (running back) in '24 and we'd like you,'” he said.
Dole sat down with her family and thoroughly discussed the decision, and in the end, it was an easy decision.
“It was always the University of Iowa. I've always been a Hawks fan. I knew I was going to end up there eventually,” he said.
Dorr (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) and Williams (6-foot-0, 220 pounds) join a well-stocked Iowa running back corps that returns last season's top three rushers, LeShon Williams, Caleb Johnson and Ja'Jiun Patterson, as well as second-year back Kamari Moulton. Redshirt freshman Terrell Washington Jr. will see more playing time as a receiver after playing in the backfield last year.
The depth and experience of the roster could make it tough for rookies to earn playing time this fall, but Doll welcomes the competition and the opportunity to learn from the veterans.
“That's one of the things I'm excited about. The other guys were some of the best players in high school. I'm going to a new environment where I'm not necessarily at the top and I'm ready to earn my place again and work my way up,” he said.
The last homegrown running back to be Iowa's rushing leader was Des Moines Lincoln's Adam Robinson in 2010. Prior to Robinson, Sam Brownlee ('04), Tabien Banks ('97) and John Lazard ('76-78) all held the same recent mark.
Dole is in pretty good company in that respect, but he knows he has a lot of work to do. He has no expectations.
“When I run (in track and field), I don't really aim for a specific time. I just focus on my running and trying to reach the highest level I can. That's my approach to everything on and off the field,” he said.
“I'm just going to go (to Iowa), follow my coaches' guidance and do everything I can to be the best player and person I can be. So far, that's worked out pretty well for me. If I do that, everything else will fall into place.”
Hawkeye running backs coach LaDell Betts has done a good job of building depth at the position, and it's rare for a college to have so many players happy these days, especially with NIL and the transfer portal.
Betts got in touch with Dole.
“It's a really strong relationship,” Doll said. “Especially with Tim Lester trying to get the running backs a little more involved in the receiving game, (Betts) told me he sees me being a receiving back and using my speed on the field for a few different things.”
Dorr caught 33 passes for 640 yards and six touchdowns in his first full season as a junior. He caught 52 passes for 1,024 yards and 10 scores in his high school career. Dorr said ADM's coaching staff tried to put him in space.
For now, Dole is content playing at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, and while he's open to putting on weight, it's not his focus to make it happen.
“Having some weight is important, but for me it's more about how I feel athletically. I'm not really interested in going up for the sake of going down right now,” he said.
Film study is part of Dole's learning process. He's also familiar with the Iowa playbook, which runs a different offense than the one he played at high school.
Still, Dole understands his position requires natural talent to succeed.
“If you prepare yourself, you know what's going to happen when you're playing, but once the ball pops anything can happen, so you need to have natural instincts as well,” he said.
Dorr is enjoying his final days at home before moving on to Iowa City in a few weeks. He will room with fellow freshman Drew Campbell, a defensive end from Cedar Falls. He will miss his hometown.
“[The people of Adelia]have shown me a lot of pride, both in person and on social media. I have great friends and a great community supporting me, so I'm very lucky in that respect,” he said.
