Brock expected to be Iowa State’s starting running back in Cheez-It Bowl against Clemson

QUINCY — Jirehl Brock should find himself in the spotlight for his first collegiate start.

Breece Hall expects the former Quincy High School all-state running back to handle it well.

Hall announced Saturday on Instagram he will forego his final season of eligibility and declare for the NFL Draft after a record-setting career as the Iowa State football program’s feature back and a two-time consensus All-American.

With that decision, the NCAA’s leading rusher will skip the Cheez-It Bowl against Clemson on December 29.

It elevates Brock, a redshirt sophomore, to the No. 1 spot at running back on the Cyclones’ depth chart ahead of the bowl game, which is scheduled for a 4:45 p.m. kickoff and will air on ESPN.

“With Jirehl, I really haven’t seen too many people as powerful as him or as good a pass-blocker as him,” Hall told reports during a Zoom interview Monday to discuss his decision to leave Iowa State a year early. “When he wants to, he can run the ball just as good as me.

“There’s not really going to be any drop-off. I know he’ll do well. I have the highest expectations for him. I know he has the highest expectations for himself.”

The 6-foot, 215-pound Brock rushed for 132 yards on 23 carries with one touchdown as Hall’s backup this season. He also caught four passes for 22 yards and a touchdown. The first rushing touchdown of his career was a 40-yard gallop in the regular-season finale against TCU.

In three seasons at Iowa State, Brock has 226 yards rushing and 54 yards receiving, getting a majority of his snaps as a third-down back as a blocker or a safety valve out of the backfield.

Deon Silas, a freshman, is expected to be Brock’s backup. Silas appeared in four games, getting 11 carries as the No. 3 running back on the depth chart.

The Cyclones have not released an updated depth chart and Iowa State coach Matt Campbell has not publicly commented on the running back situation since Hall’s announcement.

Brock rushed for 5,135 yards in his career at QHS, setting single-game, single-season and career rushing records. As a senior in 2018, he rushed for 2,158 yards and 33 touchdowns, earning first-team all-state honors and getting named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Illinois.