'A two-headed monster': Jirehl Brock, Breece Hall ready for early roles at Iowa State

Last March, Jirehl Brock had an interesting conversation with Dr. E.L. Warren, his pastor at Cathedral of Worship in Quincy, Illinois.

Warren told Brock he saw him in his dream the previous night, wearing an Iowa State uniform. Four months later, Brock committed to the Cyclones over Illinois, Northwestern and Minnesota.

"Maybe it was meant to be," the four-star running back told the Register with a laugh.

Maybe there was some fate involved.

After all, one week before Brock picked Iowa State, Breece Hall, another four-star running back, also committed to the Cyclones. Many assumed that was the end of Iowa State’s chances with Brock, who 247Sports ranks the No. 9 running back in 2019.

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Hall ranks No. 10, meaning LSU is the only other school with two top-10 backs in that class. No other school has a pair of top-20 backs. It’s just rare.

So why would an elite back pick a school that had someone just like him in its class? Because Brock and Hall had already developed a strong relationship, first by getting to know the other during unofficial visits at Iowa and Purdue.

Both recruits recognized they have a chance to combine to form something special.

"We’re basically just a two-headed monster," Hall said. "I think we’re going to eventually be the best running back duo in college football, to be honest."

Only time will tell if that belief becomes reality. But for now, they're a duo expected to make an early impact in Ames.

Iowa State recruited both knowing there’s a good chance David Montgomery leaves for the NFL after this season. Coaches wanted recruits who could immediately enter the mix and possibly start.

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With no clear-cut backup behind Montgomery this year, the door would be open for the pair of true freshmen to compete.

"Coach (Matt) Campbell and (director of player personnel Derek) Hoodjer and (running backs coach Nate) Scheelhaase have been talking to us about the likeliness that David goes to the league this year," Brock said. "That just gives Breece and I a big chance to come in and play a lot. If he does go, it’d be great for playing time purposes. But if he doesn’t, it’d be really nice to just learn from him."

Hall calls the situation a win-win. If Montgomery leaves, he’ll compete for the starting job. If Montgomery stays, he'll compete for a secondary job while learning from one of the country’s best.

Brock and Hall’s talent level is easy to see. It’s why they were ranked so high, and it’s not uncommon for prospects of their status to play as true freshmen. Hall will play in the 2019 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Brock is Gatorade's Illinois Football Player of the Year. They’re both bulldozers with shifty quickness. They both can spread out wide or catch passes out of the backfield. They both can work well in space.

They’re also a pair of the more well-built high school senior running backs in the country. Hall is 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds; Brock checks in at 5-11 and 195.

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"When you look at both of them, physically, they have the size to be able to compete at the next level," said 247Sports Midwest recruiting analyst Allen Trieu, who noted that Iowa State landing both backs surprised many in the region. "They're not coming from necessarily meccas of high school football. So the adjustment will come in terms of going against that competition. But as far as stepping in and being physically ready to compete, I think both of those guys will be ready to from that standpoint."

Recent college football history suggests backfield tandems can be successful. Look at Alabama's Derrick Henry and T.J. Yeldon in 2013-14. Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine at Oklahoma in 2015-16. Or go back further to USC's Reggie Bush and LenDale White in the mid-2000s.

Another example was Toledo in 2013-14 when David Fluellen rushed 167 times for 1,121 yards and Kareem Hunt rushed 137 times for 866 yards. Campbell was their coach.

"Coach has really been comparing us two to what he had (at Toledo)," Brock said.

Added Trieu: "Any time you have two backs in a class, you have to ask yourself: 'Is there room for both of these guys?' And I think when you look at the way that they run, there certainly is. Iowa State has played multiple backs in the past. They are a little bit more of a spread-out offense, but they run the football downhill, too."

Hall and Brock’s high school coaches say, beyond the obvious talent, their players also have the type of psyche you need to make a tandem system work.

"I don’t think he has flinched since Jirehl committed," said Steve Martin, Hall’s coach at Northwest High in Wichita, Kansas. "That doesn't surprise me. Breece did the same thing as a sophomore when he was trying to get playing time. He shared it with his counterpart here. Breece is definitely not one of those kids that’s out for himself."

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Quincy head coach Rick Little said it’s genuine when Brock says he’s looking forward to teaming up with Hall.

"He loves competition, but he also is a great teammate," Little said. "And that’s something that, when you think of kids and all the boxes that they check and their athleticism, sometimes people forget about that aspect. This is a great kid. This is a great teammate. If Breece is running the ball, (Brock is) going to pumping his fist and encouraging him."

Both players plan to sign their National Letter of Intent with Iowa State when the early signing period begins next Wednesday. Brock won’t get on campus until summer, but Hall, who is graduating from high school early, expects to arrive on campus in January.

He hasn’t started packing yet.

"I have to buy a lot of new school stuff," he said.

Matthew Bain covers college football and basketball recruiting for the Des Moines Register. He also helps out with Iowa and Iowa State football and basketball coverage for HawkCentral and Cyclone Insider. Contact him at mbain@dmreg.com and follow him on Twitter @MatthewBain_.