“I’m a lot more mature than I was in high school,” he said. “I kind of had an arrogance and a big ego to me. I thought I knew everything.

“Coach Terry and Coach (Dave) Tollefson have taught me so many things, how every single little centimeter of space is important to rushing the passer and taking on running blocks. They’ve been a huge help in my development.”

Iowa Western coach Scott Strohmeier said Lee is rarely seen in the middle of the usual back-and-forth locker room chatter. That’s not his style. But he has seen plenty of growth.

“He’s playing a lot harder,” he said. “He’s utilizing his technique. He’s a good kid. … His personality is really to himself. He’s focused on what he wants to do.”

One of the questions has been Lee’s future position. He is more comfortable as an end in a 4-3 scheme, like Iowa and many others in the Big Ten employ. He thinks that’s at least part of the reason Nebraska, with its 3-4 alignment, hasn’t been in contact recently.

However, Terry said Lee could easily project as an end in a 3-4 defense, with added strength and weight.

“Once he gets into a true four-year weightlifting program, I think he’ll explode into the player that he’s going to be,” he said.