IOWA CITY — The early signing period begins on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
Here’s a guide previewing Iowa football’s recruiting endeavors in the 2026 high school class.
The Hawkeyes currently have 17 known scholarship commitments, plus four preferred walk-on pledges.
The offensive line is one of the highlights of Iowa’s class. The Hawkeyes have five commitments in the class, three of whom are regarded as four-star prospects, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Iowa has done well to keep in-state talent home. According to the 247Sports Composite, five of the top eight players in the state’s 2026 recruiting class are committed to the Hawkeyes, including the top three. Iowa got two of those five from right in their backyard — Iowa City West’s Julian Manson and Colin Whitters.
There are some promising pieces for the future of Iowa’s long-ailing passing game. Quarterback Tradon Bessinger is the top-ranked player in Iowa’s 2026 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. He is accompanied by a trio of 3-star receivers. The Hawkeyes also recently landed Norwalk’s Luke Brewer, a highly sought-after four-star tight end.
Iowa has been a linebacker pipeline to the next level. There are some well-regarded players set to arrive at that position in this class. In-state prospects Manson and Kasen Thomas are each rated as four-star recruits. The trio of linebackers in the class also includes 3-star Billy Weivoda.
What remains unclear is what Iowa is going to do at kicker following the departure of Drew Stevens, the program’s all-time leader in made field goals. At this moment, the only kicker projected to be on Iowa’s 2026 roster is preferred walk-on Caden Buhr.
Iowa’s recruiting class is still subject to change. But here is who’s expected to officially become a Hawkeye during the early signing period.
Iowa football team recruiting rankings
The Hawkeyes rank 27th nationally in the team recruiting rankings, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Iowa football commitments in 2026 high school recruiting class
Tradon Bessinger
Julian Manson
Carson Nielsen
Darion Jones
Kasen Thomas
Gene Riordan
Hudson Parliament
Luke Brewer
Billy Weivoda
Marcello Vitti
Owen Linder
Colin Whitters
Brody Schaffer
Xavier Stinson
Sawyer Jezierski
Diondre Smith
Ronnie Hill
Preferred walk-ons
Isaiah Oliver
Noah Daniel
David Fason
Eli Robbins
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What are Iowa football’s recruiting needs for early signing day? What to know
Reporting by Tyler Tachman, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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