After surging with momentum in recent months, Iowa State football has suffered a setback on the recruiting trail.
Jett Thomalla, a four-star quarterback from Omaha, Nebraska, decommitted from the Cyclones and flipped to Alabama on June 17, according to a report from On3.com.
Thomalla was the highest-rated recruit from the Cyclones’ 2026 recruiting class, generating plenty of buzz in Ames after originally committing to Iowa State on April 18. He was the only four-star commit, to date, in Iowa State’s 2026 class.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound quarterback is the No. 1-ranked recruit in his class from Nebraska. Thomalla originally chose the Cyclones over Duke, Arizona, Missouri and Virginia Tech. He was impressive at the Elite 11 regional camp in May and caught the eye of Alabama, which pushed hard to flip him. The Crimson Tide officially offered him on May 15, and he was one of the first 2026 prospects to receive an offer from them.
He recently visited both Alabama and Iowa State before making his decision to flip.
Thomalla led Millard South High School to a 12-1 record and a state championship in the 2024 season. Along the way, he was named first-team all-state and the MaxPreps Nebraska Player of the Year. Thomalla completed 70% of passes last season for 250 completions, 3,664 passing yards, 47 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He finished with 3,740 total yards of offense.
He set single-season state records in completions, passing yards, touchdowns and total offensive yards.
With the loss of Thomalla, Iowa State coach Matt Campbell will be back on the search for a quarterback to fill its 2026 recruiting cycle. According to 247 Sports, Iowa State’s 2026 recruiting class drops to No. 35 in the country with the decommitment. Despite the fall, Iowa State is still on pace to sign the highest-ranked recruiting class of Campbell’s time in Ames.
Iowa State football 2026 recruiting class commitments
As of June 17
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State football loses 4-star 2026 quarterback Jett Thomalla, flips to Alabama
Reporting by Eugene Rapay, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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