Former Iowa State Recruit Jett Thomalla Discusses Recent Commitment to Alabama

The Iowa State Cyclones and head coach Matt Campbell have done a terrific job throughout the month of June when it comes to the 2026 recruiting cycle, as the program has landed six different commits so far. However, the Cyclones took a major hit throughout the process, as highly-touted quarterback prospect Jett Thomalla flipped his commitment from Iowa State to the Alabama Crimson Tide.

After competing in the annual Elite 11 Finals this past weekend, Thomalla gave fans some insight into his recent flip from Iowa State to Alabama during an interview with NEB Preps' Mike Sautter.

"I have all good things to say about [Iowa State] too with everything I went through with them, and it really came down to the wire," Thomalla said when asked about his decision. "Just the opportunity I had [with Alabama]. My goal and dream is to go to the NFL, and I feel like Alabama is the place that would do it best for me."

2026 Millard South QB Jett Thomalla on the tough decision to flip from Iowa State to Alabama, what he learned throughout the recruitment process, his experience at Elite 11, playing with pressure and more.#nebpreps | #RollTide pic.twitter.com/xlI7gGPw4m
— Mike Sautter (@MikeSautter_) June 23, 2025

When asked about the his conversation with the Iowa State coaching staff, Thomalla stated that there were "no hard feelings" with his decision.

"We had such a good relationship that it wasn't too hard," Thomalla claimed. "They kind of understood; there was no hard feelings. They kind of just told me 'good luck', and it really wasn't easy to say it all, it was pretty tough for me. But I got through it."

Thomalla was orginially Campbell's highest-rated recruit in the 2026 class, as he was lone four-star commit out of the 17 prospects, according to 247Sports' Composite Ratings. The No. 1 player in the state of Nebraska announced his commitment to the Cyclones back in April, however, the tides began to shift once Alabama offered Thomalla in May. And despite taking an official visit to the program earlier this month, Thomalla ultimately decided on the Crimson Tide.

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