Class of 2027 Quarterback on Radar for Iowa State, Minnesota and Others

Several Power Four programs have a 2027 quarterback on their radar including the Iowa State Cyclones and Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Nov 26, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; A Minnesota Golden Gophers helmet sits on the sidelines during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

There was a lot of work for Jimmy Rogers to do when he took over as head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones football team.

​With so much focus on the 2026 roster following 50+ players entering the transfer portal and their Class of 2026 dwindling, the Cyclones fell behind when it came to high school recruiting. That is something they are looking to change.

Iowa State doesn’t currently have a quarterback committed in the Class of 2027. But, with how many offers they have out, that could certainly change in the near future, especially because they are on the radar for players they have yet to extend a scholarship to.

One of the players who falls into the latter is Mack Heitland. The Waukee North High School product from Waukee, Iowa, has yet to receive any offers, but he is drawing interest from several Power Four programs.

Iowa State on radar for quarterback Mack Heitland

Waukee Northwest's Mack Heitland reacts after scoring a touchdown during a football game at Waukee Northwest High School on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Waukee. | Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Along with the Cyclones, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Wisconsin Badgers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Michigan State Spartans and Kansas State Wildcats have traveled to speak to Heitland in the Des Moines suburbs.

Despite not yet having any offers in hand, the talented quarterback recruit believes things are going well with his recruitment.

"I think it's going really well right now," Heitland said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network (subscription required). "I'd say a lot of coaches came in this winter, more than before. I got to meet lots of new coaches, especially with Iowa State coming to watch me throw, which is really big for me to know that they're willing to come watch me throw and just show me that they're interested."

It is easy to see why interest in him is growing. During his junior campaign, he led his team to a 10-2 record before being upset in the playoffs. His statistics were also off the charts.

Junior Season Highlights

10-2 State Semifinalists

IFCA First Team All State 
DSM Register First Team All State 
First Team All District 
District Offensive Player of the Year

202/254 - 79.5% CMP
2,962 Pass Yards
28 Pass TDs
0 INTs
213.9 QBR
35 Carries
164 Rush Yards
4 Rush TDs pic.twitter.com/dFfiBdrZ6G

— Mack Heitland (@mack_heitland) December 10, 2025

Heitland completed 79.5% of his passes for 2,962 yards with 28 touchdowns. Most impressively, he didn’t throw a single interception all season.

Seeing him in action on film is one thing, but the Iowa State staff also watched him throw in person. As Busse pointed out, the Cyclones were one of a few, if not the only, staff in attendance to watch him go through a more advanced throwing routine that included RPOs and timing routes.

"I thought I handled them pretty well," the quarterback said. "I mean, obviously, they're newer, you don't practice them as much. But RPO stuff's good because we run that in our offense at high school, so that's good because I think that's probably something that I'm pretty good at. Overall, it went really well."

It will be interesting to see how things shake out down the road. The Cyclones recently extended an offer to Ben Musser, who is planning a spring visit. Andre Adams is currently the highest-ranked quarterback that Iowa State has presented with a scholarship offer.

More Iowa State Cyclones Recruiting News: