Four Iowa State Football In-State Recruits Set To Begin High School Season

High school football is set to begin and the Iowa State Cyclones have four in-state players kicking off this week.

Iowa State football head coach Jimmy Rogers watches the defense warm up during the university’s football open practice at Johnny Majors practice field on August 8, 2026, in Ames, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Iowa State Cyclones are in good hands for the future with some solid recruiting for the 2027 class.

Ranked 43rd in the nation per 247 Sports, head coach Jimmy Rogers has proven that he isn’t just a winner on the field, but one who can perform off the field. He’s gotten an abundance of players, showcasing that Iowa State is truly in the right hands.

Of the big class of 24 hard commits, four of them are located in the state of Iowa. And with high school football starting up this week, all of them will be in action, taking the field on Friday, Aug. 27.

The Cyclones best offensive line commit is Will Slagle. He plays for the Grinnell Tigers, who play an away game at the Nevada Cubs on Friday night. Nevada is ranked 15th in Iowa per Max Preps entering the season, while Grinnell is all the way down at 123. Slagle hopes to pull off the upset on the road.

Iowa State commits ready to start high school seasons

Newton Cardinals running back/defensive back Isaiah Hansen (2) runs for a touchdown against Gilbert during the second quarter in the high school football class 4A quarterfinal on Nov. 7, 20925, at Tigers Stadium, Gilbert, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Iowa State running back commit Isaiah Hansen plays for the Newton Cardinals. They go on the road to play the Carlisle Wildcats. Newton is ranked 21st in the state, while Carlisle is all the way down at 57. It’s an important opening game for Hansen, who looks to run all over the Wildcats.

The Cyclones have a big-time tight end commit named Joe Vinyard, who plays for Waukee Northwest. They have a tough road game at the Ankeny Hawks this weekend. Northwest is ranked as the ninth-best team in Iowa, while Ankeny is fifth. It’s one of the biggest games in the entire state this weekend, and a lot of eyes will be on Vinyard in his senior-year debut.

Finally, Iowa State commit linebacker Drew Bergfield plays for the West Dubuque Bobcats, who are going to host the Wahlert Eagles in their opener. The Bobcats are 13th in the state while the Eagles are 25th. It’s a huge night for Bergfield, who looks to shine against a team ranked in the top 25.

It’s going to be a huge week for these players, who are hoping to start the season well and build off of their junior years. They will be looking to prove to the world that the Cyclones are one of the best recruiting teams in the nation, full of 2027 recruits who are ready to fix the program under Coach Rogers and company.