Iowa State Battling Big 12 Rivals for Class of 2027 ATH

The Iowa State Cyclones are working hard to get their Class of 2027 in order, knowing they are lagging behind the competition.

Because of how much work had to be done after the coaching change with the 2026 roster, the Cyclones are playing catch-up. Recently, new head coach Jimmy Rogers secured his first commitment in the Class of 2027 from in-state running back Isaiah Hansen.

They are hoping that he will be joined by players in the near future. One high schooler that Iowa State is showing interest in is two-way ATH Cooper Ohnmacht.

The Great Bend High School product is a quality safety and wide receiver. He is ranked No. 236 overall, the No. 14 athlete and No. 1 player in the state of Kansas. Given how talented he is at multiple positions, it should come as no surprise that he is drawing so much interest.

Iowa State facing Big 12 competition for two-way Cooper Ohnmacht

Oct 25, 2025; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; A general view of a Kansas State Wildcats helmet against the Kansas Jayhawks during the second half of the game at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

In addition to the Cyclones, Ohnmacht has received offers from seven other programs. All but one of them, from the Rice Owls, have come from Power Four teams. That includes two Big 12 rivals.

The Kansas State Wildcats and Kansas Jayhawks are among the teams pursuing the two-way star. Currently, they are considered the favorites, according to the Rivals prediction percentages.

Kansas State is at the top of the list at 45.4%. Kansas is second at 26.9%. Iowa State is third with 23.1% in a race that has plenty of work left to do.

The Iowa Hawkeyes, Wisconsin Badgers, Minnesota Golden Gophers and Penn State Nittany Lions are all given under 1% currently to land Ohnmacht.

Cooper Ohnmacht set for busy stretch of visits

Oct 22, 2022; Columbia, Missouri, USA; A detail view of a Vanderbilt Commodores helmet against the Missouri Tigers during the second half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

That has set up a very busy few weeks for the Great Bend product. He is going to be traveling around the country, with March already packed with planned visits and more expected to come in April.

One of those visits will be to the Vanderbilt Commodores, who haven’t offered him a scholarship yet but do intrigue the rising high school junior.

"This is an amazing team in the SEC," said Ohnmacht, via Tom Loy of 247Sports (subscription required). "They are located in a great city and they do a great job developing their players."

Leaving no stone unturned, it is anyone’s guess if the talented safety and wide receiver is leaning one direction or the other. He is going to give every program a chance to convince him why they are the right fit for him to begin his collegiate career next year.

Given his ability to play both ways, interest in him should only grow. It will be interesting to see what kind of plans the Cyclones' coaches present to him and how he could fit on the roster in the future.