Iowa State Beats Out 16 Other Programs for Class of 2027 LB

A Class of 2027 linebacker was sold on the Iowa State Cyclones, committing to the program..

Jan 2, 2021; Glendale, AZ, USA; Detailed view of an Iowa State Cyclones helmet during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones have been hard at work on the recruiting trail, with head coach Jimmy Rogers looking to lay the foundation of the program.

It was a slow start when it came to recruiting for the Class of 2027 because of the timeline of his hiring, but the Cyclones have been making up for lost time in the last few weeks. With official visits and camps being held, they are showcasing everything Iowa State has to offer, and players are falling in love.

The most recent player that Rogers was able to sell the program to was linebacker Special Henry. A Melissa Cardinals product, he originally earned a scholarship offer in April after he did a workout in front of defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Jesse Bobbit.

He is now the 15th player to commit to Iowa State in the Class of 2027, and the second linebacker. The other is Josh McCarthy, who committed less than a week ago after a strong showing at one of the camps.

Special Henry commits to Iowa State

Iowa State defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit talks to media during the football defensive coaches media opportunity at the university’s Stark Performance Center on Feb. 13, 2026, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

To secure a commitment from Henry, the coaching staff had to put in an incredible amount of legwork. Despite not having a ranking, he was being pursued heavily. He received 17 total offers, including the Cyclones.

It is a shock to draft analysts that he selected Iowa State. The SMU Mustangs, which was the only other Power-4 program to make him an offer, had a 95.6% chance of securing a commitment from the talented linebacker, according to Rivals.

They were viewed as the overwhelming favorites, with the Tulane Green Wave being in second with 3.1%. Those were the only three schools that he took official visits to as well. He was in Amex on May 28 before visiting Tulane on June 4 and SMU on June 5.

Whatever Rogers and Bobbit did to separate themselves worked because they overcame some long odds to add Henry to their Class of 2027.

100% COMMITTED #GoCyclones🌪️🌪️ @CycloneFB @CoachBobbit pic.twitter.com/AgAFQRbHGO

— Special Henry (@Henry2Special) June 10, 2026

In 2025, he helped lead Melissa to the state semifinals. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, he certainly has room to grow and add strength to his frame without sacrificing much, if any, athleticism.

Henry is the seventh player to commit to the Cyclones in June. That followed a successful first weekend of official visits, from May 29-31, when they had three players commit to the school: lineman Drew Aagesen, safety Jordan Crider and wide receiver Jason Wooden.

Iowa State is also up to seven commits on the defensive side of the ball after their early success on the recruiting trail was on offense.