Iowa State Facing Strong Competition from Alabama for 4-Star QB Commit

It’s hard to fight off college football’s biggest programs on the recruiting trail, but Matt Campbell is hoping that when 2026 quarterback Jett Thomalla returns from his visit to Tuscaloosa, the 4-star prospect will still be a Cyclone.

On3’s Blake Byler reports that Thomalla will take a visit to the University of Alabama this Friday, May 30. Thomalla announced his commitment to Iowa State in April after receiving a scholarship offer in January. Unfortunately for Iowa State, Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama coaching staff are looking to flip Thomalla’s commitment after offering the Omaha-native earlier this month.

Thomalla has already chosen Iowa State over another SEC program, though even with Missouri’s quarterback-friendly scheme, Alabama is another beast entirely, even without Nick Saban in the picture. The Crimson Tide’s consistency in sending talent to the NFL makes them quite alluring to prospects on the rise such as Thamalla.

“It’s something to look at because I know they’d [Alabama] help me get me there,” Thomalla told the Tuscaloosa News. “So would Iowa State.”

Of course, Iowa State’s claim to fame for NFL quarterback talent is Brock Purdy, whereas Alabama has three current starting quarterbacks in the NFL (they count Jalen Hurts, trust me) and a longer history dating back to Joe Namath and Bart Starr.

“You want to go in there thinking you’re the guy and you’re going to be the starter,” Thomalla said as he weighs his options. “That might not even be true, but that needs to be your mentality going to a school like Alabama, if I were to go there. I would just have a chance to compete with the skills you have and I can keep up with the skills.”

The one thing Iowa State might have going for it is a quicker path to seeing the field. Alabama has three young five-star prospects at the position on its roster already, and Thomalla isn’t the only 2026 quarterback on the Crimson Tide’s radar.

Still, it’s hard to walk the halls of the Mal Moore Athletic Facility and not come away impressed, especially if you didn’t think you’d find yourself there in the first place. Cyclone fans will have to wait and see just how impressed Thomalla is and whether he chooses to stick with Campbell in Ames over DeBoer in Tuscaloosa.