Iowa State Football Made Incredible Impression on Class of 2028 DL

The Iowa State Cyclones are taking full advantage of catching up on the competition by hosting high school recruits at their spring practices.

New head coach Jimmy Rogers missed out on a lot of the action over the winter as he got the 2026 roster in shape following the departure of Matt Campbell. More than 50 players hit the transfer portal, leaving him with about 15-20 players on the depth chart as holdovers.

With the roster looking ready for 2026, focus has turned entirely to the future recruiting classes. One of the players who received an offer during his visit near the end of March was Class of 2028 defensive lineman Hendrix Dawson.

He has been to Ames for multiple visits, and his most recent one, a lasting impression was made by the coaching staff.

Hendrix Dawson had great visit with Iowa State

Iowa State defensive line coach Jalon Bibbs 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

“I was there on Friday for Junior Day and then again on Saturday for spring practice,” said Dawson, via Bill Seals of Cyclone Report (subscription required). “On Junior Day, I had the chance to meet a lot of the coaches and the recruiting staff, and I got a full tour of the sports facilities and the stadium. That was the first time I realized how big the stadium really is. Hearing about the new facilities they’re building and seeing how much the school is investing into the football program and the area around the stadium was great to hear.”

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 285 pounds, it is no surprise that he is receiving Power Four interest only heading into his junior season with Wisconsin Dells High School.

The Wisconsin Badgers, Northwestern Wildcats, Minnesota Golden Gophers and Maryland Terrapins have all made offers to Dawson. Interest in him is only going to increase with him being a four-star player who is currently one of the best ranked players in his class.

Ranked No. 198 overall, he is currently No. 21 amongst players at his position and the No. 1-ranked player in Wisconsin, per Rivals Industry Ranking.

Jalon Bibbs makes great impression on Hendrix Dawson

It is going to take some real effort from the coaching staff to make enough of an impression on Dawson to eventually receive a commitment from him, and defensive line coach Jalon Bibbs is already doing that.

“I was really impressed with Coach (Jalon) Bibbs and the way he works with the defensive line,” the defensive lineman said. “He has a style that’s hard to explain unless you see it in person. It’s regulated but intense. You can tell he has complete control of the room and that his players respect him.”

Programs only have one opportunity to make a good first impression, and it certainly sounds as if Iowa State did that with Dawson.

Excited to announce my 4th D1 offer from @CycloneFB. Had a great conversation with @ISURogers3, and enjoyed watching @CoachBibbs52 and @PrestonnnG99 on the field for spring practice. @EwaldTaylor @andy_lucas98 @wattup_alex @MJ_NFLDraft @PrepRedzoneWI @AllenTrieu @WDellsFootball… pic.twitter.com/RxTB67xVx0
— Hendrix Dawson (@HendrixDawson) March 28, 2026

He was incredibly impressed by the whole thing.

“On Saturday, I was on the field for spring practice. I got to talk with the coaches again, watch drills up close, and see how they run things. Being right there on the field gave me a much better feel for the energy of the program and how the staff works together. It was a really good experience overall.”

It certainly sounds as if Rogers and his staff are excelling as they look to make up for lost time on the recruiting trail.