Iowa State Joins Kansas State Making Offer to Class of 2027 Edge

The Iowa State Cyclones football team is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to finding talent for the roster.

In the first offseason under head coach Jimmy Rogers, the team added players from all levels of collegiate football to the team. They are confident in their abilities to develop players, hoping to make something out of players who may have been overlooked by other programs.

One player who could fit that bill is Olayiwola Taiwo, an EDGE defender from Lovejoy High School in Hampton, Georgia. He is not currently ranked in the Class of 2027 by any outlets, but the Iowa State coaching staff liked him enough to make a scholarship offer.

The Cyclones are the second Power Four program to extend an offer to Taiwo, following the Kansas State Wildcats. Iowa State’s pursuit started a few weeks ago and quickly ramped up to the point they were comfortable making him an offer.

Iowa State makes offer to Olayiwola Taiwo

Sep 7, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; An Iowa State Cyclones helmet sits on the sidelines before the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

“They started recruiting me about maybe two or three weeks ago,” said the lineman, via Bill Seals of Cyclone Report (subscription required). “First, it started off with (Director of Player Personnel) Alex Self texting me. He also talked with my coach as well. Last week, my coach told me they were asking me for a few of my measurements, so we sent that through. A coach ended up giving me a call (Monday), we talked for a little bit, then he ended up giving me the scholarship.”

While Power Conference interest has not yet been drummed up in Taiwo, he is drawing significant interest from programs around the country. He has received 23 total offers, including home G5 standouts such as the Tulane Green Wave, USF Bulls and Appalachian State Mountaineers.

There is a lot to like about the potential that he possesses. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, he has the size, athleticism and quick-twitch ability to become a vaunted pass rusher at the next level.

#AGTG, Extremely Blessed to receive a D1 🅾️ffer from Iowa state university!@CoachBobbit @RickyCiccone @ISURogers3 @OLCoachWilder51 @JoyWildcats @_CoachHen1 @CoachECarson pic.twitter.com/AXWLc3vWMN
— Olayiwola Oreofeoluwa Taiwo (@Gideon__t) April 7, 2026

But, he has the potential to offer some versatility too, lining up along the defensive front, not just as an edge rusher.

“They like me as a pass rusher and thought I was very twitchy,” he said. “They thought I was violent with my hands. Measurements-wise, they said I have good size, but there’s always more room to improve and build and add some more weight on me. They have a few ideas of how they’d use me down there as a d-lineman and that I could be dropping back in pass to cover a little bit as well.”

Right now, Rivals Predictions has the Cyclones with a slight edge over the Wildcats with 11.8% to 10.3%. But a lot can change in the coming weeks and months as players evaluate their options and get more familiar with programs.