Iowa State Cyclones

Iowa State, Matt Campbell Receive Brutal QB Recruiting News

The Iowa State Cyclones received brutal news on Tuesday in regards to their top recruit in the 2026 class.

Dylan Feltovich

Millard South Jett Thomalla (4) looks for receivers against Basha during a game at Basha High School in Chandler on Aug. 30, 2024.
Millard South Jett Thomalla (4) looks for receivers against Basha during a game at Basha High School in Chandler on Aug. 30, 2024. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

After the recent slew of commits for Iowa State Cyclones' head coach Matt Campbell, the program suffered a brutal loss this week in the current recruiting cycle.

On3Sports' Hayes Fawcett reported on Tuesday that 2026 four-star quarterback Jett Thomalla has flipped his commitment from the Cyclones to the Alabama Crimson Tide.

As the No. 1 recruit in the state of Nebraska, Thomalla was Campbell's prized-possession in the 2026 recruiting cycle, as he was the only four-star commit in Iowa State's class, according to 247Sports' Composite Ratings. The top-20 quarterback announced his commitment to the program back in April, but the tides began to change once he received an offer from head coach Kalen DeBoer in May. Thomalla took his official visit to Iowa State ealier this month, however, Campbell was unable to hold off Alabama's strong efforts for the young talent.

With Thomalla out of the picture for the Cyclones, the program does not have another quarterback commit in this year's recruiting cycle despite offers to eight different players. Now, Iowa State may have to try and poach a quarterback committed to a different school, such as Appalachian State commit Nathan Bernhard or Miami of Ohio commit Tommy Carr.

If the Cyclones are unable to land another prospect, Campbell luckily has four-star quarterback and in-state recruit Alex Manske enrolled at Iowa State. The Algona, IA native will have a year to develop under veteran Rocco Becht, which gives him time to better prepare for his future with the program.

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Dylan Feltovich
DYLAN FELTOVICH

Dylan Feltovich attended John Carroll University and started working for numerous sites in the On SI network in 2023 as a staff writer. He has covered high school and college events around the Northeast Ohio area for several years.

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