Jake Thornton Made Great Impression on Iowa State Football Recruit

Spring practice has been utilized perfectly by Iowa State Cyclones first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers.

It has been the first opportunity for him to showcase how things will run in Ames with him at the helm, taking over for Matt Campbell. He ran the show for 10 years, so there will certainly be an adjustment period, but excitement is on the rise.

Especially because of some of the prospects who have been visiting campus during practice. The Cyclones have been hosting a lot of recruits, which has put positional coaches in the spotlight as well.

One of the coaches who has been making headlines for all the right reasons is offensive line coach Jake Thornton. The relationship he is building with these high schoolers will be key to hopefully landing commitments from them down the line.

Jake Thornton made positive impact on Justin Parish Jr.

Iowa State offensive line coach Jake Thornton talks to media during a media opportunity at Stark Performance center on Feb. 11, 2026, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A member of the Class of 2028, offensive lineman Justin Parish Jr., instantly found chemistry with Thornton during his visit to Ames a few weeks ago.

“I really liked Coach (Jake) Thornton because he was super honest and reminded me a lot of my o-line coach,” Parish Jr. said via Bill Seals of Cyclone Alert (subscription required). “He really preaches aggression and winning first contact, which is something I take pride in. I see myself fitting in well with that group because I play physical, I’m coachable, and I bring a lot of effort every rep.”

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds, Parish is already drawing considerable interest from around the country. Offers have come from the Iowa Hawkeyes, Kansas State Wildcats and Washington State Cougars, in addition to Iowa State.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers haven’t offered him yet, but are on the list of teams that have shown interest.

after an amazing junior day i’m blessed to receive my third from the iowa state @CoachThornton61 @CoachTA64 @BWilliams_teach @WHSRecruitFB pic.twitter.com/Qy8uNxD55t
— Justin Parish Jr (@JustinPari4103) March 27, 2026

Entering only his junior year with Westside High School, more offers are likely on the horizon. Parish is already a three-year prospect with an 82 rating at Rivals and has plenty of room to grow and develop his skills.

Rogers and Thornton certainly hope that development will one day continue in Ames as part of their offensive line group, already providing him feedback on his play.

“(He) told me they really liked my physicality and the aggression I bring from play to play,” Parish Jr. said. “They said I play with a consistent edge and finish blocks, and that they see me fitting well in their offense because of the effort I bring every snap.”

Rogers has made it clear that he wants to build this roster from the inside out. In his opinion, improving in the trenches is the fastest way to build a winning program.

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