Iowa Host Official Visit with Ohio State Transfer DB

The transfer portal recently, but the Iowa Hawkeyes are still working to add players that were with other schools last season.

Players had to enter the transfer portal by Jan. 16, which marked the end of the two-week window that started on Jan. 2, which allowed student-athletes to put their name in and find a new school to play for the next season.

Iowa is reportedly hosting one of those late transfers in Ohio State safety Cody Haddad on Jan. 19, according to Allen Trieu of 247Sports. Haddad could be an important addition for the Hawkeyes next season, but they're not the only school looking at him.

Cody Haddad's Background

Haddad attended St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio, and served as not just a safety, but also at wide receiver and at both kick returner and punt returner. He also played basketball and ran track, posting times of 21.8 seconds in the 200 meter and 10.9 seconds in the 100 meter events.

Haddad's father, Drew Haddad, starred for Buffalo and then the Buffalo Bills made him a seventh round selection in the 2000 NFL Draft.

A Buffalo Bills helmet sits on a yard marker during stretching before the Return of the Blue & Red practice at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Aug.1, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Rivals, which merged with On3, ranked Haddad as a four-star in the Class of 2025, the 10th best player in Ohio, the 20th safety and 247th in the nation.

247Sports, On3 and ESPN ranked Haddad as a three-star athlete in the Class of 2025, with 247Sports ranking him the 25th best recruit in Ohio and the 57th safety, On3 placing him 45th in the state and 81st at his position and ESPN ranked him 26th in the state, 53rd at safety and 64th in the midwest region.

Haddad had a number of offers, including from Iowa, plus other Big Ten schools in Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue and Wisconsin, ACC schools in Boston College and Duke, Big 12 schools in Cincinnati and Kansas, plus another Power 4 offer from Texas A&M.

He also held offers from mid-major programs in MAC schools like Ball State, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Kent State, Ohio, Toledo and UMass, plus Liberty.

Competitions for Haddad Heats Up

The Hawkeyes are not the only team interested in the young defensive back, with some other Power 4 schools interested as well.

Tennessee was the first school that Haddad took a visit to, doing so this past weekend on Jan. 17, according to Trieu.

Haddad also has two more visits this week to Nebraska and Texas A&M, both teams who offered him when he was in college. He didn't see any action with the Buckeyes as a true freshman, so he still has four years remaining, of which all the schools he visit will want him around for.

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