Iowa Hawkeyes, Kirk Ferentz Must Accept Harsh Recruiting Reality

The Iowa Hawkeyes have almost always been competitive since Kirk Ferentz took over as head coach way back in 1999, which is a testament to the job Ferentz has done with the program.

However, as impressive as Ferentz's run at Iowa has been, it's also very clear that he has been unable to put the Hawkeyes over the top as legitimate contenders. They have always just been good, but not quite good enough throughout his tenure.

Case in point, last season, Iowa went just 8-5, falling to the Missouri Tigers in the Music City Bowl. It was actually a disappointing campaign for the Hawkeyes, but I guess what do you expect when you have Cade McNamara and Brendan Sullivan under center?

Here's the problem for Iowa: it's probably always going to be this way. Why? Because the Hawkeyes simply cannot keep up with the very top teams when it comes to recruiting.

Iowa's 2025 recruiting class is ranked 35th in the country. Their 2026 class — which is still a work in progress — is 44th. In fact, the Hawkeyes have landed just four prospects ranked four stars are better in those two classes. They bagged one five-star commit in defensive end Iose Epenesa, and that was largely because his older brother, A.J., played for Iowa.

It's something that Ferentz has to deal with, and even more so in an ever-changing NIL landscape. The House Settlement limiting each team to an NIL budget should help the Hawkeyes, but will Iowa actually be able to outspend the Ohio States, Alabamas, Georgias and Michigans of the world?

The fact of the matter is that Iowa City is simply not a marquee destination for the very top recruits, and it's hard to see that changing. The Hawkeyes have routinely been one of the better teams in the Big Ten, but the conference has gotten better due to realignment, further exacerbating things for Ferentz's squad.

We also know that Ferentz isn't a huge fan of the transfer portal, although that may be changing with Ferentz surely understanding that building a team from the ground up is difficult, particularly for one with limited resources.

Iowa has essentially been relegated to local prospects when it comes to the recruiting trail, which is where it holds its only true competitive advantage. Yes, the Hawkeyes can land three-stars in groves, but they aren't going to win you any big bowl games. Forget a national championship.

This is the unfortunate reality of Iowa football, and it's becoming more and more painfully obvious as time passes.

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