Iowa Hawkeyes Lose Out On 2026 LB Target To Big Ten Opponent

Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes have lost out on a top linebacker recruit. Even worse, he's sticking within the Big Ten.

Oct 14, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Aden Reeder, 3-star linebacker from Cincinnati, Ohio, was considering the Iowa Hawkeyes amongst several other programs. In fact, Reeder had scheduled an official visit to Iowa City on June 20.

It now seems as if that official visit could be in jeopardy, though, if it even ends up happening. In fact, the odds suggest that it won't happen if Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell has his say.

Why's that?

Despite having multiple official visits scheduled for the beginning of summer, Reeder committed to the Wisconsin Badgers on Monday.

Reeder visited Madison for a junior day in March and he also came back for a spring practice in April. Those were apparently enough to put Wisconsin over the top with him.

"Definitely, the standard in Madison is definitely high. It's a good environment with even greater people there, and that's always important for the program," Reeder had told Nick Osen of Badger247.

What does this mean for Iowa?

Plenty of recruits go on official visits even after committing to a program, so the Hawkeyes aren't officially out of the running for Reeder. They can still recruit him, and in fact, they may recruit him even harder now that they know he's committed to a Big Ten rival.

Iowa may still try to get Reeder up to Iowa City for that scheduled official visit, but you can bet Wisconsin will do everything it can to try to get the 3-star to shut his recruitment down.

Kirk Ferentz currently has nine 2026 commitments, but none are linebackers. Reeder was a top target at the position, so Iowa would be smart to keep contact with him as the summer months roll on. Who knows if a flip could be in the works?

They seemingly happen every other day on the college football recruiting trail, so the Hawkeyes should not give up on this prospect.