Iowa Hawkeyes Projected To Land Talented 2026 Defensive Recruit

The Iowa Hawkeyes are projected to land this talented defensive back in the 2026 recruiting cycle.

Oct 1, 2021; College Park, Maryland, USA; The Iowa Hawkeyes mascot celebrates with fans during the second half of the game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Iowa Hawkeyes at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images | Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images

As we head into the month of July, all eyes will be on the recruiting trail for the Iowa Hawkeyes and head coach Kirk Ferentz.

Iowa managed to land five prospects in June, with in-state linebacker Julian Manson headlining the group players now committed to the Hawkeyes. Now, the attention shifts to the secondary unit, as Ferentz has a chance to boost his class in July.

According to Rivals' Greg Smith last month, 2026 three-star cornerback and Hawkeyes' target Darion Jones is expected to announce his commitment on Jul. 4, with Iowa being in the mix.

JUST IN: Omaha (Neb.) North DB Darion Jones has a commitment date and will choose between these five schools 👀https://t.co/cVvOKgUqX4 pic.twitter.com/o4iCkfrEGf
— Greg Smith (@GregSmithRivals) May 29, 2025

Luckily for Ferentz and the program, multiple insiders including Iowa Insiders' David Eickholt have given a crystal ball prediction for the Hawkeyes to land the highly-touted defensive back out of Nebraska. This would be the program's 14th commit in the 2026 cycle, as well as the first cornerback commit in the cycle.

The young prospect exploded onto the scene after a tremendous junior season at Omaha North High School, recording 47 tackles, eight interceptions and five pass breakups in 2024. Jones is currently the No. 2 prospect in the state of Nebraska, according to 247Sports' Composite Ratings. He took an official visit to the program on Jun. 20, along with trips to Iowa State, Nebraska and Kansas State.

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