Inside The Hawkeyes

Iowa Skyrockets In Latest Recruiting Power Rankings

After not being in the Top 65, the Iowa Hawkeyes have quickly found themselves with a top recruiting class in the nation.
Jordon Lawrenz|
The Iowa Hawkeyes swarm onto the field Nov. 8, 2025 ahead of a Big Ten Football game against the Oregon Ducks at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
The Iowa Hawkeyes swarm onto the field Nov. 8, 2025 ahead of a Big Ten Football game against the Oregon Ducks at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

When ESPN compiles a list of the Top 65 college football recruiting classes, people are going to listen. With their SC Next 300 scale, ESPN has carved out the perfect way to rank recruits and see exactly where every school fits into the mix.

Currently, the Iowa Hawkeyes have the No. 33 class in the nation, according to ESPN. Iowa being able to flip quarterback Tradon Bessinger certainly helped as he's officially their top offensive prospect. On the other side of the ball is their top defensive prospect, outside linebacker Julian Manson.

At the end of the day, ESPN pointed out the fact that Iowa has two recruits in the SC Next 300. After not being ranked in the Top 65 of the last set of rankings, ESPN believes Iowa has done enough to earn themselves the No. 33 ranking.

Iowa's No. 33 Ranking Explained

Kirk Ferent
Oct 11, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz eyes the field before a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ross Harried-Imagn Images | Ross Harried-Imagn Images

While Iowa may not have cracked the Top 65 previously, the addition of Bessinger and a few other quality pieces have done more than enough for them to skyrocket in the power rankings. Iowa may be nowhere near a team like Ohio State, but at the end of the day the Big Ten is one of the toughest conferences in the nation.

As it stands, the Trojans, Oregon, Ohio State, Michigan, Washington, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Rutgers are all ahead of Iowa. Seeing as there are only 32 teams ahead of them, it's quite impressive that nine of those teams are all in the B1G.

ESPN's Craig Haubert wrote, "Iowa has unapologetically built an identity on defense, toughness and dependable offensive line play. So it's no surprise its 2026 class mainly follows suit."

Haubert's Names To Watch

With 17 recruits on the way, Haubert commented on a few of them and what they bring to the table. He started with offensive tackle Carson Nielsen who is one of their two SC Next 300 commits.

While he didn't mention the other, he would be remiss not to talk about linebackers Julian Manson and Billy Weivoda. Of course, the conversation quickly shifted to Bessinger who Iowa was able to flip from Boise State.

Iowa's Class of 2026 is far from the most feared in the nation, but their ability to jump all the way to No. 33 in the rankings is quite promising. Head coach Kirk Ferentz continues to recruit at the highest level, and he still has the transfer portal in his back pocket.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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