Gophers Secure Official Visit From Top 2027 Iowa Linebacker

The 2027 recruiting cycle is heating up, and Minnesota locked in an official visit with one of the top prospects from Iowa. Sioux City linebacker Kason Clayborne is expected to visit the Gophers later this year for their annual summer splash event from May 29 to May 31.

Locked in for my OV at Minnesota! @marianosori_ @Coach_DCollins @Coach_Fleck @GopherFootball @AllenTrieu pic.twitter.com/DmAciNcbY9
— Kason Clayborne (@KasonClayborne) February 17, 2026

Clayborne was already on the University of Minnesota's campus for an unofficial visit last fall on Oct. 11, before the Purdue game. He officially received a scholarship offer from the Gophers that weekend on Oct. 12. He has 10 total Division I offers, notably from Michigan State, Purdue, Kansas State, Arizona and Kansas, among others.

Standing at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, Clayborne plays both ways for Sioux City East High School. As a junior, he compiled 27 receptions for 302 yards and six touchdowns at wide receiver. He finished with 51 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack and one pick six as a linebacker.

Clayborne received an in-home visit from Gophers defensive coordinator Danny Collins and linebackers coach Mariano Sori-Marin earlier this year on Jan. 29. Minnesota is recruiting him as a linebacker, along with the other Division I programs he is being pursued by.

He is currently unranked by 247Sports and Rivals, but that is expected to change once both service expand their 2027 rankings to include more prospects. Minnesota has been involved in recruiting many of the other top players from Iowa, such as linebacker Tate Wallace and running back Savion Miller. Clayborne is expected to be ranked among those players by the time the cycle ends next winter.

The Gophers typically host the majority of their official visitors in each high school recruiting cycle during two seperate weekends in the late spring and early summer, which they call summer splash. Clayborne is likely the first of many 2027 prospects to lock in their visit between now and then.

Minnesota already has a pair of verbal commitments for its 2027 class from top in-state defensive lineman Eli Diane and California QB Furian Inferrera. Clayborne becomes a top player to monitor as they build the rest of their class.