Iowa State Lands Key High School Recruits in Bold Regional Move

From foes to friends, six top high school players will go from a neighboring state are set to help the Cyclones compete for a Big 12 Championship

Jul 8, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell addresses the media during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images / Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The high school football recruiting trail from Ames, Iowa has crisscrossed across Nebraska and back again for the Iowa State Cyclones. 

Head Coach Matt Campbell and his coaching staff knew exactly what they were looking for to restock their roster for the future beyond this coming season and they didn’t have to look further than their neighboring state to the west. 

That’s where the Cyclones have received commitments from six of the best high school football players the state of Nebraska has to offer: Tyrell Chatman (North Star), Amarion Jackson (Millard South), Kaprice Keith (Omaha Central), Barry Fries (Elkhorn North), Bryson Williams (Omaha Westside), and Keian Kaiser (Sidney). 

Opponents for one more season in Nebraska, this super six squad will soon be watching each other's backs in Iowa. 

Athleticism On Both Sides Of The Ball

A mutli-talented student athlete and safety from Lincoln, Chatman excelled on the football field and on the track field having medaled at the Nebraska High School Track and Field Championships. After initially committing to Northern Illinois, Chatman now becomes a major addition for the Cyclones as the No. 9 player in Nebraska's 2026 class. The two way player who saw time at Quarterback has excelled as a Defensive Back by totaling 37 tackles, 7 pass deflections, and 4 interceptions during last season. 

Nationally ranked as the No. 94 best receiver in the nation and the No. 3 overall recruit in Nebraska, Amarion Jackson put together an impressive junior campaign at Millard South by racking up 1,184 all-purpose yards and scoring seven touchdowns. He chose the Cyclones over offers from schools like Iowa, Illinois, Northwestern, Nebraska, Kansas State, Kansas and Minnesota.

A 6-foot-3, 180-pound prospect who plays both wide receiver and strong safety at Bellevue West High School, Kaprice Keith is rated as the No. 2 prospect out of Nebraska and received interest from Kansas State, Kansas, USC and Nebraska before finally committing to Iowa State. The younger cousin of former Cyclone and current New York Jets running back Breece Hall, Keith just might one day play on Sundays himself but until then he’ll be suiting up at Jack Trice Stadium. 

Fully Committed To The Cause

It took Elkhorn North linebacker Barry Fries little to no time to decide his football future upon receiving offers from Sacramento State, South Dakota State, and Air Force. Three star safety Bryson Williams also entertained offers from Vanderbilt and Washington State prior to joining the Cyclones where his athleticism is a welcomed sight at 6-foot-4. As for Keian Kaiser, he’s simply right at home in Ames. Perhaps it's the unforgettable season he put together as a junior at Sidney that boosted his confidence to commit to the Cyclones. Surely his resume spoke for itself: an 11-1 season and a trip to the Class C1 semifinals, 127 total tackles, two interceptions, 14 receptions, 198 yards and six touchdowns on his way to becoming the Class C1-7 Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Western Conference team selection. 

High school football fans in Nebraska would prefer to see Tyrell Chatman, Amarion Jackson, Kaprice Keith, Barry Fries, Bryson Williams, and Keian Kaiser playing for the Big Red, but the Cornhuskers loss now becomes Iowa States’ gain. Iowa State is coming off an unforgettable season where the Cyclones secured their first 10-win season in program history and went 11-3 with a win over Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. While the sting of losing the Big 12 Championship to Arizona State still hurts, securing a tough recruiting class starting with Nebraska’s super six can help ease the pain.