Several Iowa High School Football Standouts Staying In-State

Northern Iowa lands a handful of seniors, transfers who starred in Iowa.

Newton Cardinals quarterback/defensive back Caden Klein (5) gets congratulation by team mates after winning against Gilbert in the high school football class 4A quarterfinal on Nov. 7, 2025, at Tigers Stadium, Gilbert, Iowa. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The University of Northern Iowa football team announced the finishing touches on the Class of 2026, and a number of the additions were Iowa high school football standouts.

The 2026 National Signing Day took place earlier this week, and several of the commits to the Panthers are transfers from other four-year programs.

Among those who previously competed at Iowa high schools are Kai Black, Vinny Gianforte, Andrew Price, Axel Ramazani and CJ Wade. The soon-to-be high school graduates from Iowa programs are Hayden Bishop, Tate Doggett, Kolby Hodnefield, Gavin Holt, Brandon Johnson, Caden Klein and Cedar Smith.

Northern Iowa Inks Several Transfer Portal Players Who Played Iowa High School Football

Black is a 6-foot-3 tight end transfer from Iowa State who had an all-state career at Urbandale, Gianforte is a quarterback who was at Drake last year after playing for Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Price is a West Des Moines Valley linebacker who comes from South Dakota State, Ramazani was teammates with Black at Urbandale and transfers from Wyoming, and Wade is a Cedar Rapids Prairie grad who was a defensive end for Northern Illinois.

“As we approach the second National Signing Day, our focus is clear: finishing out the roster with players who embody our values, mindset and are ready to compete at the highest level,” Northern Iowa head coach Todd Stepsis said in a press release from the school. “This is about building a team that’s not just talented, but united and committed to the journey ahead.

“Every signature inches us closer to becoming the team we know we can be and that Panther Nation will be proud of. We’re excited to welcome the final pieces of our football family, campus and community.”

Pair Of UNI Commits Helped Lead Newton To UNI-Dome

Klein and Smith helped lead Newton to the Iowa high school football Class 4A state semifinals. Klein was the quarterback but did much of his damage in the postseason on the ground, as he will enroll at Northern Iowa as a running back.

Smith was a tight end for the Cardinals.

Bishop is an offensive lineman from nearby Cedar Falls, Doggett played lineback at Van Meter, who made another deep playoff run to the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Hodnefield started his career at South Hamilton before playing for Clear Lake and is a safety, Holt is a defensive tackle from Carroll and Johnson is a linebacker from Ames.