Vote: Who is the 2025 Iowa High School Football Class 3A Preseason Player of the Year?

Here are eight nominations for the 2025 Iowa High School Football Class 3A Preseason Player of the Year for your voting consideration

Arena Elite 15U’s Kasen Thomas (9), left, runs a route during a 7-on-7 football tournament Saturday, April 13, 2024 at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

We are fast-approaching opening week of the Iowa high school football season, as the best players in the state collide under the Friday Night Lights.

High School Sports On SI Iowa has already asked you to vote for the top coaches of the year, so now we turn our attention to the best players.

We have done our best to compile a balanced list of the best players in each classification of Iowa high school football for your consideration as to who should be the preseason player of the year.

Voting will end on Sunday, August 24 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.

Here are the nominations for the Class 3A Iowa Preseason Player of the Year in 2025:

Jace Bellamy, Winterset

Leading the way for the Huskies on defense last year was Jace Bellamy, as he recorded 67.5 tackles with 40 of those being solo stops and three coming behind the line of scrimmage. Bellamy also picked off six passes, racking up 120 return yards in the process.

Deacon Caspers, Charles City

Opposing defenses knew Charles City was putting the ball in the hands of Deacon Caspers. But they still could not contain him. Caspers rushed for 1,365 yards and 14 touchdowns on 269 attempts for the Comets. 

Kellen Haverback, Mount Vernon

In his first season as starting quarterback, Kellen Haverback shined, throwing for almost 2,300 yards with 27 touchdown passes. He completed 64 percent of his passes while rushing for 10 more touchdowns.

Jase Jaspers, Mount Vernon

An accomplished wrestler, Jase Jaspers uses that same intensity on the football field. He caught 59 balls for 867 yards and eight touchdowns last season, adding another 250 yards and two scores on the ground. On defense, Jaspers had 42.5 tackles with 34 solos, six for loss, 3.5 sacks, five interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a defensive score. Oh, and he also handled return duties, averaging 22.6 per kickoff and 16 per punt with a touchdown.

Jaxson McIntire, Clear Lake

As a sophomore, Jaxson McIntire displayed incredible poise in helping Clear Lake to the state playoffs. He completed 62 percent of his throws for 1,749 yards and 25 touchdowns against just four interceptions. McIntire also ran for almost 500 yards and two scores while recording 31 tackles with an interception on defense.

Christopher Meyer, Independence

If Independence needed someone to deliver on the field, more times than not Christopher Meyer rose to the occasion. Meyer picked off six passes while recording 45.5 tackles on defense. He also caught 31 balls for 221 yards, ran for 52 yards with a TD and threw a touchdown pass.

Kasen Thomas, Sioux City Bishop Heelan

Next year, Kasen Thomas will be looking to climb the Iowa Hawkeyes depth chart at linebacker. But this fall, he will pull double duty. As a junior, Thomas rushed for 1,841 yards with 26 touchdowns, averaging 9.2 yards per attempt. He made 44.5 tackles on defense with 15.5 for loss and 5.5 sacks while picking off two passes - both of which he returned for touchdowns.

Will Welbes, Dubuque Wahlert

For the first time in program history, Dubuque Wahlert enters the season as defending state champions, and Will Welbes played a big role in that. On defense, he recorded 88 tackles with 11 for loss and five sacks while rushing for almost 200 yards and five touchdowns on offense.

Editor’s Note: Our corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. This poll is specifically for fans to vote on the nominees and in no way discredits any other players, coaches or teams that may not be mentioned in the poll.

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