Vote: Who is the 2025 Iowa High School Football Class 5A Preseason Player of the Year?

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.

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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 5A Iowa Preseason Player of the Year in 2025:

Drake DeGroote, Valley

Behind the play of Drake DeGroote, the Tigers reached the state championship game. The recent Northwest Missouri State commit completed 67 percent of his passes for 1,816 yards with 24 touchdowns. He also ran for 212 yards and four more scores.

Mack Heitland, Waukee Northwest

As a sophomore, Mack Heitland handled the pressure of 5A football with ease, completing over 74 percent of his throws while racking up 1,883 yards and 28 touchdowns against just six interceptions. Heitland also scrambled for another 208 yards and four scores.

Evan Jacobson, Waukee

Regarded as one of the top prospects in the state, Evan Jacobson committed to Texas A&M over the summer. He was a reliable target for Beckett Bakker and the Warriors a season ago, hauling in 20 passes for nearly 200 yards, with five of those resulting in touchdowns.

Cal Jepsen, Sioux City East

Fresh off leading the Black Raiders to the state baseball tournament, Cal Jepsen returns for his senior season on the gridiron. As a junior, he threw for 2,373 yards and 24 touchdowns, completing 64 percent of his passes.

Julian Manson, Iowa City West

A future University of Iowa Hawkeye, Julian Manson is as talented a player as there is in the state. He averaged almost 17 yards per reception a year ago, catching 52 passes in all for 867 yards and 13 touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 86.5 tackles.

Jayden McGregory, Valley

The Valley offense could feature plenty of Jayden McGregory this fall. The Louisville commit caught 19 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown last year while rushing for 65 yards on just four carries. He also recorded 12 solo tackles and picked off three passes, with one resulting in a score.

Reece Rettig, Iowa City Liberty

Even as a newcomer, Reece Rettig dominated from the opening snap for the Lightning, who reached the 5A semifinals. He threw for 2,719 yards with 32 touchdowns against just three interceptions, all while completing 73 percent of his throws. With his legs, Rettig ran for another 482 and six scores.

Eli Robbins, Norwalk

It will be interesting to see how Eli Robbins and Norwalk adjust to being in 5A this fall. Last year, Robbins was a man among kids, as the University of Iowa commit caught 39 passes for 589 yards and 10 scores, ran for 325 and three more and even threw for 216 yards with a pair of touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 28.5 tackles and picked off four passes with a TD.

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.