If you are a three-star recruit looking to boost your chances of making it to the NFL, you may want to consider the Iowa Hawkeyes. Player development is one of the Hawkeyes’ specialties, churning out NFL players every year despite other teams earning more five-stars.
In Chance Linton of 247Sports’ look at college football’s All-3-Star Team from the 2019 recruiting class, two former Iowa Hawkeyes were featured on the list. Two three-star recruits who came to Iowa, earned All-Big Ten accolades, and found themselves drafted into the NFL.
Starting out is a look at former Iowa defensive back and current New York Giant Dane Belton.
Belton was a three-and-done player for the Hawkeyes, appearing in 30 career games with 26 starts over three seasons before leaving early for the NFL. He notched five interceptions and 12 pass breakups to go along with 46 tackles and three tackles for loss in his final season to earn first-team All-Big Ten nod. He was selected by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft (No. 114 overall). – Linton, 247Sports.
Belton was one of the latest successes on Phil Parker’s defense, particularly from the CASH position. He is actually the second from that position to find himself in the NFL, following current Tennessee Titan Amani Hooker.
Per 247Sports, Belton arrived in Iowa City as a three-star signee, the nation’s No. 64 safety and the No. 87 player from the Sunshine State. He left Iowa with 112 tackles, 17 passes defensed, 6.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, one sack and one forced fumble in 30 career games, including 26 starts.
Joining Belton on this list is one of the greatest players to ever don the black and gold, linebacker Jack Campbell.
The highest-drafted player on this list, Campbell was selected by the Detroit Lions with the No. 18 overall pick in the first round. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder was a 28-game starter for the Hawkeyes, racking up 305 career tackles with 13.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and five interceptions and winning the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker in 2022. 247Sports was significantly higher on Campbell than the rest of the recruiting industry, rating him as a four-star prospect. – Linton, 247Sports.
That’s right, Iowa currently has the two highest drafted three-star recruits in back-to-back years with Lukas Van Ness highlighting the 2020 recruiting class.
Jack Campbell is a player who etched his name into the history of Iowa football. One of college football’s best defenders in recent years, Campbell won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker in 2022. Campbell was twice named a first-team All-Big Ten member and was an unanimous consensus All-American last year. Campbell was recently drafted No. 18 overall in the 2023 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.
He arrived as a three-star signee in the 247Sports composite rankings. The composite rankings rated Campbell as the nation’s No. 662 player overall, the No. 44 outside linebacker and as the No. 4 player from Iowa. During his Hawkeye career, Campbell racked up 305 tackles, 15 passes defensed, 13.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, three sacks, three forced fumbles and one defensive score in 43 career games and 28 starts.
Jack Campbell and Dane Belton are just two recent examples of Iowa’s famed player development.
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