Tag: 2023 Iowa Hawkeyes Recruiting

Iowa Hawkeyes offer 2023 offensive tackle Cannon Leonard

Looking to add to its 2023 class, the Iowa Hawkeyes offered offensive tackle Cannon Leonard out of Iroquois West High School in Illinois.

After an impressive showing at Iowa’s recent football camp earlier this month, 2023 offensive tackle Cannon Leonard picked up an offer from the Hawkeyes on his unofficial visit.

The 6-foot-9, 265 pound offensive tackle is out of Iroquois West High School in Gilman, Ill. According to 247Sports, Leonard is a two-star talent, the nation’s No. 149 offensive tackles and the No. 73 player from the state of Illinois.

HawkeyeReport editor Blair Sanderson of Rivals caught up with Leonard to discuss his offer from Iowa and the relationship Leonard has been able to foster with Hawkeye offensive line coach George Barnett.

“The main thing that impressed him and the rest of the staff was when I really showed out and had an amazing performance at their camp two weeks ago,” Leonard said. “I was amazed. Iowa has always been a school I have looked at, especially with how important offensive line play is to them.”

The offer from Iowa is the first Big Ten or Power Five offer for Leonard. He also has offers from Army, Ball State, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Florida Atlantic, Illinois State, Long Island, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Western Illinois and Yale.

Naturally, Iowa is banking on its ability to eye and develop talent that other programs may be overlooking here. If Leonard picks Iowa, he would join three-star offensive lineman Leighton Jones out of Brownsburg High School in Indiana.

The Hawkeyes have 11 commits overall in their 2023 class, including a recent commit from running back Kendrick Raphael. Here’s a look at Leonard’s Hudl highlights from his junior season at Iroquois West High School, his recruiting profile and the Hawkeyes’ full list of 2023 commits.

Updating 9 recent Iowa Hawkeyes football offers across the 2023, 2024, 2025 classes

Who has Iowa football extended offers to recently? Here’s a look at the Hawkeyes’ recent targets across the 2023, 2024 and 2025 classes.

As the summer and camp season rolls on for Iowa, a number of athletes have picked up offers and preferred walk-on opportunities with the Hawkeyes. Here’s a look at nine recent targets across the 2023, 2024 and 2025 recruiting classes.

4-star running back Kendrick Raphael commits to the Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa’s latest addition to its 2023 recruiting class is a ballyhooed one. Four-star running back Kendrick Raphael announced his commitment.

The Iowa Hawkeyes just won a big-time recruiting battle against North Carolina State to land four-star running back Kendrick Raphael out of Naples High School in Naples, Fla.

The 5-foot-11, 180 pound running back visited Iowa City over the weekend and Iowa running backs coach Ladell Betts and the Hawkeyes made the most of their opportunity to pitch Raphael on donning the black and gold. Raphael committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Monday night, becoming the 11th pledge in the 2023 class.

Raphael carried 126 times for 1,374 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns last season for Naples High School.

According to On3, Raphael is a four-star talent, the nation’s No. 252 player overall, the No. 14 running back and the No. 48 player from the state of Florida in the 2023 cycle. Rivals and ESPN also each list Raphael as a four-star running back.

Rivals ranks Raphael as the No. 15 running back in the 2023 class and as the No. 50 player from the Sunshine State. Meanwhile, ESPN lists Raphael as the No. 28 running back and the No. 79 player from Florida.

Lastly, 247Sports ranks Raphael as a three-star prospect, the country’s No. 31 running back and the No. 88 player from Florida. However, in the 247Sports composite rankings, Raphael again is listed as a four-star running back. The 247Sports composite rankings regard Raphael as the nation’s No. 343 player nationally, the No. 22 running back and the No. 64 player from Florida.

As mentioned, Iowa won out over N.C. State. The Hawkeyes also beat out offers from schools such as Boston College, BYU, Duke, Iowa State, Louisville, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Vanderbilt and West Virginia.

“I want to say how grateful I am to be blessed by God to be put in the position I am in, without him none of this would be possible. I am so very grateful for all the schools that have recruited me to be a part of their program.

“I want to thank my coaches, friends, teammates, family and especially my mom for making me the person I am today. The endless support from y’all means more than you ever know. With that being said… I am 100% committed to the University of Iowa,” Raphael wrote in his commitment announcement on Twitter.

Let’s take a look at Raphael’s Hudl highlights from his junior season at Naples High School, his full commitment profile and the rest of the Hawkeyes’ 2023 class below.

A look at the Iowa Hawkeyes’ 2023 visitors this weekend

Who all is visiting Iowa this weekend and what type of a chance do the Hawkeyes have with each?

As the countdown continues to the start of Iowa’s 2022 football season, that also means the Hawkeyes are beginning to zero in on the early December signing period for the 2023 class.

Iowa’s 2023 class already looks like a good one, but, of course, the Hawkeyes would love to continue adding pieces to it as the summer rolls along. According to Rivals and 247Sports, the Hawkeyes’ 10 commits comprise the nation’s No. 16 class.

Iowa’s 2023 class is currently regarded as the fifth-best Big Ten class by both Rivals and 247Sports as well. Meanwhile, On3 rates the Hawkeyes’ 2023 class thus far as the country’s No. 31 class and as the sixth-best in the Big Ten.

Who all is visiting Iowa this weekend and where do the Hawkeyes stand with each? Let’s take a look below.

2023 EDGE David Caulker commits, becomes Iowa Hawkeyes’ 10th pledge

Iowa’s 2023 recruiting class expanded to double-figures with the commitment of three-star edge rusher David Caulker of North High School.

After visiting Iowa during the spring, class of 2023 edge rusher and defensive end David Caulker was back on campus for the Hawkeyes’ recent football camp. The 6-foot-4, 256 pound defensive lineman is out of North High School in Des Moines, Iowa.

After impressing the coaching staff, Caulker picked up that elusive offer from the Hawkeyes. It didn’t take long for him to make a decision either. He committed to Iowa on the same day.

HawkeyeInsider’s David Eickholt detailed Caulker’s commitment over on 247Sports with analysis from his colleague, Allen Trieu.

“Caulker is a high ceiling player. He is still raw but his body type and twitch are what you want in a Big Ten defensive line prospect,” 247Sports’ Allen Trieu told HawkeyeInsider. “Iowa is a place that can develop him and craft those tools. It is a good match for both sides but I am not surprised he has gone on the offer run he has recently because defensive linemen with his skill set are tough to find.” – Eickholt, HawkeyeInsider.

According to 247Sports, Caulker is a three-star recruit, the nation’s No. 77 edge rusher and the No. 10 player from the state of Iowa. Rivals also lists Caulker as a three-star talent. He also had offers from Iowa State, Kent State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa.

“First off, I would love to thank my parents for bringing me into this world. Then I would love to thank my teammates, coaches and staff at North High School. I would not have gotten this far without you.

“I would also like to thank any coach who has ever recruited me, I will be forever grateful for the belief you had in me! Finally, I would like to thank Coach Addy, Coach Niemann, and Coach Bell; the impact you’ve had on my life is immeasurable! With that being said, I am 110 percent committed to continuing my academic and football career at the University of Iowa,” Caulker wrote in his commitment announcement.

Caulker becomes the 10th Hawkeye commit in the 2023 class. The full look at Iowa’s 2023 class is below.

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5-star offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor locks in official visits, Iowa isn’t included

While Iowa remains in contention for five-star offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor’s commitment, they do not have a scheduled official visit.

Kadyn Proctor, one of the top prospects in the nation, locked in five visits, and Iowa is not on the list.

Despite ranking as 247Sports’ crystal ball leader for Proctor, Iowa will not receive an official visit from the Southeastern Polk offensive tackle out of Des Moines, Iowa. Per 247Sports’ Sean Bock, while Iowa isn’t on his official visit list, do not count the Hawkeyes out just yet.

Iowa, the 247Sports Crystal Ball leader for Proctor, will not get an official visit from Proctor at this point, but the Hawkeyes do still remain heavily in the mix as Proctor has made countless trips to Iowa City during his recruitment. – Bock, 247Sports.

While he does not have an official visit to Iowa City scheduled, he will be visiting Arkansas State June 3-5, Alabama June 10-12, Penn State June 17-19, and Oregon June 24-26. Proctor does have an official visit scheduled with fellow Big Ten rival Michigan September 3-5.

While Proctor has had unofficial visits with Alabama, Oregon, and Michigan thus far, this is really the first we’re seeing of Arkansas State and Penn State in the race.

Proctor is a five-star offensive tackle in the 247Sports composite rankings and according to both ESPN and Rivals. He’s a consensus top-five offensive tackle across all of the major recruiting outlets and is regarded as the No. 1 offensive tackle by 247Sports and Rivals. Proctor has received comparisons to San Francisco 49ers lineman Trent Williams. According to Proctor’s conversation with Bock, he expects to make his decision in August.

“I think I probably want to do it in August at my school, have a couple people come through and it will be open to the public, whoever wants to come. I want everybody to be there. I’ll probably do that in August so before the season, get it over with and try to play my season and win another championship with my team,” Proctor said.

Iowa fans shouldn’t hit the panic button just yet, but this is certainly a development to keep an eye on. Iowa has made a big impression on Proctor so far, and the interest is mutual as Iowa in Proctor’s top seven schools. The others that made the cut in Proctor’s top seven include Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon and Penn State.

Iowa’s strong offensive line lineage and style of play benefit greatly to potentially earning Proctor’s signature. However, it should be noted that both Alabama and Michigan routinely produce fantastic offensive linemen.

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Aidan Hall commits to Iowa, represents the Hawkeyes’ ninth 2023 commit

Aidan Hall committed to Iowa and became the Hawkeyes’ ninth 2023 commit. What does he add to an already impressive class?

Aidan Hall picked up an offer from Iowa on May 13 and a trio of experts across 247Sports and Rivals quickly forecasted that he would wind up committing to the Hawkeyes.

Now, that’s officially how it’s played out. Hall committed to Iowa, becoming the Hawkeyes’ ninth pledge in the 2023 recruiting class. Here’s a look at Iowa’s full 2023 commitment tracker.

According to 247Sports, Hall is a three-star recruit, the nation’s No. 110 athlete and the No. 13 player from Iowa. Hall also represents the fifth in-state commitment for the Hawkeyes.

The 6-foot-2, 200 pound athlete joins athlete Alex Mota of Marion High School, linebacker Ben Kueter of Iowa City High School, defensive lineman Maddux Borcherding-Johnson of Norwalk High School and Zach Lutmer of Central Lyon High School.

Iowa’s other commitments include quarterback Marco Lainez III from the Hun School in Princeton, N.J., defensive end Chase Brackney from Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, Colo., offensive lineman Leighton Jones from Brownsburg High School in Indiana, and cornerback John Nestor from Marist High School in Chicago, Ill.

While Hall is listed as an athlete by 247Sports, Rivals lists Hall as a safety. Penciling in where Hall will fit in with the Hawkeyes is interesting to think about.

Last season with Harlan Community High School, Hall carried 94 times for 777 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns, caught 32 passes for 755 receiving yards and had seven receiving touchdowns. He also totaled 29.5 tackles and three interceptions, so he has the skillset to slide in as an offensive skill player or in the Hawkeyes’ defensive backfield.

Iowa has shown that it’s not afraid to move players from one side of the football to the other if the coaching staff feels it could help a player earn more snaps.

The important news for the Hawkeyes is that Iowa now has the ninth piece to its 2023 class and Hall is a talented puzzle piece to add to the fold. According to 247Sports, Iowa currently owns the nation’s No. 17 recruiting class in the 2023 cycle. Rivals rates the Hawkeyes’ class No. 20 nationally and the No. 26 class according to On3.

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Iowa Hawkeyes offer 2023 cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson

The Iowa Hawkeyes offered four-star cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson out of Osceola High School in Kissimmee, Fla.

As Iowa looks to build out its 2023 recruiting class, the Hawkeye coaching staff dipped into the state of Florida to dole out an offer. Ja’Keem Jackson nabbed an Iowa offer.

The 6-foot-1, 180 pound cornerback is out of Osceola High School in Kissimmee, Fla. The Hawkeyes offer represents Jackson’s 32nd offer and his 22nd Power Five offer.

Iowa joins Big Ten programs Indiana, Michigan State, Penn State and Rutgers that have offered Jackson. SEC schools Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt have all also offered.

Out of the ACC, Jackson has offers from Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami and Syracuse. Jackson’s other Power Five offers are from Iowa State and Oregon State.

According to 247Sports, Jackson is a four-star defensive back. 247Sports lists Jackson as the nation’s No. 201 player overall, the No. 18 cornerback and the No. 40 player from Florida.

On3 also rates Jackson as a four-star recruit. According to their rankings, Jackson is the nation’s No. 247 player overall, the No. 24 cornerback and the No. 47 player from the Sunshine State.

In the 247Sports composite rankings, Jackson is the No. 500 player nationally, the No. 51 cornerback and the No. 87 player from Florida. Meanwhile, in the On3 consensus rankings, Jackson is rated as the country’s No. 629 player, the No. 60 cornerback and the No. 104 player from Florida.

Rivals also lists Jackson as a three-star athlete. If he winds up choosing Iowa, he would join Hawkeye defensive back commits John Nestor and Zach Lutmer.

Here’s a look at Jackson’s junior season Hudl highlights at Osceola High School.

Iowa named Rivals’ Big Ten team to ‘keep an eye on’ in the 2023 recruiting class

Rivals’ Clint Cosgrove chose the Iowa Hawkeyes as his Big Ten team to “keep an eye on” in the 2023 recruiting class.

There seems to be a change in Iowa Hawkeyes recruiting. Typically known as a developmental school that brings in three-star athletes and turns them into all-conference caliber players down the road, Iowa is now a team that has caught the eye of Rivals national recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove.

In Cosgrove’s latest spotlight of the Big Ten in this upcoming 2023 class, he listed Iowa as his team to keep an eye on in the conference.

There are a few Big Ten programs that could fit this category as Minnesota and Northwestern are racking up early commits, and Nebraska has been making moves as well. I find the potential of Iowa’s class to be the most intriguing of programs currently not ranked in the Big Ten’s top four. – Cosgrove, 247Sports.

Cosgrove alludes to Iowa’s potential shift away from developmental program status with their 2022 and 2023 classes. Iowa was able to land in-state, five-star safety and No. 19 overall player Xavier Nwankpa in the 2022 class, and they will look to do the same with his former teammate Kadyn Proctor this year.

A five-star offensive tackle, Proctor is Rivals’ top tackle in the class and their 12th overall recruit. Proctor could be the next big thing to come out of Iowa’s offensive line factory and help set a trend of bigger recruits coming to Iowa City.

Should Iowa land Proctor and squeeze in a couple more four-star players, this could be one of its better recruiting classes in recent history. – Cosgrove, 247Sports.

Iowa also was able to grab four-star quarterback from New Jersey Marco Lainez III. Lainez is the 14th overall quarterback in the class and the fifth highest-ranked prospect in the Garden State. Iowa hasn’t had a standout quarterback since maybe Nate Stanley or CJ Beathard (depending on your definition of standout) and will hope that either Lainez or former three-star redshirt freshman Joey Labas can become that guy.

Currently, Iowa is 20th in Rivals’ 2023 class team rankings, with three of their three-star recruits right on the border of being four-stars. If the Hawkeyes can add Proctor, it would not only be a massive boost to this class, but a statement that Iowa is ready to bring in top recruits to the fold.

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Iowa Hawkeyes offer 2023 cornerback Bo Mascoe from Florida

Bo Mascoe, a three-star Florida cornerback according to 247Sports and On3, picked up an offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Iowa is looking for more in its defensive backfield after landing its second commit from a secondary player in Zach Lutmer. Lutmer joins defensive back John Nestor as a pair of 2023 secondary prospects that have committed to the Hawkeyes.

Iowa is hoping that cornerback Bo Mascoe can join that group before long. The 5-foot-10, 165 pound corner from Osceola High School in Kissimmee, Fla., picked up an offer from the Hawkeye coaching staff.

According to 247Sports, Mascoe is a three-star recruit, the nation’s No. 95 cornerback and the 134th-ranked player from Florida in the 2023 class. On3 rates Mascoe as a three-star talent as well. In the On3 consensus rankings, Mascoe is ranked as the country’s No. 968 player overall, the No. 91 cornerback and the No. 141 player from the Sunshine State.

Iowa joins Rutgers as the second Power Five school to extend an offer to Mascoe. The Florida product also has offers from Florida Atlantic, Marshall, Western Kentucky and has seen interest from Miami (Ohio).

According to MaxPreps, Mascoe finished his junior season at Osceola High School with 41 tackles, 11 passes defensed, seven interceptions and a fumble recovery. He also worked as a kick returner for Osceola High School. Between interception and kick returns, Mascoe had four touchdowns during the 2021 season.

Iowa currently has the nation’s No. 15 class according to 247Sports and ESPN, the No. 18 class according to Rivals and the No. 24 class according to On3.

Here’s a look at Mascoe’s junior season Hudl highlights at Osceola High School.