Tag: 2025 Iowa Hawkeyes Recruiting

Prized Iowa women’s basketball signee named to 2025 McDonald’s All American Game roster

Iowa women’s basketball signee Addie Deal was named to the 2025 McDonald’s All American Game roster.

While the current Iowa women’s basketball (13-7, 3-6 Big Ten) season has seen its trials and tribulations, the future just got a bit brighter as future Hawkeye guard Addie Deal was named to the 2025 McDonald’s All American Game roster.

Deal becomes just the fourth Hawkeye to earn the impressive distinction out of high school, joining Caitlin Clark (2020), Samantha Logic (2011), and Johanna Solverson (2002).

The five-star recruit out of Mater Dei High School (Calif.) officially signed with the Hawkeyes in November, headlining Iowa’s impressive 2025 recruiting class.

In early January, Deal surpassed 1,700 career points at the West Coast Jamboree. Deal now has more than 1,700 points, 600 rebounds, 400 assists, and 325 steals for her high school career.

The prized signee will be in Iowa City on Sunday alongside many high-ranking recruits to witness Caitlin Clark’s jersey retirement ahead of the Hawkeyes clash vs. No. 4 USC.

The 48th annual McDonald’s Girls High School All-American game will be played on April 1, 2025, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

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Fran McCaffery discusses Iowa basketball’s mid-season transfer portal addition

Fran McCaffery shared his first remarks on the newest Hawkeye, Isaiah Johnson-Arigu.

During a meeting with media on Thursday, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery shared his first remarks on the addition of transfer forward Isaiah Johnson-Arigu.

“Really good player. We recruited him hard out of high school, watched him a lot. Versatile, proven winner. Powerful athlete. Can dribble, pass and shoot. Can guard and rebound. And a wonderful young guy. So, we’re just thrilled with him,” McCaffery said.

McCaffery and Iowa’s relationship with Johnson-Arigu was formed in part by the fact that Johnson-Arigu and McCaffery’s youngest son, Jack, both played for the D1Minnesota AAU organization.

“Yeah, he’s got tremendous athletic power. Obviously, there was a coaching change there, so he went into the portal. There was obviously a relationship that didn’t sour when he didn’t come here the first time.

“I mean, I think the world of him, got to know he and his parents. Really good people. I saw him a lot. He played on the same AAU, not the same team, but the same organization that Jack played on. So, I got to see him quite a bit,” McCaffery said.

Johnson-Arigu officially signed with the Hawkeyes on Tuesday after announcing he would be committing to Iowa from Miami via the transfer portal.

The 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward played 10 games as a freshman with the Miami Hurricanes but entered the transfer portal following the abrupt mid-season resignation of Hurricanes head coach Jim Larranaga.

During his short tenure at Miami, the Minneapolis, Minn, native shot 4-of-10 (40%) from the field, averaging 1.0 point and 0.8 rebounds in 4.9 minutes per game.

Despite the minimal playing time, Johnson-Arigu was rated as the No. 94 player nationally, as the No. 28 small forward and as the No. 2 player from Minnesota per On3.

Despite being added to the current roster, the 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward will be unable to receive any game action per NCAA rules on mid-season transfer additions. He will have three years of eligibility remaining at the start of next season.

With the recent commitment of Joshua Lewis, Johnson-Arigu now accompanies three other future Hawkeyes in Iowa’s 2025 recruiting class that Iowa hopes can take the program to another level next year and beyond.

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Iowa basketball lands commitment from four-star small forward

Boom! Iowa picked up a commitment from four-star forward Joshua Lewis.

While in the heart of Big Ten play, Iowa basketball received more positive news on the recruiting front as four-star small forward Joshua Lewis committed to the Hawkeyes Thursday evening.

Lewis joins the Hawkeyes’ incoming 2025 class that already includes power forward Dezmon Briscoe, center Badara Diakite, and mid-season transfer small forward Isaiah Johnson-Arigu.

The 6-foot-7, 180-pound senior out of Blake High School (Tampa, FL) was previously committed to USF. He also received offers from Ole Miss, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech, Illinois, and others throughout high school.

Lewis is the No. 40 overall recruit in the 2025 cycle, the No. 9 small forward and the No. 8 player from Florida, according to On3.

When asked about his decision to commit to Iowa, Lewis explained to On3’s Joe Tipton that he feels he could fit well within the Hawkeyes’ play style and enjoyed the program’s culture.

ā€œI feel like I would fit in great with the guys they have and the way they play,” Lewis said. “I also love the culture theyā€™ve built over there. You can tell itā€™s really genuine.ā€

He further detailed that the family-centered recruitment by Iowa was a contributor to his eventual commitment.

ā€œCoach and the staff have been really consistent with recruiting not just me but my family ever since I opened my recruitment back up,” Lewis said.

In terms of his playing style, Lewis said he is “aĀ long athletic guard/wing that can shoot, dribble, pass and defend at a high level.”

In a closing statement during his announcement, Lewis made sure to assure he is a hard-working player that will put his all into making Iowa a winner while donning the black and gold.

“I just want to let the fans know Iā€™m coming to work extremely hard and contribute to winning as much as possible. I put my heart and soul into this game and thatā€™s what theyā€™re going to get from me,” Lewis said.

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Dezmon Briscoe among Iowa basketball newcomers for 2025-26 season

Dezmon Briscoe will be among the newcomers joining Isaiah Johnson-Arigu and Badara Diakite for Iowa basketball next season.

As Iowa fans celebrate the Hawkeyes officially signing former four-star forward and Miami transfer Isaiah Johnson-Arigu, Iowa added another addition to its future recently that might have flown under the radar for some.

During the holiday season, Iowa basketball secured the second member to its 2025 recruiting class with the commitment of Dezmon Briscoe on Dec. 20.

The 6-foot-8, 220-pound big man from Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis, Ind., is listed as a three-star recruit, according to the 247Sports Composite. Per 247Sports’ composite, Briscoe is ranked 204th nationally, as the No. 33 center and as the No. 8 player from Indiana.

Despite reportedly being offered by the Hawkeyes back in March 2023, Briscoe revealed his top six schools over the summer, comprising of DePaul, Xavier, Iowa, Duquesne, Butler, and Cincinnati. Briscoe had also previously been pursued by Notre Dame and Ohio State, among others.

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Briscoe played for Indiana Elite, one of the Midwest’s premiere grassroots travel basketball organizations, producing multiple NBA talents, including Glenn Robinson Jr., Eric Gordon, Shawn Kemp, Zach Randolph, and many others.

Iowa dipped into the Indiana Elite prospect pool this past offseason by signing freshman forward Cooper Koch, who played on their 2024 roster that finished 106-7 over three years.

Briscoe joins Badara Diakite in the Hawkeyes’ 2025 recruiting class. Diakite signed with Iowa in November.

Diakite is a top-100 recruit per ESPN. ESPN ranks Diakite as its 99th player overall in the 2025 class, as its No. 17 forward and as the No. 2 player from Connecticut. Diakite is a four-star signee per ESPN and Rivals.

“Badara is an extremely talented, versatile player with a great feel for the game,ā€ McCaffery said of Diakite in November. “He can stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting, he can guard any position one through five and he is an even better person. Weā€™re thrilled to have him as part of the Hawkeye family.”

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Iowa basketball officially signs former four-star forward from transfer portal

Iowa basketball officially signed former four-star forward Isaiah Johnson-Arigu via Miami from the transfer portal.

After committing to the program through the transfer portal from the Miami Hurricanes, forward Isaiah Johnson-Arigu has officially joined the Iowa menā€™s basketball program, head coach Fran McCaffery announced Tuesday.

Despite being added to the roster, the 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward will be unable to receive any game action per NCAA rules on mid-season transfer additions.

Johnson-Arigu will be able to participate in team activities such as practices and have three seasons of eligibility remaining as a Hawkeye at the start of next season.

The Minneapolis, Minn, native played in 10 games at Miami, shooting 4-of-10 (40%) from the field and averaging 1.0 point and 0.8 rebounds in 4.9 minutes per game.

Despite the minimal playing time with the Hurricanes, Johnson-Arigu was rated as the No. 94 player nationally, as the No. 28 small forward and as the No. 2 player from Minnesota per On3.

Meanwhile, 247Sports ranked Johnson-Arigu as the 147th player nationally, as its No. 30 small forward and as the No. 5 player in Minnesota as he joined Miami via Totino-Grace High School in 2024.

During his senior year of high school, he was named a 2023-24 Star Tribune All-Metro first-team selection after averaging 20.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.

Johnson-Arigu also led Totino-Grace to its third straight Class 3A state title as a senior with a 25-point, 11-rebound, three-assist performance in the championship game.

For Iowa, the addition of Johnson-Arigu brings on a new offensive weapon for the Hawkeyes as they look to replenish their offensive firepower for next year, particularly following the looming departure of senior forward Payton Sandfort and guard Drew Thelwell at the end of this current season.

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Prized Iowa football signee honored during Polynesian Bowl weekend

Iowa signee Iose Epenesa was honored at the Polynesian Bowl.

Prized Iowa football signee Iose Epenesa was honored during the 2025 Polynesian Bowl weekend.

After a standout career at Edwardsville High School in Illinois, Epenesa was honored as the 2024 Polynesian High School Defensive Player of the Year.

The 6-foot-5, 270 pound defensive lineman tallied 51 tackles, seven sacks, one forced fumble and blocked one kick as a senior at Edwardsville.

During his storied high school career, Epenesa finished with 173 tackles, including 40 for loss and a program-record 22 sacks. He also had three four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

Epenesa has been enjoying the high school showcase scene over the past several weeks, taking part in the recent U.S. Navy All-American Bowl as well where he turned heads.

Epenesa told Rob DeMello of KHON2 News in Honolulu that getting the opportunity to be a part of the Polynesian Bowl was an experience he was cherishing.

“This is a dream for me. Whenever we came here, I set a goal for myself to make the Polynesian Bowl someday. Being here is just awesome.

“Itā€™s really special to me to be honored to be named as one of the guys to compete at this level. To practice against them and to make myself better is pretty cool. There is always something to learn. No one knows everything. Coming here, you learn new things about new people and going against the people,” Epenesa said.

Epenesa is the younger brother of former Hawkeye and current Buffalo Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa. Iose’s other older brother, Eric, and his father, Eppy, are each Hawkeye legacies as well.

Epenesa is a five-star signee for the Hawkeyes. Per 247Sports, Epenesa is the nation’s No. 13 player overall, its No. 3 defensive lineman and the No. 1 player from Illinois.

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Iowa details inking safety O’Lontae Dean despite late Louisville push

Despite a late push from Louisville, Iowa inked talented safety O’Lontae Dean to its 2025 signing class.

On the first day of the early signing period, Iowa inked three-star safety O’Lontae Dean along with its other 14 signees.

Dean, a 6-foot-1, 205 pound native of Plant City, Fla., is listed by On3’s 2025 Industry Rankings as the No. 80 safety, the No. 112 prospect in the Sunshine State, and as the No. 861 signee nationally.

Before his eventual signing with the Hawkeyes, a late push by the Louisville Cardinals caused some concern within the Iowa recruiting staff, specifically chief of staff and general manager Tyler Barnes.

“We usually have uneventful signing days, and I thought we were headed that way,” Barnes said.Ā  “I was actually at the basketball game with my son last night and didnā€™t see (Josh) Dix make the game-winning shot because I was looking down on my phone to a text I didnā€™t expect to receive with some not-so-great news. So it was a later night than I would like to admit, but we got it done…

“Every year there’s going to be some bumps in the road in terms of recruiting guys and some second thoughts, but his mom was great through the process. She wanted him to be a Hawkeye, and took a little bit of talking, a little massaging late last night. We got it done, and here we are. Yeah, sweating a little bit this morning, but when he signed, it was good.”

Barnes added that Dean will serve strictly as a safety within Iowa’s defense next season as he expects defensive coordinator Phil Parker will find the perfect fit for the incoming freshman come next fall.

“He’s a kid that plays everything from safety to outside backer, running back, to receiver. He can kind of do it all. A lot of the safeties we’ve had here that have been pretty good football players, you know, they had the ball in their hands in high school as well.

“For us, heā€™s going to be strictly a safety. Where he fits back in the back three, you know, weā€™ll see. We really donā€™t go out and try to recruit a strong, a free, a CASH. We try and find the best safeties and then when they get here, we let Phil do his magic and see where they fit best,” Barnes said.

Dean joins Drew MacPherson and CJ Bell as defensive back signees in the Hawkeyes’ 2025 class.

“A true football player, O’Lontae has been a staple in Armwood High School’s success, starring in multiple positions on both sides of the ball during his multi-year varsity career.

“He has a unique blend of range, speed, and violence to go along with a great frame that will make him a dynamic player for the University of lowa Football Secondary,” Parker said of Dean.

According to On3’s recruiting class rankings, Iowa has the No. 10 class within the Big Ten and No. 32 in the nation.

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Iowa football collects fifth 2025 commitment from 4-star TE Thomas Meyer

Boom! Another commit. The Iowa Hawkeyes added four-star tight end Thomas Meyer to their 2025 recruiting class.

After already having secured a commitment from three-star linebacker Carson Cooney on Saturday night, the Iowa Hawkeyes went ahead and made a weekend of it in the 2025 recruiting class.

Tight End U has its latest name to add to the equation, picking up a commitment from four-star, class of 2025 tight end Thomas Meyer on Sunday.

Meyer is rated as a four-star commit according to both 247Sports and Rivals. 247Sports ranks Meyer as the No. 149 player nationally, as the No. 7 tight end and as the No. 2 player from Iowa. Meanwhile, Rivals rates Meyer as the No. 12 tight end and as the No. 2 player from Iowa.

On3 and ESPN each regard Meyer as a three-star talent. On3Ā lists Meyer as the country’s No. 21 tight end and as the No. 3 player from Iowa.

Per 247Sports, Meyer chose the Hawkeyes over offers from Duke, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Miami, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas A&M, and Wisconsin.

Out of Clear Lake, Iowa, the 6-foot-5, 210 pound tight end shared a simple message with the announcement on X, writing, “GO HAWKS.”

Meyer joins the aforementioned Cooney in the Hawkeyes’ 2025 class. He also joins a group that features three-star linebacker Burke Gautcher of Sycamore High School in Illinois, three-star lineman Joey VanWetzingaĀ of Pleasant Valley High School in Iowa and three-star quarterback Jimmy Sullivan of Carroll High School in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Let’s take a full dive into Meyer’s recruiting profile with a look at his Hudl highlights.

Iowa Hawkeyes grab commitment from 3-star 2025 LB Carson Cooney

Boom! Another commit. Iowa secured its fourth commit in the 2025 class from three-star linebacker Carson Cooney of Oswego, Ill.

The Iowa Hawkeyes‘ 2025 recruiting class is up to four commits.

Three-star linebacker Carson Cooney out of Oswego High School in Illinois announced his commitment to the Hawkeyes on Saturday evening.

Cooney is a three-star commit according to both 247Sports and Rivals. 247Sports ranks Cooney as the nation’s No. 52 linebacker and as the No. 17 player from Illinois.

Per 247Sports, the 6-foot-3, 215 pound linebacker chose the Hawkeyes over offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Michigan State, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Central Michigan, Kent State and Ohio.

“I’m excited to announce my verbal commitment to the University of Iowa! I would like to thank God, my family and all of the coaches along the way who have believed in me and helped me achieve my dream,” Cooney wrote in his announcement on X.

Cooney joins Iowa’s 2025 class which also features three-star linebacker Burke Gautcher of Sycamore High School in Illinois, three-star lineman Joey VanWetzingaĀ of Pleasant Valley High School in Iowa and three-star quarterback Jimmy Sullivan of Carroll High School in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Cooney shared some of his thoughts on Iowa with HawkeyeInsider’s Sean Bock back in the fall.

“Theyā€™re a really good defense, and theyā€™re well-coached and super disciplined. They rarely make mistakes, and if they do, they fix it right away…

“Jack Campbell, Iā€™ve watched all of his highlights. Heā€™s a great player. Heā€™s one of my favorite linebackers that Iā€™ve watched from Iowa,” Cooney said.

As Cooney joins this 2025 Iowa class, let’s take a full dive into his recruiting profile and take a peek at his Hudl highlights.

2025 4-star Cedar Rapids OT Nick Brooks decommits from Iowa

The Iowa Hawkeyes received the unfortunate news that Cedar Rapids native and four-star offensive lineman Nick Brooks has decommitted.

The Iowa Hawkeyes took a bit of a crushing blow with recent news that one of, if not the top recruit from the 2025 class, announced that he has decommitted from Iowa.

Nick Brooks, a four-star offensive lineman recruit from nearby Cedar Rapids, Iowa, took to X to announce that he has decommitted from the Iowa Hawkeyes and is opening up his recruitment.

This loss has some extra sting for the Hawkeyes and their faithful after the Kadyn Proctor debacle last year that saw him flip his decision to Alabama at the last minute. While Iowa isn’t out of the running on Brooks, this isn’t a place that they wanted to find themselves.

“After talking with my family, I will be decomitting from the University of Iowa… My recruitment is still open 100%,” Brooks wrote on X.

Brooks is among the top offensive tackles in the country and has been viewed by some recruiting outlets as the top recruit in the state of Iowa, a territory that the Hawkeyes pride themselves on owning.

Iowa sits with the No. 29 recruiting class in 2025 right now per the 247Sports composite class rankings. This loss slid Iowa down in the rankings, but the larger issue that looms with news like this is what it could mean moving forward with talented offensive recruits.

Here’s a look at Brooks’ recruiting profile. Plus, a look at Iowa’s current 2025 outlook.