Iowa Hawkeyes offer 2026 DB prospect out of Nashville

Iowa joined another Big Ten West program in offering 2026 defensive back Justin Hopkins early in his recruitment.

The Iowa Hawkeyes aren’t waiting around to offer talented up-and-comer Justin Hopkins in the 2026 class.

The offer from the Hawkeyes came after a nice showing in the National College Showcase on the campus of Wayne State in Detroit, Mich. In addition to Iowa, Hopkins also picked up an offer from the Purdue Boilermakers after his camp showing.

Hopkins has only just completed his freshman season at Ensworth High School in Nashville, Tenn. Class of 2026 player rankings haven’t come out yet across any of the major recruiting networks, but these early offers are an indication that Hopkins will start shooting up recruiting boards as soon as they do.

Both 247Sports and On3 currently project Hopkins in the defensive backfield going forward, though. 247Sports lists Hopkins as a cornerback, while On3 currently projects him as a safety.

Per 247Sports, Hopkins joins athlete Dreshaun Ross out of Fort Dodge in Iowa, the Vanden Bosch twins of Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, and Dycin Davis out of Cooper in Abilene, Texas.

Here’s a look at some of Hopkins’ work at the National College Showcase. Plus, his freshman Hudl tape from Ensworth High School where you can see Hopkins’ potential with the football in his hands. Hopkins is a natural, fluid athlete with the football in his hands in the return game, after an interception and after the catch offensively. Lastly, Hopkins’ full recruiting profile is below.

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Iowa hoops offers elite Oklahoma sophomore-to-be

The Iowa Hawkeyes made sure their name is on the list for one of the nation’s top players in the 2026 class, offering Jalen Montonati.

If you aren’t familiar with Jalen Montonati yet, it’s time to put the elite class of 2026 prospect on your radar.

Chances are he will wind up as a playmaker fans are familiar with nationally regardless of what his final college decision looks like. With that said, though, the Iowa Hawkeyes made sure that their name is on Montonati’s early offers list.

Matt Gatens and the Hawkeyes extended an offer to the 2026 recruit on May 17. Iowa joins a list of offers that also already features Arkansas, Kansas State, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Tennessee and Tulsa.

A 6-foot-7, 180 pound forward from Owasso High School in Owasso, Okla., Montonati is already regarded as a five-star prospect per ESPN.

ESPN ranks Montonati as the country’s No. 13 overall player in the 2026 class and as the top player from the state of Oklahoma in its early 2026 ESPN 25 rankings.

Montonati just completed a freshman season at Owasso where he entered the 6A boys state tournament averaging 19.0 points per game. He led the Rams to a state semifinal berth, topping Deer Creek, 54-39, but falling to Broken Arrow, 50-49.

His dad and head coach at Owasso, Brian Montonati, played college basketball at Oklahoma State under Eddie Sutton. Brian was a fine player, too. He averaged 12.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game during his senior season with Sutton and the Cowboys.

So, suffice it to say that Jalen Montonati has the collegiate hoops pedigree.

Jalen also plays on Nike EYBL squad MOKAN Elite where he concluded April’s live evaluation period with a strong showing in the desert. Montonati and MOKAN descended upon Legacy Sports USA in Mesa, Ariz., and he put on a show over the four-game stay, averaging 18.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. The rising wing also connected on 55% of his 3-point tries in those four games.

Montonati caught up with Pro Insight’s Conrad Chow to recap his stay in the desert and who he patterns his game after.

“Michael Porter, Jr. is one of them. Jayson Tatum. Kevin Durant. Probably those three the most,” Montonati said.

Asked what his greatest strengths were, Montonati offered up the following.

“A three-level scorer. I can score at all three levels, but I think the thing that separates me from most people is the way I approach the game in my mindset, coming into a game. You know, with the [ESPN] rankings coming out, being 13th, I know I got a target on my back every game I go into so just coming in prepared, focused and locked in,” Montonati said.

Here’s a look at some of Montonati’s highlights with Owasso from OKHoopsTV on YouTube. Plus, Jalen’s full recruiting profile and offers sheet is attached below.

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Iowa offers twin sons of former Nebraska Cornhusker, West Lyon great in 2026 class

The Iowa Hawkeyes offered twins Case and Bastian Vanden Bosch in the 2026 class. They are the sons of Nebraska great Kyle Vanden Bosch.

The Iowa Hawkeyes didn’t wait to offer a pair in the 2026 class. Having just completed their freshmen seasons several months back, Iowa went ahead and extended offers to twins Case and Bastian Vanden Bosch out of Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Ariz.

Case is a 6-foot-2, 180 pound quarterback. Meanwhile, Bastian is a 6-foot-1, 185 pound athlete.

In addition to the offer from Iowa, Bastian now has offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Boston College, Nebraska and Oregon. For Case, he also holds offers from Arizona State and Nebraska.

While it’s early in the pair’s recruitment, there might be an obvious favorite to beat. Case and Bastian are the twin sons of former Nebraska Cornhuskers great Kyle Vanden Bosch. Kyle Vanden Bosch was a first-team All-Big 12 selection by Sporting News with the Huskers in the 2000 season. During that 2000 season, Kyle Vanden Bosch registered 56 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.

After Nebraska, Kyle Vanden Bosch was selected in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft with pick No. 34 by the Arizona Cardinals. He went on to be a three-time Pro Bowl defensive end with the Tennessee Titans during his 12-year NFL career.

Of course, Iowa has a nice little tie to the family as well. Kyle Vanden Bosch was teammates with current Hawkeye special teams coordinator LeVar Woods at West Lyon High School in Iowa.

It will be fun to watch the duo’s development in the years ahead and how their recruitment unfolds. LeVar Woods and Iowa made sure the pair knows early in their recruitments that they are a priority with their respective offers.

Here’s a look at Case’s freshman Hudl tape. Plus, their recruiting profiles are below.

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