Tag: alex mota

Iowa Hawkeyes offer 2024 TE Christian Bentancur out of Illinois

Iowa offered 2024 tight end Christian Bentancur out of Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock, Ill.

As spring practices roll on in Iowa City, the Hawkeye coaching staff continues to target talented playmakers across the 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes.

[autotag]Christian Bentancur[/autotag] earned an offer from Iowa on Thursday. The 6-foot-5, 240 pound tight end is from Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock, Ill. Bentancur recorded 53 receptions for 1,165 yards and 16 touchdowns during his sophomore season at Marian Central Catholic High School.

According to 247Sports, Bentancur is the nation’s No. 235 player in the 2024 class, the No. 14 tight end and the fifth-best player from the state of Illinois. The offer from the Hawkeyes represents Bentancur’s seventh offer and seventh power-five offer.

In addition to Iowa, Bentancur possesses offers from Iowa State, Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State and Washington according to 247Sports. Iowa State was first to offer Bentancur on March 30 and the other six programs have offered in the two weeks since.

The Hawkeyes currently have two commitments in their 2024 class. Those commitments are from four-star interior offensive lineman Cody Fox and three-star linebacker Cam Buffington. According to 247Sports, Fox is the nation’s No. 188 player overall in the 2024 class, the 10th-best interior offensive lineman and the top recruit from the state of Iowa. 247Sports rates Buffington as the country’s No. 18 linebacker and the No. 2 player from Iowa.

With just the two commitments, Iowa currently has the No. 4 class nationally in the 2024 cycle according to 247Sports and Rivals. A commitment from Bentancur would go a long way toward solidifying Iowa’s 2024 class as one of the country’s best. Here’s a look at Bentancur’s Hudl tape from his sophomore season.

Iowa Hawkeyes offer 2023 EDGE/LB Michael Kilbane

Iowa’s latest offer in the 2023 class went out to a highly-regarded defensive player, Michael Kilbane.

Iowa tossed its name into the hat for one of the most talented defensive players from the state of Ohio. The Hawkeyes offered class of 2023 defensive prospect Michael Kilbane from St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio.

According to 247Sports, the Iowa offer represents the seventh Big Ten offer that Kilbane has received. Kilbane also holds offers from power-five programs Duke, Iowa State, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and West Virginia.

Rivals rates Kilbane as a four-star recruit, the 18th-best outside linebacker and the No. 7 player from the state of Ohio. Meanwhile, 247Sports ranks Kilbane as a three-star talent, the No. 42 edge rusher, and 20th highest-rated player from Ohio. The 6-foot-4, 240 pound Ohio native is the No. 400 player nationally, the No. 33 edge and the ninth-best player from the Buckeye State in the 247Sports composite rankings.

Lastly, On3 lists Kilbane as a three-star prospect. In the On3 consensus rankings, Kilbane is regarded as the country’s No. 482 player, the No. 51 linebacker and the 11th-best player from Ohio.

Kilbane joins safety and linebacker Nigel Glover from Northmont High School in Clayton, Ohio, and safety King Mack from St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as recent class of 2023 recruits that picked up Hawkeye offers.

Iowa also extended recent offers to 2024 prospects in Williamsburg High School athlete Derek Weisskopf and Westside High School in Omaha, Neb., athlete Caleb Benning.

Iowa currently has four defensive players committed in its 2023 class. Defensive end and edge rusher Chase Brackney, linebacker Ben Kueter, defensive lineman Maddux Borcherding-Johnson and defensive back John Nestor. The Hawkeyes also have commitments from quarterback Marco Lainez III, athlete Alex Mota and offensive lineman Leighton Jones. Nestor was the most recent Hawkeye commit when he announced his commitment on April 4.

Here’s a look at Kilbane’s Hudl tape from this past season.

2024 Iowa commits Cody Fox, Cam Buffington already highly-regarded recruits

The 2024 signing class is a long ways off, but recruiting rankings indicate Iowa is off to a great start with Cody Fox and Cam Buffington.

Iowa is off to a strong start in the 2023 recruiting class. That’s evidenced by the Hawkeyes’ 2023 class currently being ranked No. 9 by 247Sports, No. 10 by Rivals, No. 15 by ESPN and No. 19 by On3.

Iowa just picked up its seventh commitment in the 2023 class from defensive back [autotag]John Nestor[/autotag]. The 6-foot-1, 190 pound Chicago native is out of Marist High School. He joined quarterback [autotag]Marco Lainez III[/autotag], defensive end and edge rusher [autotag]Chase Brackney[/autotag], athlete [autotag]Alex Mota[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Ben Kueter[/autotag], offensive lineman [autotag]Leighton Jones[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]Maddux Borcherding-Johnson[/autotag].

Naturally, continuing to add to the 2023 class and strengthen it as one of the nation’s best will be the first focus. While all of that is true, it’s never too early to get a jumpstart on the 2024 class. After 247Sports released its updated 2024 player rankings, it reinforces the great start Iowa is off to in the 2024 cycle.

The Hawkeyes have a pair of commitments in the 2024 class from two in-state talents. [autotag]Cody Fox[/autotag], a 6-foot-4, 265 pound offensive lineman from East Buchanan High School in Winthrop, and [autotag]Cam Buffington[/autotag], a 6-foot-3, 200 pound linebacker from Winfield-Mt. Union in Winfield.

According to the 247Sports composite player rankings, Fox is the nation’s 107th-ranked player overall. He checks in as the No. 6 interior offensive lineman on 247Sports and the top player from the state of Iowa. According to Rivals, Fox is the country’s No. 73 player overall and the No. 3 offensive guard. On3 has Fox ranked the highest at No. 60 nationally. On3 rates Fox as the nation’s No. 4 interior offensive lineman and the best player from the state of Iowa. He is a four-star prospect according to all three recruiting services.

Meanwhile, Buffington checks in as the nation’s No. 290 player overall and as a three-star commit according to 247Sports’ composite player rankings. Buffington is listed as the nation’s No. 22 linebacker and Iowa’s second-ranked player on 247Sports. Rivals also ranks Buffington as a three-star commit.

With just the two commitments, Iowa currently has the No. 4 class nationally in the 2024 cycle according to 247Sports and Rivals. Iowa recently offered 2024 athlete Caleb Benning out of Westside High School in Omaha, Neb.

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Iowa Hawkeyes offer 2023 defensive prospect Nigel Glover

Iowa’s latest offer went out to 2023 safety and linebacker recruit Nigel Glover.

After a recent visit, Iowa extended its latest offer to class of 2023 safety and linebacker [autotag]Nigel Glover[/autotag]. The 6-foot-3, 210 pound prospect out of Northmont High School in Clayton, Ohio, now has 15 power-five offers.

The Hawkeyes are the eighth Big Ten school to offer Glover. Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers and Wisconsin are the others. Boston College, Duke, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt, Washington and West Virginia comprise Glover’s other power-five offers.

According to On3, Glover is a four-star recruit and the nation’s No. 8 linebacker. On3 rates Glover as the No. 136 player nationally in the 2023 class and as the second-best player from Ohio.

Rivals ranks Glover as a three-star safety. According to Rivals, Glover is the No. 38 safety and the No. 19 player from Ohio. Meanwhile, 247Sports ranks Glover as the No. 42 linebacker in the 2023 class and the 11th-best player from Ohio. 247Sports also has Glover as a three-star product.

Iowa currently has four defensive players committed in its 2023 class. Defensive end and edge rusher [autotag]Chase Brackney[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Ben Kueter[/autotag], defensive lineman [autotag]Maddux Borcherding-Johnson[/autotag] and defensive back [autotag]John Nestor[/autotag]. The Hawkeyes also have commitments from quarterback [autotag]Marco Lainez III[/autotag], athlete [autotag]Alex Mota[/autotag] and offensive lineman [autotag]Leighton Jones[/autotag]. Nestor was the most recent Hawkeye commit when he announced his commitment on April 4.

According to 247Sports, Iowa currently has the nation’s No. 9 class and the third-best class in the Big Ten. Rivals ranks Iowa’s class as the country’s No. 10 class, while On3 rates it as the nation’s No. 19 class. Even without an ESPN 300 commitment, ESPN has Iowa’s class ranked No. 15.

Here’s a look at Glover’s Hudl highlights.

Iowa currently owns the No. 15 recruiting class in 2023 according to ESPN

ESPN took a look at the top 2023 recruiting classes and Iowa currently ranks No. 15 nationally.

Iowa now has seven pledges in its 2023 recruiting class thanks to Marist High School defensive back [autotag]John Nestor[/autotag]’s commitment at the beginning of the week.

The rest of the class includes quarterback [autotag]Marco Lainez III[/autotag] from Hun School in New Jersey, defensive end and edge rusher [autotag]Chase Brackney[/autotag] from Cherry Creek High School in Colorado, athlete [autotag]Alex Mota[/autotag] from Marion High School in Iowa, linebacker [autotag]Ben Kueter[/autotag] from Iowa City High School, offensive lineman [autotag]Leighton Jones[/autotag] from Brownsburg High School in Indiana and in-state defensive lineman [autotag]Maddux Borcherding-Johnson[/autotag] from Norwalk High School.

According to ESPN, the Hawkeyes currently own the No. 15 class nationally. ESPN’s Craig Haubert broke down Iowa’s class thus far.

Not surprisingly, the Hawkeyes’ class is not real flashy, but it has a very solid foundation. QB Lainez is a consistent, smooth and accurate passer who looks like a nice fit for Iowa’s offense. Known for its eye for and developing offensive lineman, Iowa landed top-five center Leighton Jones. Defensively, Brackney displays good power to collapse the pocket and set the edge vs. the run. – Haubert, ESPN.

Iowa was one of just four programs ranked inside the top 25 of ESPN’s current class of 2023 recruiting rankings without at least one ESPN 300 commit. The other programs with that distinction include Cincinnati at No. 21, Northwestern at No. 22 and Nebraska at No. 23. Haubert and ESPN have Lainez and Brackney ranked as Iowa’s top offensive and defensive commits, respectively.

The Big Ten programs that have 2023 recruiting classes ranked above Iowa according to ESPN are Penn State at No. 3, Ohio State at No. 7, Michigan at No. 11 and Michigan State at No. 14.

According to Rivals and 247Sports, Iowa currently possesses the country’s No. 10 recruiting class for 2023. Meanwhile, On3 ranks the Hawkeyes’ 2023 class as No. 19 nationally.

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Iowa Hawkeyes target Darius Taylor to announce decision Tuesday

Iowa target Darius Taylor is announcing his commitment at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Iowa target Darius Taylor revealed that he will be announcing his college commitment on Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT. The Walled Lake Western High School product out of Michigan is listed as a three-star recruit by 247Sports, Rivals and On3.

247Sports rates Taylor as the No. 31 running back in the 2023 class and the 12th-best player from the state of Michigan, while On3 ranks Taylor as the No. 25 running back and the No. 9 player from the state of Michigan. In addition to Iowa, Taylor has received offers from Big Ten programs Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, Purdue, Rutgers and Wisconsin.

Other power-five programs that have offered Taylor include Boston College, Kansas, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Vanderbilt. Taylor also holds offers from Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Ferris State, Howard, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Princeton, Toledo, Western Michigan, Yale and Youngstown State.

Taylor would represent the seventh Hawkeye commit if he chooses Iowa. The Hawkeyes have commitments from quarterback Marco Lainez III, athlete Alex Mota, edge rusher Chase Brackney, linebacker Ben Kueter, offensive lineman Leighton Jones and defensive lineman Maddux Borcherding-Johnson.

A pair of players earned offers from Iowa over this past recruiting weekend, class of 2023 offensive lineman Logan Howland and 2024 athlete Caleb Benning. With a quarterback already in tow in Lainez III, it would be great for Iowa to add another skill player to its 2023 commits list. Here’s a look at Taylor’s Hudl highlights from last season.

Taylor’s full recruiting profile is below.

Iowa Hawkeyes offer 2023 offensive lineman Logan Howland

Iowa extended an offer to 2023 offensive lineman Logan Howland out of Hun High School in Princeton, N.J.

Iowa already has six commitments in its 2023 recruiting class which is ranked No. 11 nationally by 247Sports. That group includes quarterback Marco Lainez III, athlete Alex Mota, edge rusher Chase Brackney, linebacker Ben Kueter, offensive lineman Leighton Jones and defensive lineman Maddux Borcherding-Johnson.

With spring practices underway, it provides a great opportunity to invite recruits on campus and showcase what Iowa football is all about. One of the players that made his way to Iowa City this weekend was class of 2023 offensive lineman Logan Howland.

He made the trip with his high school teammate and Iowa quarterback commit Marco Lainez III. It turned into a productive trip for Howland as he received an offer from Iowa.

Pairing Howland with Jones would be a nice win for Hawkeye offensive line coach George Barnett. According to 247Sports, Howland is a 6-foot-7, 265 pound offensive tackle from Hun School in Princeton, N.J. It’s been a busy couple of months for Howland. Since the start of February, he’s picked up offers from Iowa, Duke, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, Miami, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Tennessee.

Here’s a look at Howland’s Hudl tape from this past season.

2023 Iowa Hawkeyes commitment tracker

Here’s a look at who is committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2023 recruiting class.

After landing the nation’s No. 28 class according to both On3 and Rivals in 2022, Iowa is looking to build upon that success on the recruiting trail and continue stockpiling talent in the 2023 class.

This list will be continually updated as new players commit, but here’s a look at who is committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2023 class.

Iowa offers 2023 DE/EDGE prospect Will Heldt from Indiana

Class of 2023 prospect Will Heldt is the latest to receive an offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Iowa is already off to a fast start in its 2023 recruiting class. According to 247Sports, the Hawkeyes have secured commitments from quarterback [autotag]Marco Lainez III[/autotag], athlete [autotag]Alex Mota[/autotag], edge rusher [autotag]Chase Brackney[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Ben Kueter[/autotag], offensive lineman [autotag]Leighton Jones[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]Maddux Borcherding-Johnson[/autotag].

Now, after a weekend visit, Iowa and defensive line coach Kelvin Bell have extended an offer to class of 2023 prospect [autotag]Will Heldt[/autotag] out of Carmel High School in Carmel, Ind. It’s the 13th offer overall for Heldt.

According to 247Sports, Heldt is a three-star edge rusher. The 6-foot-5, 230 pound recruit rates as the nation’s No. 58 edge and the 13th-best prospect from Indiana according to 247Sports. In Rivals’ rankings, Heldt is also listed as a three-star recruit and as the No. 9 player from Indiana.

Heldt also holds offers from Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Iowa State, Miami (Ohio), Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio, Purdue, Wake Forest and Western Michigan.

It’s been a busy past few months in the offers department for Heldt. Central Michigan was the first to offer Heldt on Dec. 9, 2021. That was followed by January offers from Miami (Ohio), Ball State, Western Michigan, Akron, Bowling Green, Ohio, Iowa State, Purdue and Wake Forest. Minnesota was Heldt’s lone February offer on Feb. 25 before the latest offers from Northwestern on March 10 and Iowa’s offer here.

Will Heldt’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 3 N/A 13 58
Rivals 3 N/A 9 N/A
ESPN N/A N/A N/A N/A
On3 Recruiting N/A N/A N/A N/A
247 Composite N/A N/A N/A N/A

Vitals

Hometown Carmel, Ind.
Projected Position DE/EDGE
Height 6-5
Weight 230
Class 2023

Recruitment

  • Offered on March 26
  • visit on March 25

Film

Here’s a look at Heldt’s junior season Hudl film.

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Wisconsin offers 2023 athlete Alex Mota

Wisconsin offers 2023 athlete Alex Mota

The Wisconsin football program sent out another class of 2023 offer today, this one to three-star athlete Alex Mota.

Mota is 247Sports’ No. 30 athlete in the class and No. 3 recruit from his home state of Iowa.

Wisconsin becomes the fifth program on the Marion, Iowa native’s offer sheet, joining Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State and Nebraska.

There is still plenty of time left in the 2022 recruit cycle, so Mota’s name may not come up again for months. But Wisconsin now has 39 offers out in the class as they look to continue to elevate their recruiting profile.

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