IOWA CITY, Iowa — Two years ago, the pandemic significantly dented Iowa’s recruiting efforts, and things appeared almost catastrophic for the 2022 class.
In June of 2021, the Hawkeyes welcomed 16 official visitors on their primary weekend — four committed, 12 uncommitted. From that latter group, only one picked the Hawkeyes. The lack of unofficial visits, game passes and casual bump-ins prevented Iowa from building bonds with players it normally secures by its official visit weekend. Ultimately it didn’t matter as the Hawkeyes rose to No. 2 in the national polls by midseason and eventually signed a 2022 class that ranked No. 30 in the 247SportsComposite. But it resulted in a stressful summer.
Two years later, with the appropriate lead time to official visit weekend, Iowa closed on players in its preferred fashion. Of the nine uncommitted players who visited the Hawkeyes on June 23-25, seven have pledged to Iowa, and the Hawkeyes remain solidly in play for the other two. With 19 commits in the 2024 class, Iowa is just about full except for another defensive back, wide receiver and defensive lineman. The Hawkeyes currently rank 28th in the 247Sports Composite.
Here’s a breakdown of Iowa’s 19 2024 recruits:
Quarterback (1)
James Resar (6-4, 199): Bishop Kenny High School, Jacksonville, Fla.
I’d be shocked if there’s another quarterback with a more polarizing evaluation than Resar. On3 ranks him No. 705 overall and No. 67 among quarterbacks while he is No. 263 overall and No. 22 by 247Sports as an athlete. As for his stats, Resar threw for 1,656 yards in nine games, completing 67.8 of his passes for 15 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 466 yards and six touchdowns last season and ran the 100-meter dash in 10.67 seconds.
Running back (2)
Xavier Williams (6-0, 220): Lake Central High School, St. John, Ind.
Brevin Doll (6-1, 190): ADM High School, Adel, Iowa
Iowa is full at this position. Last year, Doll ran for 1,475 yards at 8.2 yards per carry and 27 touchdowns. He caught 33 passes for 640 yards and six scores. He’s also an accomplished track athlete. Williams rushed for 1,451 yards at 6.5 yards per carry and 13 touchdowns with eight 100-yard games last year.
Wide receiver (2)
Reese Vander Zee (6-5, 190): Central Lyon, Rock Rapids Iowa
K.J. Parker (5-11, 165): Immaculate Conception, Elmhurst, Ill.
The Hawkeyes are likely to add at least one more receiver. Both commitments picked Iowa after their official visit weekend. Vander Zee caught 32 passes for 768 yards (24 yards per catch) and 10 touchdowns for the state champs. Parker had 37 catches for 1,082 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Jayquan Reid (5-11, 172) is scheduled to visit Iowa in September. At Southridge High School in Miami, Reid caught 45 passes for 593 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 105 on only nine carries. Reid also had 455 kick return yards.
Tight end (2)
Gavin Hoffman (6-5, 195): Blue Valley Northwest High School, Overland Park, Kan.
Michael Burt (6-6, 225): Creighton Prep, Omaha, Neb.
Hoffman caught 38 passes for 685 yards and 11 touchdowns while Burt caught 11 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown. Burt took an early visit to Iowa in June and opted for Iowa over Nebraska. Hoffman took visits to Missouri and Arizona State this month. It’s doubtful Iowa adds another tight end.
Offensive line (4)
Cody Fox (6-4, 275): East Buchanan High School, Winthrop, Iowa
Will Nolan (6-4, 275): John Hersey High School, Arlington Heights, Ill.
Bodey McCaslin (6-5, 270): St. Charles (Ill.) East High School
Josh Janowski (6-2, 270): Lincoln-Way East High School, Frankfort, Ill.
All four linemen committed to Iowa by early May, and there seems to be no wavering. Nolan and McCaslin are tackle prospects. Nolan is ranked as a four-star, No. 177 overall by On3 but No. 579 by the 247Sports Composite. Fox, whose older brother was a walk-on offensive lineman, is an interior offensive lineman who ranks in the top 300 nationally in the Composite and committed to the program in 2021. Janowski helped Lincoln-Way reach the Illinois Class 8A finals.
Defensive line (3)
Drew Campbell (6-4, 225): Cedar Falls (Iowa) High School
Joseph Anderson (6-5, 210): Westminster Christian Academy, St. Louis, Mo.
Devan Kennedy (6-3, 245): Brophy Collegiate Prep, Phoenix, Ariz.
Uncommitted visitors: Chime Chineke (6-4, 230), Plano (Texas) East High School
Anderson once seemed like a lock for Nebraska but picked Iowa after his official visit. Anderson ranks No. 269 by On3 and No. 923 in the 247Sports Composite and had six sacks and 54 tackles (nine for loss). Campbell, the younger brother of former Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell, recorded 52 tackles, including 20 for loss, and nine sacks. He’s ranked No. 189 by On3 and No. 609 by 247Sports. Both are four-stars by On3 but three-stars in the 247Sports Composite.
Kennedy, the son of former Penn State defensive lineman Jimmy Kennedy, was a surprise visitor and picked the Hawkeyes two days after his trip. In his first season playing football, Kennedy had 13 tackles, including 2.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks. Iowa likely will sign one more lineman, and it could be Chineke, who had 6.5 sacks and 31 tackles last year. Chineke will announce his choice on July 17, with Iowa and Texas Tech as the favorites.
Linebacker (2)
Derek Weisskopf (6-3, 200): Williamsburg (Iowa) High School
Cam Buffington (6-2, 200): Winfield-Mount Union High School, Winfield, Iowa
Weisskopf (No. 182) and Buffington (No. 232) are four-stars by 247Sports. The Composite has them in the 400s, with Buffington as a three-star. Either way, both are likely impact players early in their Iowa career and are two-way players for small Iowa high schools. Weisskopf had 59.5 tackles, including 4.5 for loss, and six interceptions, and he had 37 catches, 628 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns as a tight end. Buffington rushed for 1,484 yards and 25 touchdowns. On defense, he returned three interceptions for touchdowns and recorded 95.5 tackles, including six for loss.
Defensive back (3)
Preston Ries (6-2, 205): Monticello (Iowa) High School
Rashad Godfrey (6-1, 185): Armwood High School, Seffner, Fla.
Jaylen Watson (6-1, 165): Central Catholic High School, Toledo, Ohio
Graham Eben (6-1, 190): Central Lyon High School, Rock Rapids, Iowa (walk-on)
Uncommitted visitor: Xavier Lucas (6-2, 185), Dillard High School, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Godfrey and Watson committed to Iowa within the last week. Godfrey had 14 tackles, one interception and seven pass breakups last season. Stats are fleeting for Watson, who played wide receiver at Detroit’s River Rogue High School but since transferred to Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic. His uncle is Fred Russell, who ranks sixth in Iowa career rushing with 2,760 yards.
Ries has potential at multiple positions, from defensive back to linebacker to receiver. He plays quarterback in high school and threw for 2,543 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions last year while rushing for 1,421 yards and 17 scores. He also had 65 tackles, including 21 for loss, and 11 sacks. Eben turned down scholarship offers from FCS programs and will join Iowa as a preferred walk-on.
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