Four-Star Iowa Commit Announces Signing Details

Nielsen took a visit to Iowa during the spring of 2024. He took unofficial visits to Kansas State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Alabama, Tennessee, and Iowa State before committing to the Hawkeyes on April 22, 2024. The offensive tackle cited Iowa’s coaching staff as a major reason behind his commitment.

"Some of the people there that made me want to make this decision were Coach Barnett, Coach Ferentz and Tyler Barnes and Matt Spaulding," Nielsen told 247Sports. "Coach Barnett is a very similar guy to me and I believe in his coaching style and how he runs his o-line room. Coach Ferentz is obviously a legend and one of the greatest coaches of all time and I just want to be able to say I played for him."

The 6-foot-7, 275-pound prospect held scholarship offers from some of the nation's premier programs, including Tennessee, Penn State, Iowa State, Kansas State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota State, and Wisconsin.

At Waterloo West, Nielsen has been the anchor of an offensive line that helped the Wahawks finish with a 5-5 record. He is exactly the type of offensive lineman Iowa needs. Recruiting analysts have praised his functional strength, lateral movement, and strong anchor in pass protection. 

Nielsen continues Iowa's tradition of landing the top in-state offensive linemen as their first commitment in each class. Cody Fox (Winthrop East Buchanan, 2024) and Joey VanWetzinga (Pleasant Valley, 2025) were the previous prospects to do so.

Iowa’s 2026 Recruiting Class

Iowa's 2026 recruiting class currently sits at No. 27 nationally and No. 8 in the Big Ten, according to 247Sports, with 17 players committed ahead of the December 3 early signing period. 

Four-star quarterback Tradon Bessinger committed to Iowa in November after flipping from Boise State. The offensive line depth continues with commits Hudson Parliament (Brandon Valley, South Dakota), Colin Whitters (Iowa City West), Owen Linder (Champlin, Minnesota), and Gene Riordan (Hinsdale Central, Illinois). 

Defensive commits include linebacker commits Julian Manson (Iowa City West), Billy Weivoda (Milton, Georgia), and Kasen Thomas (Bishop Heelan Catholic), along with cornerback Darion Jones (Omaha North).

The class also features tight end Luke Brewer (Norwalk) and wide receivers Xavier Stinson, Brody Schaffer, and Diondre Smith.