Yardbarker
x
Iowa Hawkeyes, Kirk Ferentz Achieve Major First With Big Recruiting Win
Apr 26, 2025; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz talks with players after a spring NCAA football open practice at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Cress-The Des Moines Register Joseph Cress/For the Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa Hawkeyes, Kirk Ferentz Achieve Major First With Big Recruiting Win

Originally posted on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI
By Matthew Schmidt  |  Last updated Jun 11, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes have been one of the better teams in the Big Ten for quite some time, and even if they have been unable to reach the heights of squads like Ohio State or Michigan, they still deserve respect for consistently contending year in and year out.

The primary reason for Iowa's regular contention is smart, shrewd recruiting, something the Hawkeyes must do considering they typically aren't able to land five-star guys.

Well, this week, Iowa achieved a critical first for 2026, landing its first defender of the class by bagging three-star defensive lineman Sawyer Jezierski.

Jezierski attended the Hawkeyes' recruiting camp last weekend, and apparently, he thoroughly impressed Ferentz and the coaching staff. Iowa immediately made an offer to the Minneapolis native, and not long after, Jezierski accepted.

The 6-foot-4, 275-pound defender is the 99th-ranked defensive lineman in the nation and the sixth-ranked player in the state of Minnesota, via 247Sports' composite rankings.

Jezierski represents the 10th overall commit for the class of 2026, with the first nine players obviously being on the offensive end. He also had offers from schools like Boston College, Kansas State and Washington State, among others.

Iowa generally prides itself on being a strong defensive team, so it is a bit surprising that Jezierski was the first defensive player it landed for 2026. That being said, it's still a couple of years away, so there remains plenty of time for the Hawkeyes to fill out the unit.

Ferentz's club went 8-5 this past season, falling to the Missouri Tigers in the Music City Bowl.

Read More Iowa Hawkeyes Coverage


This article first appeared on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.