Iowa's 2026 Recruiting Class Continues Making Waves

Iowa's football program is patiently awaiting their bowl game destination. Ferentz led the team to yet another eight win season, something that has become the standard in his tenure with the team. The 70-year-old still has it, and he's managed to crack Iowa into ESPN's Top 30 recruiting classes.

Landing quarterback Tradon Bessinger was a big get, arguably the biggest of their entire recruiting class. ESPN lists him as their top offensive prospect, which comes as no surprise as former Boise State commit recently was named the Top QB coming to the B1G in 2026.

On the other side of the ball, ESPN names outside linebacker Julian Manson as their best defensive prospect. Iowa currently has two SC Next 300 commits, but that still puts them far ahead of a few of the other teams on the list. Sure, they're behind the top teams in the B1G, but there's only so much the Hawkeyes can do.

How Iowa Matches Up In The Big Ten

Knowing Iowa's ranking, they had to pass a few teams to move up three spots. Those teams included Houston and Louisville as formerly No. 31 Rutgers jumped up to No. 29. That means Iowa is slightly behind the Scarlet Knights, a team they handled with ease in the final 30 minutes this year.

Other B1G teams ahead of Iowa include No. 28 Minnesota, No. 27 Indiana, No. 23 Illinois, No. 10 Michigan, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 5 Oregon, and No. 1 USC. Clearly, the B1G is as competitive as it gets.

For what it's worth, Iowa held their own against a few of those teams this season. While they continue to fall behind in terms of recruiting for years to come, that doesn't necessarily mean a team like USC and Illinois is going to be able to keep their recruits for the long haul. Iowa is doing everything in their power to prepare themselves for the future, and a No. 30 ranking indicates they're perfectly on track.