Iowa Lands Top 2026 Recruit

Another elite prospect has joined the Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling program, as California native David Calkins Jr. has announced his commitment to the Black and Gold. The 2026 prospect represents one of the nation's most accomplished young grapplers and brings international success to the program. 

Calkins, a junior from Liberty High School in Brentwood, California, is six feet tall and weighs 203 pounds. He penned down a wholesome message to make his announcement public, showing gratitude to the people who helped him in his journey. 

“First off thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for making all things possible and guiding me through life,” Calkins wrote. “Thank you to The @iowahawkeyewrestling for believing in me and my abilities as a wrestler. Thank you to my friends and family for being supportive and helpful through my journey.” 

“Thank you to my coaches @joshbarrettosr, @rtdsgreco @we_throw_here @dcalkins73 and everyone else who has contributed to me getting to this point. Finally a huge thank you to my parents who work their tails off every day to provide for me and the people around us, and for making me the person I am today I couldn’t have done it without them. With that being said, I will be furthering my athletic and academic career at The University of Iowa, HAWKEYE NATION LETS GO‼️#commited #allglorytogod✝️ #gohawkeys”

David Calkins Jr.’s Recent Success

Calkins has competed twice at the prestigious Fargo Youth Wrestling National Championships, earning a second-place finish in Greco-Roman and a first-place finish in freestyle. He clinched a U17 World Bronze Medal in Greco-Roman wrestling this summer at 92kg. 

"I want to go off to college and compete at the highest level," he said following the U17 World Championships in Athens, Greece. "I want to keep improving freestyle and Greco. I want to continue my Greco career and want to be an Olympian hopefully in LA in 2028."

The youngster has also competed in the 190-pound category at the single-class California State Championships, one of the most challenging in the nation due to its single-class format and elite competition, on two occasions. Calkins' commitment continues the family wrestling legacy at Iowa. His older sister, Sam Calkins, currently competes for the Iowa women's wrestling team.