Iowa recruiting buzz: Trio of 4-star recruits turns down Hawkeyes

IOWA CITY — Iowa missed a few opportunities to improve its 2023 football recruiting class that already is ranked among the top 15 nationally in the last week.

Two four-star recruits committed elsewhere, and another four-star recruit excluded Iowa from his list of final five schools.

Here’s a summary of Iowa’s recruiting news since March 23:

Committed elsewhere

Mac Markway, a four-star tight end and son of a former Hawkeye, chose LSU over Iowa on March 24. Markway is seventh in 247Sports’ rankings of 2023 tight ends.

Markway’s decision came hours after Kaden Feagin, a four-star athlete from Arthur, Ill., rejected Iowa in favor of Illinois. Feagin’s hometown is about 45 minutes away from the Illini’s campus.

Narrowed list, eliminated Iowa

Four-star offensive tackle Cayden Green narrowed his list of potential schools to five, and Iowa did not make the cut.

Green will choose from Nebraska, Michigan, Oklahoma, Missouri and Miami (Fla.). He is the third-best offensive tackle in the 2023 class, per Rivals’ rankings.

Offers

Will Heldt, a 6-foot-6 edge rusher in the 2023 class, received an offer from Iowa on March 26 — the same day as his unofficial visit to Iowa City.

Heldt, a three-star recruit according to Rivals, already has offers from Iowa State, Purdue, Minnesota and Northwestern, among other schools.

Derek Jensen, a 6-6 offensive tackle in the 2023 class from Hartland, Wis., received an offer from the Hawkeyes on March 24. Jensen, who has a four-star rating from Rivals, already received offers from Iowa State, Illinois, Nebraska and other schools.

His home-state Wisconsin Badgers have not offered him yet.

Upcoming visits

Class of 2023 cornerback Amare Snowden, who has a four-star rating in 247Sports’ composite rankings, intends to visit the Hawkeyes this weekend, he said in a tweet Wednesday morning.

Three-star athlete Kenneth Merrieweather plans to visit the Hawkeyes on April 16, according to Rivals. Merrieweather is 15th among Michigan 2023 prospects in Rivals’ rankings.

Team rankings

Iowa’s 2023 class is 11th nationally in 247Sports’ rankings and 13th in Rivals’ rankings. Both sites have Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State ahead of the Hawkeyes, and Rivals also has Michigan State one spot above Iowa.

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