Iowa recruiting buzz: Derek Weisskopf picks Iowa, becomes third in-state commit of 2024

IOWA CITY — Iowa’s 2024 recruiting class picked up another in-state commitment Wednesday.

Williamsburg athlete Derek Weisskopf verbally committed to the Hawkeyes Wednesday — nine days after Iowa offered him.

Weisskopf also had offers from three of Iowa’s biggest rivals — Iowa State, Wisconsin and Nebraska — before picking the program about 30 minutes away from his high school.

Iowa now has three commitments in its 2024 class, and all three are Iowans. Weisskopf joined Winfield linebacker Cam Buffington and Winthrop offensive lineman Cody Fox.

The Williamsburg prospect does not yet have a rating from 247Sports or Rivals, but he has shown his athletic ability at the high school level in football and other sports. He had a 6-foot-9 high jump at a track-and-field meet this year.

Here are the highlights of the rest of the past week on the recruiting trail for the Hawkeyes:

Committed elsewhere

Four-star wide receiver Kyler Kasper, the son of former Hawkeye Kevin Kasper, committed to Oregon on Sunday. Kasper, the 14th-best 2022 wide receiver in Rivals’ rankings, took several unofficial visits to Iowa, but the Hawkeyes never earned an official visit.

J.J. Kohl, a four-star quarterback according to 247Sports’ composite rankings from Ankeny, committed to Iowa State Monday. Kohl’s decision to commit across the state is not surprising considering Iowa already has a quarterback committed in its 2023 class.

Offers

Preston Ries, a 2024 athlete from Monticello, received an offer from the Hawkeyes over the weekend. Iowa State and Nebraska also have offered the three-star prospect. He is the fourth-best in-state prospect in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.

Kooper Ebel, a three-star athlete in the 2023 class from Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School, also earned an offer from Iowa last weekend. Ebel is ranked 10th among Iowans in 247Sports’ 2023 rankings. Iowa State already offered him, setting up an in-state recruiting battle.

Joe Otting, a 2023 offensive lineman from Topeka, Kan., added Iowa to his list of offers last weekend. The 6-foot-2 guard already has offers from Baylor, Iowa State, Nebraska, Missouri and others and has three-star ratings from 247Sports and Rivals.

Jordan Allen, a three-star 2023 defensive end, picked up an offer from Iowa last weekend, he said on Twitter. Allen, who is from the same city (Olathe, Kan.) as Iowa wide receiver Arland Bruce IV, also scheduled an official visit to Iowa for June 24, according to Rivals.

Allen already has offers from Washington, Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State.

Ian Moore, a four-star 2024 offensive lineman from New Palestine, Ind., received an offer while he was at Iowa last weekend. Moore is ninth among interior offensive linemen in 247Sports’ composite rankings. He also has offers from Michigan State, Iowa State, West Virginia and Louisville, among other Power Five schools.

Iowa offered Arvell Reese, a 2023 linebacker from Glenville, Ohio, on April 15 — one day before he took a visit to Ohio State. Reese, who has a three-star rating from Rivals and four-star rating from 247Sports, boasts offers from Penn State, Michigan, USC and Ohio State, among many other programs.

Class of 2024 tight end Christian Bentancur added an offer from Iowa on April 14 — his third Big Ten offer in less than a week. Since then, Michigan State, Michigan and Wisconsin also have joined the mix. Rivals does not have a star rating for Bentancur, but 247Sports considers him a four-star recruit.

Iowa is targeting another running back from the Cincinnati area after having some success there in the 2022 recruiting class. Jordan Marshall, a 2024 prospect, earned an offer on April 14 from the Hawkeyes. The 5-11 back’s other offers include Pitt, Boston College, Northwestern, Kentucky and Purdue.

Comments: (319) 398-8394; john.steppe@thegazette.com