Where Iowa football’s 2025 recruiting class stands ahead of spring

IOWA CITY — With another nine to 10 months remaining until this year’s early signing period, Iowa football’s 2025 recruiting class has gradually taken shape.

The Hawkeyes have five commitments — comparable to six 2024 commitments at this time last year and six 2023 commitments at this time two years ago. Four of Iowa’s five 2025 commitments have three-star ratings from 247Sports.

Here is a closer look at where Iowa’s 2025 recruiting class stands:

How does Iowa’s class rank so far?

Recruiting rankings can be especially fluid, but here is where Iowa’s 2025 class ranks as of Tuesday:

247Sports: No. 19 nationally, No. 5 among Big Ten teams

On3: No. 24 nationally, No. 5 among Big Ten teams

Rivals: No. 26 nationally, No. 5 among Big Ten teams

Who are Iowa’s five verbal commitments?

Tight end Thomas Meyer is Iowa’s highest-rated commit so far, boasting a four-star rating from 247Sports. The Clear Lake prospect’s other offers included Texas A&M, Miami (Fla.), Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa State.

Offensive lineman Joey VanWetzinga became the Hawkeyes’ first verbal commit of the 2025 class when the Pleasant Valley High School standout announced his decision last summer. Joey VanWetzinga, who has a three-star rating from 247Sports, is the younger brother of current Iowa fullback Rusty VanWetzinga.

Jimmy Sullivan is the Hawkeyes’ quarterback in the 2025 class. The 6-foot-3 prospect from Fort Wayne, Ind., also had offers from Minnesota and Michigan State, among other programs.

Iowa also has a pair of commitments from three-star linebackers in the state of Illinois — Burke Gautcher from Sycamore and Carson Cooney from Oswego.

Gautcher committed in October after also reporting offers from Illinois, Minnesota, Kent State and Northern Illinois. Cooney, who committed earlier this month, had offers from Wisconsin, Michigan State, Iowa State, Northwestern, Cincinnati and others.

Who are some 2025 targets to watch?

Defensive end Iose Epenesa is one of the top prospects in the state of Illinois and has quite the family connection to the Hawkeyes. His father Eppy and brother A.J. played at Iowa, and A.J. is in the NFL after being a second-round pick in 2020. His other brother Eric is a walk-on on the 2024 roster.

Iowa has plenty of competition for Epenesa, though. His other offers include Miami (Fla.), Texas, Michigan, Washington, Oregon and Penn State.

Mason Woods holds offers from Iowa, Kansas State, Missouri and Kansas, among other schools. He has plenty of familiarity with the Hawkeyes considering he is the son of Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods.

An in-state recruiting battle has been brewing as Iowa and Iowa State vie for wide receiver Xzavion Robinson. The West Des Moines Valley standout tweeted plans earlier this month to announce his commitment on March 13, but 247Sports reported last week he is considering delaying his decision.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy offensive lineman Nick Brooks — once the apparent centerpiece of Iowa’s 2025 recruiting class — decommitted from Iowa in the fall. His suitors since reopening his recruitment include Georgia, USC, Colorado and Auburn. He visited Georgia earlier this month.

What’s the geographic breakdown of who Iowa is targeting in 2025?

Iowa’s five commitments include two from Iowa, two from Illinois and one from Indiana.

A Gazette analysis of On3’s recruiting data shows Illinois and Florida are the states with the most offers from the Hawkeyes with 17 each (or about 21 percent of the 80 offers extended). Indiana is next highest with eight offered prospects, followed by the seven prospects in the state of Iowa.

The geographic breakdown of offers will likely differ, though, from the geographic breakdown of signees. An in-state prospect who perhaps grew up as a Hawkeye fan, for example, is more likely to accept an offer than a prospect in Florida who also has offers from SEC schools.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com