Iowa’s 2026 recruiting class may not be the kind that instantly floods the depth chart, but there are a handful of first-year players worth watching closely once the season gets rolling.
That’s the reality for most freshmen in college football. The jump from high school to this level is steep, and Iowa’s own recent history shows how hard it can be to crack the rotation.
Last season, Nathan McNeil, Jacob Wallace and Thomas Meyer were among the first-year players who managed to stand out for the Hawkeyes. McNeil ran for 169 yards, Wallace made three tackles against Nebraska and Meyer, even without a career catch yet, carved out limited work at tight end.
Iose Epenesa could be included in that group as well.
This incoming class, ranked 26th nationally by the 247Sports Composite, has enough talent to make the conversation interesting. The question is which players can actually turn that promise into early impact, whether on offense, defense or special teams.
The most eye-catching early spring showings came from the secondary. Marcello Vitti, a four-star defensive back, flashed at Iowa’s open spring practice by making plays in coverage and bringing real physicality.
On one rep, he laid a heavy hit on a receiver and knocked the ball away. During a practice open to media later in the spring, he also worked with the second-team defense.
The sample is small, but the signs are there.
Darion Jones was in that same mix with the second-team defense. Jones is the second-highest-ranked recruit in Iowa’s 2026 class, and his decision carried a little extra weight because his brother plays for Nebraska. Along with Vitti, he looks like a player who could become a key part of Iowa’s secondary down the line.
At quarterback, Tradon Bessinger brings the most long-term intrigue. The Kaysville, Utah, product is the highest-ranked recruit in the Hawkeyes’ incoming freshman class and was one of the headliners of the group.
A real role this season seems unlikely unless the quarterback room takes a major hit. Bessinger did not enroll early, and the Shanahan offensive system takes time to learn.
Jeremy Hecklinski said it’s “baby steps,” right now with Bessinger. For now, Iowa’s quarterback situation does not look like one that would force a freshman into action.
Still, landing the 11th-ranked signal-caller nationally makes Bessinger a name to circle for the future.
Brody Schaffer gives Iowa something different on the outside. His speed stands out immediately, and he has reported being timed at 4.46 in the 40-yard dash.
That’s right in the neighborhood of Kaden Wetjen, who ran a 4.47 at the 2026 NFL Combine. Iowa needs explosive receivers, and Schaffer has the kind of speed that could eventually help fill that need.
There’s also an unusual first-year player in the punting competition. Boston Everitt, who comes from Australia, has never played a game of American football before.
Even so, he is in the mix for the starting job. Rhys Dakin, Iowa’s punter the past two seasons, followed LeVar Woods to Michigan State, leaving Everitt and Simpson College transfer Tanner Philpott as the contenders to handle the role this season.
On defense, Julian Manson is another player with a profile worth tracking. The Iowa City West product was the top player in the state’s 2026 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, and he already has the size Iowa likes at linebacker, listed at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds. Seth Wallace has turned linebacker into a strength for the Hawkeyes, and Manson has the look of another player who could fit that pipeline.
Luke Brewer rounds out the group. He reclassified from 2027 to 2026 and was a major recruiting win for Iowa, which held him off Miami (Fla.) and Tennessee.
The tight end room is crowded this season, so immediate production may not be in the cards. But Brewer is another player who could help extend Iowa’s tight end tradition in the years ahead.
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