Iowa’s strong recruiting weekend at Kinnick Stadium kept rolling after the Cy-Hawk win, and one of the more intriguing names to come out of it was a freshman-to-varsity offensive tackle from Des Moines.
Finn Day, a 2028 in-state lineman from Dowling Catholic, picked up an offer from Iowa after visiting for the rivalry matchup against Iowa State. The Hawkeyes were one of several programs to make a move last weekend, which also included an offer to quarterback prospect Chase Grove and multiple other visitors from the 2028 class.
Day’s rise has been fast. He only started playing football last season, is already on the varsity roster this year, and has taken just three varsity starts to collect offers from Iowa, Iowa State, and Nebraska. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound tackle is teammates with another 2028 offensive lineman, 4-star Carter Barrett.
Day came away from his trip impressed with the scene at Kinnick.
"The experience at Iowa was amazing. The atmosphere was crazy, really loud and electric."
Finn Day via Rivals
Iowa State has held an early edge in his recruitment, with Iowa close behind, but the Hawkeyes clearly made an impression by getting in early on a player whose football background is still incredibly short. There isn’t a large body of tape on Day yet, and he remains unranked for now, but that should change once he gets through a full season as a starter.
For Iowa, the appeal is obvious. George Barnett and the Hawkeyes have built a reputation for identifying and developing offensive linemen, and they’re trying to keep that pipeline moving by betting on potential. Day is exactly that kind of swing: an unpolished prospect with a rapidly growing list of Power Four offers and enough upside to make him one to watch as his recruitment unfolds.
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