Ben McCollum’s early recruiting surge at Iowa has hit a bump, with four-star 2027 guard Jaxson Davis backing out of his official visit to Iowa City.
Davis, a top-50 prospect in the class, was supposed to be on campus this weekend after initially setting up the visit in June. Instead, he’s no longer making the trip, a turn that trims one of Iowa’s bigger targets from the board as official visits start to pile up this fall.
The Hawkeyes had made Davis a clear priority. He was among the guards Iowa pursued aggressively, and his recruitment had placed the program in his top six.
Rivals had even pegged Iowa as the early favorite at one point, which makes the latest development sting a little more. Now, with the visit canceled, Ohio State appears to have taken control after hosting Davis on September 11.
Davis brings a big-time résumé to the table. At Warren Township High School in Illinois last season, he averaged 23.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3.2 steals per game.
After a rapid climb in the rankings, he moved south to Kansas City for his senior year at the newly created Monarch Academy. He’s the kind of combo guard Iowa has been chasing hard in this cycle.
That search is clearly centered on the 2027 class. Iowa already has stretch-forward prospect Keller Daugherty committed, and the staff has been swinging for more high-end perimeter help, including top-10 guard Cayden Daughtry. Another name to keep in the mix is Jalen Davis, since adding one of those targets would help soften the blow of losing ground with Jaxson Davis.
For McCollum, the broader picture still matters. After that stunning Elite Eight run, Iowa has built real momentum on the trail, but this one is a reminder that recruiting can turn fast. The Hawkeyes now need to pivot and keep pressing for guard help as the cycle develops.
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