Ben McCollum and Iowa have spent more than a year chasing Cayden Daughtry, and the Florida point guard has gone from intriguing target to one of the fastest-rising names in the 2027 class.
That kind of surge changes everything. Daughtry was already on the Hawkeyes’ radar last summer, and Iowa stayed involved as his stock climbed through the summer circuit. Now, after a run that turned heads on multiple stages, he sits at No. 3 overall in 247Sports’ rankings and has become one of the most coveted guards in the class.
The climb started in earnest in mid-June, when Daughtry was leading the Nike EYBL in scoring at 23.7 points per game. He kept building from there with strong showings for Team USA and The Florida Rebels on the EYBL circuit, eventually jumping more than 10 spots into the top five before the summer’s final stretch. He also locked in an official visit to Iowa City for later September.
His biggest statement came with the Florida Rebels at Peach Jam, where he helped lead them to the title and put together a stat line that matched the buzz: 32.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 2.9 steals per game over eight tournament games. He shot 63 percent from the field, 49 percent from 3-point range, and 91 percent from the free-throw line.
That production has made the race for Daughtry much tougher. On3 Sports has Iowa at a 39 percent chance to land him, but the list of programs involved is long and serious: Arkansas, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, and Tennessee are all in the mix. Iowa has clearly made him a priority, but the Hawkeyes will need to keep pushing and make a strong impression when he visits from September 11-13.
What makes Daughtry so appealing is the way he scores. He showed at Peach Jam that he can fill it up while doing it efficiently, and he looks like the kind of three-level scorer who could open up McCollum’s offense. He is not the biggest guard in the class, but the talent is obvious, and the rise in his ranking only underscores how much momentum he has built.
For Iowa, the challenge is simple: stay aggressive and make the visit count. Daughtry has the kind of ability that could make him a difference-maker right away, and the Hawkeyes are trying to hold their ground as the competition gets louder and the price tag likely climbs with it.
McCollum and his staff laid the groundwork early. Now they have to finish the job.
In Other News...
Iowa Just Lost Another Key Piece Of Its 2027 Backcourt Board
Iowas 2027 backcourt board took another hit with the latest movement on TJ Jamison, a 6-foot-2 point guard from Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport, Louisiana. Jamison had been one of the Hawkeyes more important early guard targets in the class, and Iowa had done enough to get him onto campus for an official visit, keeping him squarely in the mix as the staff kept building out its point guard priorities.
The Hawkeyes still have work to do in that part of the board, though, and the next stretch of visits will matter. Iowa remains involved with Cayden Daughtry and Jaxson Davis, two other top point guard prospects who are both scheduled to be in Iowa City in September, giving the staff at least a couple more chances to make a move in a recruitment that is starting to thin out. [Read more 🡒]
Ben McCollum Just Made Another Aggressive Recruiting Move Iowa Fans Will Notice
Ben McCollums staff is already looking well ahead, and the latest move shows how early Iowa wants to get in on the 2028 class. The Hawkeyes recently extended a scholarship offer to combo guard Parker McDaniel, a four-star prospect who has been on the programs radar for a while and has stayed in regular contact with the staff since making an unofficial visit to campus last season.
For Iowa, the timing makes sense. With Bennett Stirtz gone, the backcourt has a clear need for another perimeter threat, and McDaniel fits the kind of guard the Hawkeyes are trying to stockpile: a player with range, some ball-handling ability and the competitiveness to hold up defensively. McCollum has not been shy about being aggressive on the recruiting trail, and this is another sign that Iowa plans to be early, and persistent, with the prospects it believes can matter down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Jaidyn Coon Might Be The Wing Iowa Fans Have Waited For
Iowas wing room already looks deeper and more athletic than it has in a while, and Jaidyn Coon is a big reason why the buzz keeps building. The 2026 commit has the kind of length and explosiveness that jumps off the page in summer workouts, where his ability to get above the rim and make plays on the defensive end has stood out alongside a group of returning and incoming wings who give the roster real flexibility.
The next step for Coon is less about what he can do in traffic and more about rounding out the rest of his game. His shooting was inconsistent in high school, but the Hawkeyes are betting that his slashing, defense and natural athleticism can already earn him a place in the rotation, with early minutes as a freshman not sounding far-fetched if the progress keeps coming. [Read more 🡒]