Josiah Harrington Keeps Proving Iowa States 2027 Class Is No Fluke

As Iowa State rebuilds its roster, Josiah Harrington's impressive performances at the Peach Jam highlight his potential to shine among the Cyclone's top-ranked recruiting class.

Iowa State’s future front line of freshmen is already drawing attention, and Josiah Harrington just added another strong chapter to his summer.

The Cyclones are looking for a new star after all the roster turnover this offseason, and the 2027 class could help provide it. Jack Kohnen, Donovan Davis and Harrington are all rated as high four-star recruits by 247 Sports, giving Iowa State what is currently the top class in the country.

Harrington stands out as the lone Iowa native in the group, and his play with Brad Beal Elite during the Nike EYBL season has helped put the state on the map. The Chesterfield, Missouri-based program, a suburb of St. Louis, finished the regular season 8-7 and landed in the middle of the pack, with Harrington serving as one of its key pieces.

He averaged 10.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game during the EYBL regular season, emerging as one of the team’s top scorers.

That strong run earned Brad Beal Elite a spot in Peach Jam, which wrapped up in mid-July, and Harrington kept producing there too. Across five games, he posted 8.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest as the team came up short of the quarterfinals.

His best showing came against PG Elite in the finale, when he finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and three steals.

What showed up all summer was a player who can score in bunches and impact the glass even at 6-foot-6. Harrington’s size and scoring punch give Iowa State another intriguing option for the future, and he fits neatly alongside the other Cyclone commits coming in next year.

There’s also a familiar feel to his game. Harrington has a lot of Ryan Prather Jr. in him, a current Iowa State player who just transferred in.

For now, Harrington still has one more season ahead of him before he arrives in Ames. He’ll spend his senior year trying to help his team chase a state championship in Iowa, then join what is currently the best recruiting class in the country.

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