The Iowa Hawkeyes have some real holes to fill after last season’s Elite 8 run, and two freshmen may have the cleanest path to early minutes.
With Bennett Stirtz now in the NBA, Iowa is staring at the challenge of replacing his production and presence on the floor. That responsibility will fall heavily on Kael Combs and transfer addition Ty'Reek Coleman.
But they are not the only departures the Hawkeyes have to account for. March Madness hero Alvaro Folgueiras and Tavion Banks are also gone, leaving more openings for someone to grab.
That is where Jaidyn Coon enters the picture.
The 2026 Iowa Mr. Basketball landed in Iowa City after backing off his commitment to Creighton, then choosing Iowa just days later in April.
The four-star guard from Storm Lake, Iowa, brings the kind of size that could help Ben McCollum right away. At 6-foot-6, Coon gives Iowa a bigger option than it had at times last season, when the team was forced to play small.
His clearest early opening may come in a role similar to the one Folgueiras filled. Folgueiras moved between the wing and the forward spots depending on the matchup, and Coon has that same kind of flexibility.
Iowa lists him as a guard/forward, and he can stretch the floor as a nearly 34% three-point shooter or hold his own against a smaller lineup. That versatility gives him a real shot to crack the rotation early.
Ethan Harris gives Iowa another freshman with a chance to matter quickly.
The Hawkeyes landed a four-star prospect from Washington who checks in at 6-foot-9, adding a much-needed dose of size. Harris played high school ball as a power forward, though Iowa lists him as a guard, which says plenty about the kind of multi-position players McCollum wants in the program. The fit is obvious.
Harris could be the closest thing to Tavion Banks from a role standpoint. The size lines up, and McCollum leaned on Banks’ athleticism last season.
Harris brings that same kind of pop, and his ability to handle the ball better than expected for his frame only adds to the appeal. That skill set could help Iowa create mismatches against smaller teams and give Harris a real path into the rotation early.
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Nebraska Just Hit A Recruiting Mark Husker Fans Rarely See
Nebraskas 2027 recruiting class has given Husker fans something they have not seen much of in recent years: a group with real national weight. Rivals currently has the class at No. 18 with 22 verbal commitments, and the headliners already give it a different look, with a five-star quarterback, a top safety and a highly regarded interior lineman among the pledges.
For a program still trying to turn recruiting momentum into sustained on-field progress under Matt Rhule, the bigger question is what comes next. Nebraska has been here before with classes that looked promising on paper, and the difference between a strong cycle and a meaningful one will come down to keeping this group together and developing it once it arrives in Lincoln. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Still Has Life With A Five Star As QB Doubts Grow
Nebraskas push on the recruiting trail still has some real momentum, even as the offseason conversation around the offense turns more skeptical. Five-star tight end Ahmad Hudson remains in the mix for the Huskers after spending time around the program, and his comments about the coaching staff and the way Nebraska has handled his recruitment suggest this is not a done deal for LSU by any stretch.
The appeal appears to go beyond a quick pitch, with Hudson pointing to the relationships Nebraska has built with him and his family and the consistency of that approach. At the same time, the quarterback side of the picture is drawing less confidence, since expected starter Anthony Colandrea was left out of Ari Wassermans top 10 Big Ten quarterback rankings, a reminder that Nebraska still has questions to answer even as it tries to land a premier target. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Rhules Biggest Nebraska Gamble Might Decide Everything
Matt Rhule sounds more confident about Nebraskas offensive line than he has in a while, and it is easy to see why. The Huskers have leaned into experience up front, bringing in a group of transfers to stabilize a unit that has been a season-long concern, while also turning the coaching job over to Geep Wade, a fresh voice tasked with sorting out the details and getting the group ready for a demanding fall.
The projected five gives Nebraska a mix of size, pedigree and urgency, with several Power Four newcomers expected to anchor the line and a handful of others pushing for snaps behind them. But the real test is not just whether the starters look the part in August, it is whether the Huskers can keep enough bodies ready when the schedule starts taking a toll, because Rhule has already lived through what happens when that room gets thin. [Read more 🡒]