Iowa football signs 21 scholarship players on National Signing Day

While plenty has changed in the world of college football, such as immediate eligibility in the transfer portal and conference realignment, one element remains constant. That is, no matter how many players choose to leave a school or opt to use an extra year of eligibility, there will always be a steady flow of talent from high school recruits.

Dec. 20 marks National Signing Day for Division I college football and for the Iowa Hawkeyes, a date where players from across the nation and globe officially sign on to don the Black and Gold for the 2024-25 season. Filling 30 roster spots, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and director of recruiting Tyler Barnes inked 21 scholarship athletes and ten preferred walk-ons.

“Every prospect we’re looking for has a degree of athleticism at their position,” Ferentz said at media availability on Wednesday. “We may not be as picky on heights or body weights as some other places … Obviously, the competitive nature of the player is very important to us. How aggressive do they play? How much do they look like they enjoy it?”

“I’ve never been around a good player that didn’t have a high level of pride, and with that, a very strong work ethic,” he continued.

Barnes added that of the 22 players Iowa hosted for an official visit in June, 21 later committed, meaning that Iowa had essentially wrapped up its recruiting since July. He said that none of the recruits “wavered” since their respective commitments.

“This is realistically, probably the most uneventful signing day I’ve had in my 15 years of college football,” he said. “I slept extremely well last night, I have the last few weeks. There’s nobody I’ve been worried or concerned about … At the end of the day we’re going to try to build the roster through the high school ranks.”

Here are the new young faces who will be in Iowa City next year.

Rhys Dakin

Punter

Melbourne, Australia

6-foot-3, 210 pounds

Stepping into the role of Iowa’s punter will be no easy task, especially considering the historic career left behind by Tory Taylor. Nevertheless, the Hawkeyes went back to the well to find their next prodigal punter from Down Under. Dakin is a graduate of Mazenod College and also attended ProKick Australia, the same punting program Taylor went to.

According to On3, Dakin is listed as the sixth-best punter in his class and a three-star recruit. Iowa will presumably have two punters on next year’s roster in Dakin and junior Ty Nissen. While there are no immediate stats available for Dakin, the youngster has turned plenty of heads with highlights on social media.

Here’s a video of new Iowa commit Rhys Dakin.

A punt that travels more than 50 yards with a hang time of 5.24 seconds 😳😳

Dakin comes from the same program as Tory Taylor, Prokick Australia.

Big boots to fill in Iowa City. pic.twitter.com/fOtXHvf0rd

— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) December 17, 2023

James Resar

Quarterback

Jacksonville, Florida

6-foot-4, 205 pounds

In the wake of backup signal caller Joe Labas’ transfer on Dec. 5, Iowa added another QB to fill in alongside senior Cade McNamara, sophomore Deacon Hill, and first-year Marco Lainez. Over his career at Bishop Kenny High School, Resar tossed for 4,756 yards and 47 touchdowns to the tune of a 62.9 completion percentage. Also a sprinter in track and field, where he was a two-time regional qualifier in the 100-meter dash, Resar also ran for 1,502 yards and 21 scores, averaging 8.1 yards per attempt.

Running the 100 meters in 10.67 seconds as a prep, Resar is expected to clock in at less than 10.5 seconds this spring, according to Barnes, who called the quarterback a “midwesterner at heart” with some of Resar’s family living in Wisconsin.

“James is still raw as a passer, but you can’t deny the athletic ability that he has,” Barnes said. “And that’s something that intrigued us; something a little bit different than we have in the [quarterback] room currently, than what we had in the past few years.”

Holding a four-star player rating by 247 Sports, Resar was initially recruited by Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, but the quarterback still stuck with the Hawkeyes even after the announcement of Ferentz’s impending departure this offseason.

Barnes said he reached out to Resar as well as other offensive recruits prior to the news being public, wanting to be honest about the situation but also to ask the commits to “stick with” the program.

“A lot of these [recruits], they understood that they’re committed to the University of Iowa, they’re committed to coach [Kirk] Ferentz as well,” Barnes said. “Don’t sugarcoat anything, and certainly don’t lie to them about anything.”

Jaylen Watson

Cornerback

Toledo, Ohio

6-foot, 170 pounds

Iowa’s secondary could take a hit over the offseason if star corner Cooper DeJean opts to head to the NFL Draft, or if fellow defensive backs Sebastian Castro and Quinn Schulte chose to not to spend their extra years of eligibility. With that being said, the Hawkeyes added Watson as yet another underclassman in position coach Phil Parker’s group.

Starring at Central Catholic High School, Watson earned first-team all-state honors his senior season, leading his squad to the state title with a 16-0 mark. Over that span, the 18-year-old was a threat on both sides of the ball, reeling in 62 grabs for 1,102 receiving yards while also recording four pass break-ups and only one completion while in coverage on defense.

Watson had offers to play receiver at other schools, and Barnes said Watson was practically “unguardable” last season at wideout. Nevertheless, when the Hawkeyes added a similarly-sized receiver prior to Watson, Barnes said a change was made.

“We told him, ‘We see you as a DB. We think you have a corner skillset,” Barnes remembered of Watson. “For a kid who didn’t play a whole lot of defensive back, for what he was able to do in that skill set. Extremely smooth, fluid, awesome attitude, and great demeanor.”

A three-star recruit according to Rivals, Watson was also offered by West Virginia, Maryland, Cincinnati, and Louisville, among others.

Rashad Godfrey Jr.

Cornerback

Plant City, Florida

6-foot-1, 180 pounds

Joining Watson as the newest member of the Hawkeye secondary is Godfrey, who is also listed as a three-star recruit according to Rivals. During his senior season at Armwood High School, Godfrey collected 33 total tackles over the team’s first nine games and earned all-conference honors. A team captain that season, Godfrey also amassed 12 pass break-ups, an interception, and a touchdown.

Recruited by Hawkeye running backs coach Ladell Betts and Parker, Godfrey also received offers from Oregon State, Kansas State, and Duke, as well as 17 others.

Reece Vander Zee

Wide receiver

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

6-foot-4, 190 pounds

Vander Zee chose the Hawkeyes over rival schools Nebraska and Iowa State, and heads to Iowa City with well-rounded athletic experience. A letterman in football, basketball, baseball, and track while at Central Lyon High School, Vander Zee set a program record in single-season receiving yards in 2022.

In his senior season, Vander Zee only caught two passes, as he took over quarterbacking duties for the Lions, completing 74.7 percent of his passes for 989 yards and 12 touchdowns while also running for 133 yards and 10 scores on the ground.

Cam Buffington

Linebacker

Winfield, Iowa

6-foot-3, 225 pounds

Iowa could potentially lose three linebackers this offseason in Jay Higgins, Nick Jackson, and Kyler Fisher. Joining position coach Seth Wallace’s unit next season will be Buffington, who was a first-team all-state member his senior season at Mount Union High School. Featured at linebacker and running back, Buffington holds the school record in career rushing yards, touchdowns, points scored, total tackles, and solo tackles.

Bodey McCaslin

Offensive lineman

St. Charles, Illinois

6-foot-6, 275 pounds

McCaslin played on both the offensive and defensive line at St. Charles East High School, earning the Offensive Lineman of the Year award for he the DuKane County conference last season. A Rivals’ three-star recruit, McCaslin received offers from Kansas, Kansas State, Penn State, and Purdue, among others.

Cody Fox

Offensive lineman

Winthrop, Iowa

6-foot-4, 280 pounds

A three-time all-state player out of East Buchanan High School, Fox racked up 63 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and nine sacks his senior season on the defensive line. The lineman even served as the punter during his prep days. The younger brother of former Hawkeye Taylor Fox, Cody was the first member of Iowa’s 2024 class to commit to the Hawkeyes, doing so in June of 2021 as a sophomore.

Kirk Ferentz said it’s always a bit “scary” to offer players at such a young age, but maintained that the familiarity with the Fox family was helpful in easing any anxiety.

“Cody had been to camp a couple of times, really impressed the heck out of us,” the head coach said. “Really competitive, tough guy … we were confident that we had a pretty good idea of what we were getting.”

Preston Ries

Linebacker

Monticello, Iowa

6-foot-2, 215 pounds

Ries is one of three linebackers in Iowa’s recruiting class, with the trio all being from the Hawkeye state, or as Kirk Ferentz put it, within a “60-mile radius” from campus.

“I can’t tell you how many times they’ve been on campus for practices, spring practice,” he said of Ries and his fellow linebackers. “This past weekend, they were all here. And I felt like a year ago, they could have just slid right into our room and fit in beautifully with the guys we have. I just like their attitudes, they all have different skill sets.”

Similar to Hawkeye defensive lineman Joe Evans, Ries was also a quarterback in high school, but was still a force on the defensive end, totaling 97 tackles, 27.5 of which were for a loss, his senior season.

Xavier Williams

Running back

Schererville, Indiana

6-foot, 230 pounds

Even though all of the Hawkeye running backs who saw snaps this season will return next year, Williams still adds value to the position group, especially with his size.

“He looks like an NFL running back in his lower body, he’s a very thick kid,” Barnes said of Williams. “He says who we are in the way we run the football … when you’re running in the third and fourth quarter with a guy who’s 235 pounds, that weighs on linebackers and safeties.”

Following a junior season collecting over 1,400 rushing yards, Williams’ next campaign was limited to five games due to a sprained MCL and ACL. Sidelined for several weeks in 2023, Williams still returned for the Sectional Championship game in November. During those five contests, the running back gained 678 yards and found the end zone eight times.

Derek Weisskopf

Linebacker

Victor, Iowa

6-foot-3, 210 pounds

Similar to Ries, Wiesskopf also started under center in high school, but in addition to quarterbacking, played the role of a wideout, catching 14 passes for 212 yards and four touchdowns his senior season at Williamsburg High School. To go along with his 50 solo tackles that year, the exercise science major snagged four interceptions for 89 yards and a touchdown.

Joseph Anderson

Defensive end

St. Louis, Missouri

6-foot-5, 225 pounds

The son of former NFL offensive lineman Bennie Anderson and the brother of two Division I college football players, Anderson is who Barnes referred to as a “freak athlete,” especially considering his numbers in the long jump and triple jump as a track athlete.

“We have no doubt that once Joseph gets in here and gets in the weight room, he’s going to put on weight,” Barnes detailed. “But I’m pretty sure he’s going to keep that athletic ability he has. Some of the stuff he can do at that size is intriguing and really fun to see.”

Drew Campbell

Defensive end

Cedar Falls, Iowa

6-foot-4, 235 pounds

The younger brother of former Hawkeye standout and current Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell, Drew serves as more the personality to his elder sibling’s stoicism.

“There are a lot of mannerisms that are the same about Drew and Jack, but at the same time, they’re completely different people,” Barnes said. “Personality-wise, they couldn’t be more polar opposites.”

During his final season at Cedar Falls High School, Drew Campbell accounted for 64 tackles and six sacks while also taking snaps at tight end.

Devan Kennedy

Defensive line

Glendale, Arizona

6-foot-3, 240 pounds

Yet another son of a former pro, Kennedy follows in the footsteps of his father Jimmy, who was the 2002 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year while at Penn State and later was a first-round draft pick. Kennedy played football for just his upperclassman years while at Brophy College Preparatory. Also a prep basketball player, Kennedy’s lack of experience on the gridiron didn’t bring about any hesitance in the recruiting process, per Barnes.

“We worry sometimes when you’re just a basketball player playing football: Are you going to look like a football player are you going to play like a basketball player?” Barnes said. “I’m not saying basketball players are soft by any means, but they’re very different sports, and Devan didn’t look anything like that.”

Barnes added that Devan’s maturity is another trait that sticks out about the teenager, having learned so much from his father.

“I feel like I’m talking to a 40-year-old when I’m talking to Devan,” he continued. “He does not seem like an 18-year-old at all. He’s going to fit very well in the defensive line room.”

Chima Chineke

Defensive end

Plano, Texas

6-foot-5, 230 pounds

Initially recruited by Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods, Chineke immediately stood out to Barnes due to his size.

“When [Chineke] shook my hand, I was pretty sure he was touching my elbow,” Barnes recalled with a smile. “He’s just a massive human being who is only going to grow and get bigger.”

During his senior season at Plano East High School, Chineke accumulated 60 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and three pass break-ups.

Will Nolan

Offensive lineman

Arlington Heights, Illinois

6-foot-6, 290 pounds

A Rivals’ four-star recruit, Nolan applied 74 pancake blocks while not giving up a sack during his senior season at Hersey High School. He received offers from three other Big Ten schools, including Illinois, Indiana, and Minnesota.

Michael Burt

Tight end

Omaha, Nebraska

6-foot-6, 225 pounds

The latest addition to what many refer to as TE University is Burt, who also shined at long snapper and defensive end during his days at Creighton Prep. Burt caught 15 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns last season, including the game-winner against Omaha Central. He took an official visit to Nebraska on June 16 but committed to the Hawkeyes just six days later.

Josh Janowski

Offenisve lineman

Frankfort, Illinois

6-foot-3, 270 pounds

Janowski exits Lincoln Way East High School as the program’s all-time leader in career pancake blocks with 132 and second in career starts with 40. A three-star recruit according to Rivals, Janowski earned all-state honors as a senior and verbally committed to Iowa in January.

Brevin Doll

Running back

Adel, Iowa

6-foot, 190 pounds

A soon-to-be graduate of Adel-DeSoto-Minburn High School, Doll played at both running back and linebacker, earning first-team all-state recognition his senior season. He holds the school single-game mark in rushing touchdowns (5), and total touchdowns (6), as well as single-season bests for rushing touchdowns (27) and points (210).

Gavin Hoffman

Tight end

Leawood, Kansas

6-foot-5, 215 pounds

Hoffman chose the Hawkeyes over several SEC offers, including from Missouri, Auburn, Arkansas, and Tennessee. The tight end snared 22 catches for 542 yards and six scores his senior season at Blue Valley Northwest High School, earning first-team all-state honors.

K.J. Parker

Wide receiver

Bellwood, Illinois

Six-foot, 170 pounds

The last scholarship athlete of Iowa’s 2024 class to sign his official letter of intent, Parker heads into a Hawkeye wide receiver room that will be without veterans Nico Ragaini (graduation) and Diante Vines (transfer). After helping Immaculate Conception in 2022 to the state title with 424 receiving yards and four scores, Parker followed up that season with 318 more yards and two more touchdowns to earn all-state honors his senior season.