RECRUITING: Iowa State lands four-star guard Jelani Hamilton

Iowa State has landed the first major piece of its 2023 recruiting class.

Four-star guard Jelani Hamilton announced his pledge to the program on Friday, becoming the program’s first commitment of this recruiting cycle. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Austell, Ga. officially visited Ames last month.

Rated as the No. 111 player in the class by 247Composite, Hamilton also held offers from Auburn, Alabama, Georgia Tech, Illinois, LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and Xavier. He’s considered the No. 18 shooting guard in the class and No. 7 player in Georgia.

Hamilton, who plays his AAU ball with the Georgia Stars and preps at Cumberland Christian Academy, is an Iowa State legacy with both parents having attended the school along with his brother, who was a manager for the men’s basketball program.

This is the first major domino to fall for Iowa State in this cycle with priority targets Omaha Billiew and Milan Momcilovic still working through their recruiting processes.

Stay tuned to Cyclone Fanatic for more on this developing story.

Jared Stansbury

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Jared a native of Clarinda, Iowa, started as the Cyclone Fanatic intern in August 2013, primarily working as a videographer until starting on the women’s basketball beat prior to the 2014-15 season. Upon earning his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Iowa State in May 2016, Jared was hired as the site’s full-time staff writer, taking over as the primary day-to-day reporter on football and men’s basketball. He was elevated to the position of managing editor in January 2020. He is a regular contributor on 1460 KXNO in Des Moines and makes regular guest appearances on radio stations across the Midwest. Jared resides in Ankeny with his four-year-old puggle, Lolo.

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