The 2024 football season is upon us, and that means recruitment for the 2026 class will start to heat up this fall.
Here are nine prospects to keep an eye on for Iowa State fans as in-game visits start and a recruiting class begins to be built.
Ian Premer, tight end (Great Bend, Kansas)
6-foot-5, 210 pounds
Premer is rated as the No. 4 tight end in the 2026 class, and has caught the attention of a number of high-profile programs. Over the summer, Premer attended camp at Iowa State in part due to his relationship with tight ends coach and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser. Premer’s offer sheet includes Kansas State, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Colorado, Michigan, Michigan State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Missouri, Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, Nebraska, Oregon, Wisconsin and Stanford. He may be Iowa State’s highest priority target.
Evan Jacobson, tight end (Waukee, Iowa)
6-foot-7, 220 pounds
Another tight end to keep an eye out for – Jacobson has Iowa State ties already. His older brother, Michael Jacobson, was a standout basketball player in Ames and just wrapped up a preseason with the New Orleans Saints. Evan’s the top rated 2026 prospect out of Iowa, and has had his offer sheet explode with scholarships up from Kansas State, Kansas, Colorado, LSU, Ohio State, Penn State, Missouri, Texas A&M, Auburn, Arkansas, Florida State, Purdue, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Minnesota, Miami, and Wisconsin.
Kasen Thomas, Linebacker (Sioux City, Iowa)
6-foot-2, 195 pounds
An in-state linebacker out of Bishop Heelan – so far it’s Iowa State and Iowa as his two scholarship offers. Thomas is rated as the top linebacker in the state by 247 Sports. Thomas has also seen interest from defending national champion Michigan, although it’s early in his recruitment.
Dreshaun Ross, ATH (Fort Dodge, Iowa)
6-foot-4, 195 pounds
A highly* touted multi-sport athlete. Ross is billed as a top prospect in both the football and wrestling fields. He’s stated on the record that there’s been no decision thus far on if he’ll pick either sport or participate in both in college, but that hasn’t stopped anyone from going after the in-state athlete. Ross holds football offers from Kansas State, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Purdue and Wisconsin, alongside Iowa State.
Jayden McGregory, ATH (West Des Moines, Iowa)
6-foot-2, 195 pounds
A four-star prospect out of Valley High School, McGregory received his first offer from Iowa State after a prospect camp in 2023 – the Cyclones have been in on him from the beginning. Since then, Kansas State, Michigan, Louisville, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Wisconsin have all thrown their hats into the mix. McGregory is rated as the No. 2 prospect in the state, although Iowa has not yet offered. The ATH prospect helped Valley to a state championship on the basketball court in March.
Jaylen Mason, Quarterback (Wichita, Kansas)
6-foot-2, 195 pounds
One of Iowa State’s main targets at the quarterback spot as things stand. Mason picked up offers from Kansas and Liberty after Iowa State offered in June following a standout performance during a prospect camp. He’s described as a playmaker and will have a number of offers come in this fall.
Kaprice Keith, ATH (Bellevue, Nebraska)
6-foot-3, 180 pounds
An ATH recruit out of the Omaha area – Iowa State’s his only FBS scholarship offer to this point, but he’s seen interest from Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska amongst others. Keith is a multi-sport athlete for his high school and is also related to former Cyclone running back Breece Hall.
Hudson Parliament, OL (Brandon, South Dakota)
6-foot-4, 300 pounds
A four-star offensive lineman rated as the top prospect out of South Dakota. Parliament was offered by Iowa State following a prospect camp appearance this summer. He holds FBS offers from Kansas State, Texas Tech, Minnesota, Nebraska, Central Michigan and Miami (Ohio), along with Iowa State.
Mason Bandhauer, OL (Fort Collins, Colorado)
6-foot-5, 290 pounds
An offensive lineman out of Colorado – Bandhauer is a target out of the mountain state for coach Ryan Clanton and the Cyclones. He’s been on an unofficial visit to Ames and camped over the summer with Iowa State. He holds other offers from Kansas State, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State, Oregon State, Washington State, Boston College, Colorado State, and Wyoming.
