Dowling Catholic’s Jeffrey Roberts (3) runs the ball for a touchdown against Iowa City Liberty on Nov. 21, 2025, at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. (Cody Scalan/Des Moines Register.)
Matt Campbell’s 2026 recruiting class is complete with 22 players signing their letter of intent on Dec. 3.
Three-star running back Caleb Francios officially signs with Iowa State. The 6’0, 190-pound back is the top rated player in Matt Campbell’s 2026 class by 247sports, coming in as the No. 5 player in Minnesota and the No. 32 running nationally. Francois won Minnesota Football Player of the Year, averaging over 210 yards per game during his senior year. Francois held one other offer from North Dakota.
In-state wide receiver Jeffery Roberts officially signs with Iowa State. The three-star product from Ames played his senior year at Dowling Catholic, finishing with 962 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Maroons en route to a 5A State Championship. 247Sports has Roberts as the No. 8 player in Iowa and the No. 76 wide receiver nationally. Roberts also held an offer from Kansas State.
Three-star edge rusher Elijah Reeder became the latest commit in the 2026 recruiting class for Iowa State. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Bayville, New Jersey native visited Iowa State over the weekend and committed on the spot. Allen Trieu of 247Sports reported that Reeder says the staff, particularly Matt Campbell and Eli Rasheed and how long they’ve been at ISU were reasons he jumped on the offer. Reeder held other offers from Bryant, Monmouth, and New Haven.
Three-star safety Tyrell Chatman officially signs with Iowa State. The 6’2, 170-pounder from Lincoln, Neb. is one of five commits from the Cornhusker State. 247sports ranks him as the No. 3 player in Nebraska and No. 51 safety nationally. Chatman chose the Cyclones over offers from Kansas State, Northern Illinois, and Wyoming.
Three-star linebacker Keian Kaiser officially signs with the Cyclones. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Sidney, Nebraska native is rated as the No. 10 prospect in the state of Nebraska and the No. 97 rated linebacker in the country. Iowa State was the first school to offer Kaiser back in 2024. He held other offers from Wyoming and Lindenwood.
Ajibola Afuye is a three-star edge rusher who has officially signed to the 2026 recruiting class. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Stillwater, Minnesota native is rated as the No. 9 overall player in the state of Minnesota and the No. 107 edge rusher in the country. Afuye held other offers from Northern Iowa and Minnesota.
Three-star safety Tayten Duncan officially signs with Iowa State following his recent commitment on Nov. 24. The 5’11, 185-pound safety from Mustang, Oklahoma is the state’s No. 13 player and the No. 72 safety nationally according to 247Sports. Duncan decommited from Army in October and also held offers from West Virginia and Texas State, among others.
Offensive tackle Mason Bandhauer is officially heading to Ames. The 6’5, 260-pounder from Fort Collins, Colorado is No. 65 offensive nationally and the No. 11 player in Colorado by 247sports. Bandhauer chooses the Cyclones over offers from Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, among others.
Three-star defensive lineman Daniel Howard officially signs with Iowa State over offers from Illinois, Virginia, Cincinnati, among others. The 6’2, 270-pound prospect is the No. 88 defensive linemen nationally and No. 21 player overall according to 247Sports. The Chicago native committed to Eli Rasheed and Matt Campbell back in April.
Another top prospect from Nebraska is officially heading to Ames as three-star wide receiver Amarion Jackson signs with Iowa State. The 6’1 Millard South product chooses the Cyclones over offers from Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kansas State and more. The Omaha native is ranked as the No. 6 player in Nebraska by 247Sports and the No. 117 receiver nationally.
Iowa State dominated the state of Nebraska during the 2026 recruiting season and that rolls on with three-star linebacker Barry Fries. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Omaha, Nebraska native ranks as the No. 9 rated player in the state of Nebraska and the No. 76 rated linebacker in the 2026 class. Fries held offers from Air Force, Lindenwood, Sacramento State, and South Dakota State.
Three-star athlete Josiah Zayas is officially heading to Ames. The 6’2, 190-pounder from Edison, New Jersey chooses Iowa State over offers from Boston College, Syracuse, Wake Forest and Wisconsin. 247Sports rates him as the No. 23 player in New Jersey.
Three-star tight end Arley Morrell officially signs after flipping from Colorado State in late November. The 6’6 product from Pratt, Kansas is rated as the No. 61 tight end nationally and the No. 10 player in the state of Kansas by 247Sports.com.
Another Omaha, Nebraska native Bryson Williams officially signs with the Cyclones. The 6-foot-4, 175-pound safety out of Omaha Westside High School is the No. 6 rated prospect in Nebraska and the No. 80 rated safety in the 2026 class. Williams instantly becomes one of the fastest guys on Iowa State’s roster running several sub-11.00 second 100-meter times as a junior, including a 10.88 season-best time. He also ran a 22.53 200-meter dash. Williams held other offers from Vanderbilt, Washington State, Colorado State, and Fresno State.
Three-star quarterback Kase Evans officially signs with the Cyclones. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Lexington, Texas native was originally committed to Mike Gundy and the Oklahoma State Cowboys before flipping to Iowa State after Gundy’s departure. In high school, Evans passed for over 11,500 yards and 120 TDs in his career. He held offers from numerous schools including Oklahoma State, Abilene Christian, Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, Old Dominion, Texas State, Tulane, UTEP, and UTSA.
Three-star tight end Drake DeBaun officially signs with Iowa State over offers from Wake Forest, Army, Illinois State, Lindenwood, Northern Iowa, South Dakota, and South Dakota State. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound Overland Park, Kansas native is a physically imposing pass-catcher that will join the likes of Ben Brahmer, Gabe Burkle, and Cooper Alexander next season. DeBaun is ranked as the No. 12 player in Kansas and the No. 79 overall tight end in the 2026 class.
JUCO edge rusher Jeremy Lewis is officially Cyclone. The 6’3, 225-pound product comes over from Iowa Western Community College where he recorded 10.5 TFL and 5.5 sacks in 2025. Lewis, originally from Wildwood, Missouri is ranked as the No. 57 JUCO player in the country by 247sports. He held offers from Sacramento State, Central Michigan, Coastal Carolina, Colorado State, Eastern Michigan, Florida Atlantic, Fresno State, Kennesaw State, Lindenwood, Missouri State, North Texas, Ohio, Old Dominion, Sam Houston, South Alabama, Southeast Missouri State, Texas State, Western Michigan.
Three-star offensive tackle Owen Winder is the next signee of the 2026 class. The 6’6, 270-pounder from Dexter, Michigan over offers from Duke, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and West Virginia, among others. He is rated as the No. 129 OT nationally and the No. 28 player in Michigan by 247Sports.
Another three-star offensive tackle is headed to Ames, Pete Eglitis. The 6’7, 270-pounder is rated as the No. 148 player at his position nationally and the No. 107 player coming out of Ohio by 247Sports. Eglitis chooses Iowa State over offers from Louisville, Georgia Tech, Missouri, Kentucky and Pittsburgh, among others.
Three-star wide receiver Kash Brock is officially a Cyclone. The 6’2, 175-pounder from Chandler, Arizona flipped from Colorado State on Nov. 24. The younger brother of Conrad Hawley is rated as the No. 30 player in Arizona by 247Sports.
Interior offensive lineman Ethan Beckman has signed with Iowa State. The 6’4, 345-pounder from Prior Lake, Minnesota chose Iowa State over an offer from Kansas State. Beckman is the No. 12 player in Minnesota according to 247Sports.
Three-star punter Lucas Tenbrock is officially a Cyclone. The St. Charles, Illinois native committed to Iowa State two days after he was offered back in June. 247Sports ranks Tenbrock as the No. 5 punter in the class of 2026. He will most likely step into Tyler Perkins’ role on day one. Tenbrock is also going to play in the Navy All American game on NBC on January 10. He visited numerous Power 5 schools which includes the likes of Arkansas, Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Purdue.
