Iowa Football’s 2026 Signing Day Class: A Closer Look at Every New Hawkeye
National Signing Day always feels a little bit like Christmas morning in the college football world. Years of late-night film sessions, cross-country recruiting trips and endless phone calls all come to a head as programs officially welcome the next wave of talent. For Iowa, this year’s early signing period signals the arrival of an 18-player 2026 class that blends star power with developmental upside-down exactly the kind of mix the Hawkeyes have built their reputation on.
The biggest splash comes under center with the addition of Tradon Bessinger, a former Boise State commit who flipped to Iowa in early November after visiting Iowa City. At 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, the Davis High School standout from Utah put up monster numbers as the 2025 MaxPreps Utah High School Football Player of the Year. Bessinger threw for 4,313 yards and 53 touchdowns while completing 76 percent of his passes and he did all of it with just four interceptions. Ranked as the nation’s No. 11 quarterback, he very well might be the program’s quarterback of the future.
Iowa didn’t stop there in the skill-position department. The Hawkeyes secured three receivers, starting with Brody Schaffer, a dynamic athlete out of Wisconsin who doubled as a state-title-winning high school quarterback. The three-star talent passed for nearly 1,900 yards and added another 1,198 on the ground, scoring 43 total touchdowns last season. Joining him is Florida’s Diondre Smith, a smooth 5-foot-11 pass catcher who picked Iowa over Miami, and former UCLA commit Xavier Stinson, a long and explosive 6-foot-2 playmaker who ended up back on the market after a coaching change in Los Angeles.
One of Iowa’s most intriguing additions sits at tight end not a surprise for a program known for producing NFL-level talent at the position. In-state standout Luke Brewer, a four-star signee and the No. 24 tight end nationally, arrives after a strong 2025 season with 39 catches, 532 yards and six touchdowns at Norwalk High School.
Up front, Iowa continued its tradition of building from the trenches. The class includes a wave of offensive linemen with impressive measurables and rankings. Carson Nielsen, a towering 6-foot-7, 275-pound tackle and Iowa’s first commit in this cycle, headlines the group as a four-star and the No. 26 tackle in the country. He’s joined by Illinois product Gene Riordan, another four-star who chose Iowa over several Big Ten rivals, and hometown prospect Colin Whitters, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound interior lineman from Iowa City West.
The Hawkeyes also added Hudson Parliament, South Dakota’s top-ranked player, who many projected as a defensive lineman but will instead slot into Iowa’s offensive line plans. Minnesota’s Owen Linder, a three-star and the No. 54 tackle nationally, rounds out the offensive front.
Defensively, Iowa reloaded with size, speed and versatility. One of the more notable late wins came with the commitment flip from Jack Janda, originally bound for Wisconsin as a tight end. Instead, Iowa will deploy the 6-foot-6, 250-pound Michigan native on the defensive line, where he dominated as a senior with 46 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. Minnesota’s Sawyer Jezierski, ranked as the No. 6 player in the state, joins him as another foundational piece up front.
Linebacker depth gets a major boost with three strong additions. Kasen Thomas, a four-star from Sioux City, enters as the No. 18 linebacker in the country. He’ll line up alongside legacy recruit Julian Manson, one of the highest-ranked players in the entire class at No. 9 nationally among linebackers. Billy Weivoda, a Georgia product with offers from Michigan and Ole Miss, completes the trio as a high-upside three-star signee.
The secondary is just as impressive. Nebraska native Darion Jones, a four-star corner and the No. 2 player in his state, brings length and elite coverage ability. Michigan’s Ronnie Hill adds depth at safety, while fellow Michigan prospect Marcello Vitti, a four-star and the No. 21 athlete nationally, offers positional flexibility and playmaking instincts.
All in all, Iowa’s 2026 class checks every box experience, upside, regional strength and national reach. It’s a group built not just to compete, but to elevate the standard that Iowa football has worked so hard to maintain.
