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Who might be next in the Iowa Hawkeyes’ 2025 class?

josh helmer
·9 min read
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The Iowa Hawkeyes have their first commit in the 2025 recruiting class. In-state lineman Joey VanWetzinga announced over the weekend his commitment to the Hawks.

The 6-foot-2, 255 pound lineman from Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf chose the Hawkeyes less than two weeks after receiving his offer. He was also receiving interest from Illinois, Iowa State, Missouri and Wisconsin.

It’s still up in the air whether he will be an interior offensive lineman or play on the defensive line for the Hawkeyes.

“Coach Ferentz said that he doesn’t know which side of the ball he’s going to see me, but they wanted to offer me a scholarship. Based on my weight goals and where I’m at by the end of my senior year, that’s probably where I’ll land,” VanWetzinga told Hawkeye Insider after committing.

VanWetzinga’s brother, Rusty, was a preferred walk-on in the 2023 cycle for Iowa. Rusty turned down a scholarship opportunity with Southern Illinois for the chance to join the Hawkeyes.

Now that Joey VanWetzinga has broken the ice on Iowa’s 2025 class, who are some names to keep an eye on that might be next?

Take a look below at some of Iowa’s early top 2025 targets.

An offer for Hawkeyes fans

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OT Nick Brooks

One of the top names on the 2025 board, Nick Brooks is a highly-regarded offensive tackle. He also just moved back to the Hawkeye State to attend Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids.

A consensus four-star offensive tackle across the four major recruiting services, it’s ESPN that rates Brooks the highest. ESPN ranks Brooks as the No. 78 overall player in the 2025 class, the No. 11 offensive tackle and the top player in Iowa.

There’s a number of recruiting predictions in favoring the Hawkeyes in this recruitment. Both Sean Bock and David Eickholt have 247Sports crystal ball predictions in, Ben Bachmann and Eliot Clough each have Rivals FutureCasts in and Tom Kakert has an On3 prediction in for Brooks to Iowa.

TE Thomas Meyer

The in-state product could wind up being one of the great tight ends of the future with the Hawkeyes. Offered on April 10, it didn’t take long for 247Sports crystal ball predictions to roll in forecasting Thomas Meyer to the Iowa Hawkeyes.

The 6-foot-5, 210 pound recruit is from Clear Lake High School. 247Sports ranks Meyer as the No. 1 player in Iowa and as the No. 8 athlete in the 2025 class. He’s also a four-star recruit and No. 146 overall per 247Sports.

TE Brock Schott

Fellow tight end Brock Schott visited Iowa City in June as well. That visit came after the Hawkeyes offered in early May. Rated as a four-star tight end by 247Sports, the service regards him as the top player from Indiana and the No. 173 player overall in the 2025 class.

The 6-foot-3, 215 pound Leo High School product also has offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Louisville, Miami, Michigan State, Minnesota, Purdue, Rutgers and Vanderbilt.

ATH Mason Woods

After camping at Iowa, Mason Woods picked up his offer from the Hawkeyes in early June. The 6-foot-2, 200 pound recruit from Iowa City West is the son of Iowa special teams coach LeVar Woods.

That gives the Hawkeyes a distinct leg up in this recruitment, but Woods was quick to tell Rob Howe of Hawkeye Nation that it isn’t an automatic slam dunk for Iowa.

“Most people assume I’m just going to be a Hawkeye automatically after getting an offer, but that is not the case. I’m really just getting started and plan to go through the process like any normal athlete would. I plan to go to camps that I want to and take visits that I want to. I just want to make the best decision for me,” Woods told Hawkeye Nation.

It does feel like Iowa City will be the eventual landing spot, though. Woods also has offers from Missouri, Tulsa, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Per Howe, Iowa offered Woods as a tight end. He caught 19 passes for 392 yards and two touchdowns, and averaged 25.7 yards on three kick returns. Woods also played safety and intercepted three passes, including a pick-six.

Woods is ranked as a three-star recruit by both 247Sports and Rivals. According to 247Sports, Woods is the No. 46 athlete in the 2025 class and the No. 5 player from Iowa. Meanwhile, Rivals rates him as the No. 2 player in the state.

Tom Kakert of Hawkeye Report put an On3 prediction in favoring the Hawkeyes on June 13.

QB Alex Manske

Alex Manske visited Iowa’s camp in June and received an offer from the Hawkeyes. The 6-foot-3 signal-caller is out of Algona High School in Iowa. Rated as three-star by both 247Sports and Rivals, he boasts a growing list of Power 5 offers.

In addition to the Hawkeyes, Kansas State, Nebraska, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin have all offered. He’s also seeing interest from Iowa State, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Virginia Tech. Rivals rates Manske as the No. 3 player in Iowa, while 247Sports ranks him as the No. 6 talent in the Hawkeye State.

DL Jack Limbaugh

A teammate of Manske, three-star defensive lineman Jack Limbaugh is another name to watch. Iowa offered after his showing during its June camp. He also has offers from Iowa State, Kansas State, Missouri and Nebraska. 247Sports ranks Limbaugh as the nation’s No. 38 EDGE and the No. 7 player from Iowa.

WR Xzavion Robinson

A three-star recruit per 247Sports and Rivals, Xzavion Robinson picked up his Iowa offer back in late March. The Valley High School product in West Des Moines also has offers from Colorado, Iowa State, Missouri and Vanderbilt. The 6-foot-1, 180 pound wide receiver will be one of the Hawkeyes top in-state priorities.

RB Justin Thurman

Iowa offered the four-star running back out of Florida back in early May. 247Sports rates Justin Thurman as the No. 234 player nationally, as the No. 22 running back and as the No. 33 player from Florida. He also has offers from schools such as Auburn, Florida, Notre Dame and Tennessee.

DL Joseph Reiff

Iowa was the first FBS offer for Joseph Reiff. 247Sports ranks Reiff as a three-star recruit, the No. 34 defensive lineman and the No. 10 player from Illinois in the 2025 class. He also has offers from Louisiana-Monroe, Northwestern, Notre Dame and Purdue.

EDGE Iose Epenesa

A Hawkeye legacy, Iowa offered Iose Epenesa very early on in the process. Iose Epenesa is a composite five-star and 247Sports rates him as the No. 11 player nationally in the 2025 class. Any 2025 recruiting breakdown for the Hawkeyes has to include Iose Epenesa. His brother, A.J. Epenesa, is a current Buffalo Bill and was selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.

The 6-foot-3, 230 pound EDGE from Edwardsville High School in Illinois probably won’t make a decision any time soon, but Iowa should factor in seriously given the family history. He has offers from schools such as Arkansas, Auburn, Colorado, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah and Washington.

LB Christian Jones

Iowa offered the talented linebacker in May. A four-star recruit, 247Sports regards Christian Jones as the nation’s No. 61 overall player, the No. 10 linebacker and the top player from Nebraska.

As expected, the Huskers have offered and will be involved here. Other offers include schools such as Boston College, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, USC and Wisconsin.

LB Dominik Hulak

Iowa offered Dominik Hulak back in April. The Hawkeyes have secured a commitment from his teammate in wide receiver KJ Parker in the 2024 class. Plus, Iowa offered quarterback Dennis Mandala a preferred walk-on opportunity.

Iowa is battling the likes of Illinois, Iowa State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Purdue and Wisconsin. The 6-foot-3, 225 pound linebacker is a three-star recruit per 247Sports. The service ranks him as the No. 30 athlete and the No. 8 player from Illinois.

ATH Burke Gautcher

Another one of Iowa’s unofficial June visitors, Burke Gautcher is regarded as a three-star safety by Rivals. Iowa offered on June 2 and is battling offers from Illinois and Minnesota.

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Story originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire