Iowa turns recruits into stars, but the 2027 class is going to be a particularly tough ask if things don't change.Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz observes action on the sideline as rain falls around him in the first quarter against Iowa State on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames.
20190914 Cyhawkfootball | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectIn this story:You know how this goes. Iowa lands a bunch of under-recruited, lesser-known three-stars, and half of them become All-Big Ten members, a few are All-Americans, and the Hawkeyes produce yet another crop of NFL talent.The best developer of talent in the country, Iowa manages to recruit just fine, but they are rarely in play for the four-star and above type talents. It's not the strategy. Iowa gets its type of guys and goes from there.Iowa's 2027 recruiting class has some work to doWhile Iowa manages to develop players year after year, it can make life a lot easier on itself if things pick up on the 2027 recruiting trail. For as good as Iowa has consistently been and as steady as Kirk Ferentz has been with the Hawkeyes, there is definitely something left to be desired in the 2027 recruiting class as things stand.At the moment, Iowa owns the unfortunate title of having the last-ranked 2027 recruiting class in the Big Ten.— 247Sports (@247Sports) July 8, 2026Big Ten 2027 Recruiting RankingsNo. 1 OregonNo. 2 Ohio State No. 3 NebraskaNo. 4 USC No. 5 UCLA No. 6 Michigan No. 7 Penn StateNo. 8 WisconsinNo. 9 WashingtonNo. 10 MinnesotaNo. 11 NorthwesternNo. 12 MarylandNo. 13 RutgersNo. 14 IndianaNo. 15 PurdueNo.16 Michigan StateNo. 17 IllinoisNo. 18 IowaWhat to make of Iowa's recruiting rankingI get it. Being ranked below the likes of Maryland, Rutgers, and Purdue for a recruiting class hurts. It also looks ugly. It's Iowa. They aren't a program that should be hanging out with the likes of some of the Big Ten's whipping boys.It's also not a cause for concern. There is a long way to go in the 2027 recruiting class, and Iowa is not pressing. Kirk Ferentz and his staff get the benefit of the doubt here. They've put together classes before, and will do it again.What it does signify to me is Iowa's increasing willingness to explore the transfer portal and alleviate some of the pressure on traditional high school recruiting.Slowly but surely, Iowa has found its way to the transfer portal more and more each year. Iowa is not afraid to plug gaps with talented transfers. They hit on Mark Gronowski last year.This year, Iowa reloaded some skill positions with offensive players who showed firepower at the lower levels, hoping to capture the same success from them in the Big Ten.So, take a deep breath, press pause, and don't let the rankings work you up. It's Iowa. They will be fine.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollowPublished 40 minutes agoRILEY DONALDRiley Donald, a former NCAA student-athlete, played four years of college football and was a team captain at Augustana College. He has spent nearly five years at USA TODAY Sports covering Iowa football, Iowa men’s basketball, and Iowa women’s basketball, along with a broader coverage focusing primarily on Big Ten football and basketball. Began covering the Dallas Cowboys. Radio guest on several ESPN stations discussing Iowa football, the NFL draft, and more.Share on XFollow rileydonald7
