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Matt Campbell reportedly bringing longtime Iowa State staffer to Penn State as 1st hire

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Matt Campbell reportedly bringing longtime Iowa State staffer to Penn State as 1st hire


Penn State made a key hire for Matt Campbell’s first staff in Happy Valley simultaneously as it announced Campbell’s deal: retaining interim head coach Terry Smith on a long-term contract.

But Campbell has many other staff positions to fill out between now and the start of the 2026 season. And according to multiple reports, he’s made his first one.

Iowa State assistant athletic director for player personnel Derek Hoodjer is set to follow Campbell to Penn State. CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported the news Sunday morning.

Hoodjer was a longtime Cyclones assistant, serving in Ames since 2011 in various roles, including as a defensive graduate assistant and a recruiting staffer. His time with the Cyclones started as a student, and he graduated from Iowa State in 2014.

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Hoodjer is a native of Lincoln, Nebraska.

He is a key cog in Campbell’s recruiting efforts. Iowa State has signed top-50 classes multiple times under Campbell despite having fewer financial resources than most Power Four programs.

Campbell could certainly bring more Iowa State personnel with him to Penn State. But Hoodjer represents the first big domino in the hiring process.

Campbell is set to be introduced as the 17th head coach in Penn State history on Monday, pending approval from the Board of Trustees in the morning.

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Iowa State football lands 2027 3-star linebacker commit Keaton Wollan

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Iowa State football lands 2027 3-star linebacker commit Keaton Wollan


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After securing multiple commitments on the offensive side of the ball, Iowa State football has landed its first defensive commitment in the 2027 recruiting class.

Keaton Wollan, a three-star linebacker out of Amery, Wisconsin, committed to the Cyclones on April 21. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound linebacker announced his decision on social media.

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He chose Iowa State over other offers from Texas Tech and North Dakota State. He previously visited Ames in March, but he also took recent visits to Minnesota and Wisconsin.

As a junior at Amery High School, Wollan was a two-way standout and earned all-state honors for the 2025 season. Defensively, he racked up a team-high 125 total tackles, including nine for loss and 1.5 sacks. He also had four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three interceptions and one defensive touchdown.

Offensively, he had a team-high 932 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 160 carries. He also caught 15 passes for 179 yards, and he was an impact player in the return game, logging more than 500 kick and punt return yards.

According to 247 Sports Composite rankings, Wollan is the No. 93 linebacker prospect in the country and the No. 11 overall recruit in his class from the state of Wisconsin.

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Wollan is the sixth player to commit in the Cyclones’ 2027 recruiting class.

Iowa State football 2027 recruiting commitments

As of April 21

  • Gavin Ericson-Staton, OL | Lombard, Illinois/Montini Catholic
  • Isaiah Hansen, RB | Newton, Iowa/Newton HS
  • Koen Hinzman, OL | Hudson, Michigan/Hudson Area HS
  • Will Slagle, OL | Grinnell, Iowa/Grinnell HS
  • Bryson Thompson, WR | San Antonio, Texas/Claudia Taylor Johnson HS
  • Keaton Wollan, LB | Amery, Wisconsin/Amery HS

Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.





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Iowa DOT plans overnight I‑80 closure at northeast mixmaster

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Iowa DOT plans overnight I‑80 closure at northeast mixmaster


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Prepare for more overnight closures at the northeast mixmaster as the Iowa Department of Transportation closes the ramp connecting westbound Interstate 80 and northbound Interstate 35.

Here’s what to know.

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When will the Iowa DOT close the westbound I‑80 to northbound I‑35 ramp?

The westbound I-80 to northbound I-35 ramp will be closed to traffic from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. the next morning from April 21-24.

What’s the detour when the Iowa DOT closes the westbound I‑80 to the northbound I‑35 ramp?

During the closures, drivers wanting to go from westbound I‑80 to northbound I‑35 will follow a signed detour.

Instead of taking the closed ramp, motorists will stay on westbound I‑80, bypassing the northeast mixmaster connection. They’ll then exit at U.S. Highway 69, turn around, and head back east on I‑80, where they can connect to northbound I‑35 using the open portion of the northeast mixmaster.

Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.

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Iowa women’s basketball transfer portal visitor commits to Big Ten foe

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Iowa women’s basketball transfer portal visitor commits to Big Ten foe


An Iowa women’s basketball transfer portal visitor committed to one of the Hawkeyes’ conference foes instead. Former Iowa State guard Kenzie Hare took a visit to Iowa during her transfer portal recruitment, but the 5-foot-9 guard committed to Indiana on Sunday night.

Hare had several visits throughout her transfer portal recruiting process, including trips to Michigan and Illinois State, but the Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow reported that Hare also visited Iowa.

On3’s Talia Goodman reported Hare’s commitment to the Hoosiers.

Hare has one year of eligibility remaining. This past season with the Cyclones, in 32 games played and 31 starts, Hare averaged 6.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game on 40.5% field goal shooting and 40% from 3-point range. A hip injury limited Hare to just 10 games during her first year with the Cyclones in the 2024-25 season.

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The soon-to-be redshirt senior transferred to Iowa State before the 2024-25 campaign after spending two seasons at Marquette from 2022-24. Hare averaged a career-best 14 points per game on 45.5% field goal shooting and 42.5% 3-point shooting during the 2023-24 season with the Golden Eagles.

Had Iowa been able to lure the Naperville, Ill., native to Iowa City, Hare would have been another valuable addition to the Hawkeyes’ backcourt depth. But, Iowa has landed other backcourt reinforcements throughout this transfer portal cycle.

The Hawkeyes inked both Dani Carnegie and Amari Whiting.

Carnegie was a first-team All-SEC selection this past season at Georgia, averaging 17.8 points per game on 42.7% field goal shooting, 35.4% from 3-point range and 83.3% from the free-throw line. Whiting averaged 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game on 42.5% field goal shooting, 32.1% 3-point accuracy, and 71.6% free-throw shooting.

As Hare joins a promising core of players in Bloomington, the Hawkeyes will once again face the former Cyclone at least once this upcoming season as part of their Big Ten regular-season slate.

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Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews



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