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Brad Fitzgibbon Recaps Iowa Official

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Brad Fitzgibbon Recaps Iowa Official


Brad Fitzgibbon extracted everything he could out of his Iowa official visit this past weekend. He accomplished it with planning and a thorough approach. 

The moves included asking his sister, Kadyn Fitzgibbon, to join him and their parents, Scott and Lindsay Fitzgibbon, this past weekend in Iowa City. Brad realized his older sibling, a junior gymnast at the University of Illinois, could help.  

“I was glad she was able to meet the coaches and talk with them also,” Brad said.

Iowa was the last of officials to his three finalists – Iowa, Kansas, Michigan State. It included the ’25 Hawkeye commitments and other top targets in the class. 

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“My Iowa visit was an awesome way to end my official visits. I have met so many great coaches, who are also great people,” Fitzgibbon said.

He decided earlier this month that he would be announcing his commitment on Tuesday. Bringing his recruitment to a close has been challenging. 

“You build relationships beyond football when you go through your recruiting process, which is great until you have to make a final choice. My top three schools have done a great job recruiting me, but ultimately I can only pick one school,” he said.

“One of the hardest choices I have had to make that I can remember, for sure, but my family has really helped me organize my thoughts and priorities, which I am so grateful for. I do know how lucky I am to have that.”

Fitzgibbon visited the Hawkeyes back in early April. They offered him a scholarship  about a month later. The official proved to be an enjoyable experience. 

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“I loved hanging with the players, recruits and commits. I really got a chance to see the culture of the team and also get to know the other 2025 guys,” he said.

Fitzgibbon was hosted by Iowa sophomore defensive back John Nestor. They played together at Chicago Marist in ’22. 

“He was one of the guys I looked up to as an underclassman, so having him again show me what Iowa was all about was really cool,” Fitzgibbon said.

While Brad was getting to know the Hawkeyes, his parents mingled with other families. 

“They really enjoyed everything about the visit and had a great time with the other parents, too. There were a number of Illinois and Chicago people, so lots of connections to be made,” Brad said. 

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Fitzgibbon shines during his junior highlight video. He consistently pushes the pocket with his head up and eyes on the target before disengaging and making the stop. 

The 247Sports Composite ranking has Fitzgibbon as a three-star prospect, the No. 90 DL nationally in ’25 and the 23rd best player overall in Illinois for the cycle. The On3 Industry Ranking also sees him as a three-star recruit. That site puts him No. 82 on the D-Line and 24th in his state. 

Iowa has collected three commitments from the weekend, so far. Cameron Herron, Lucas Allgeyer and CJ Bell announced they’d be Hawkeyes. It raised the number of the program’s ’25 class members to 11. 

Tuesday will tell us if Fitzgibbon gets Iowa to 12. 

 

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Iowa State basketball lands Northern Iowa transfer Leon Bond III

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Iowa State basketball lands Northern Iowa transfer Leon Bond III


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The name’s Bond — Leon Bond III — and he’s Iowa State men’s basketball’s first transfer portal commit of the 2026 cycle.

Bond was one of several reported to be visiting Ames this weekend, and he announced his commitment on Friday, April 10. He will have one year of eligibility remaining.

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Bond, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, spent the last two seasons at Northern Iowa, after originally starting his collegiate career at Virginia.

Bond is coming off of a career-best year with the Panthers. He averaged 11.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists, while shooting 47.3% overall, 36.2% from 3-point range and 75% from the free-throw line. He earned All-Defensive Team honors in the Missouri Valley Conference and was one of the key players in helping Northern Iowa win the conference tournament and make its first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade.

Across his two seasons in Cedar Falls with the Panthers, he appeared in 59 games with 57 starts and averaged 11 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Before that, he played one season for former coach Tony Bennett at Virginia in 2023-24, where he played 24 games off the bench, averaging 4.1 points over 12.3 minutes per game.

Offensively, he’s a solid athlete capable of getting to the basket and making plays above the rim, while showing an improved perimeter jumper that he’s worked on over the years. Defensively, he provides versatility and an ability to guard multiple positions. His length, athleticism and motor bode well for him as he transitions into Iowa State’s system.

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As the first transfer commit for Iowa State, Bond is helping replenish the Cyclones’ roster after the graduations of Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson, Nate Heise, Dominick Nelson and Eric Mulder.

They also saw Mason Williams and Cade Kelderman enter the portal since it first opened on April 7. College basketball players will have until April 21 to decide if they are staying with their current schools or entering the transfer portal.

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 wrestling taps Jacob Warner as new assistant coach

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Iowa wrestling taps Jacob Warner as new assistant coach


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Iowa wrestling will bring in a familiar face to fill out its coaching staff, tapping five-time NCAA All-American Jacob Warner to join as an assistant coach.

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The Hawkeye wrestling program announced the decision on April 10. He replaces Bobby Telford, who took a position outside of wrestling after the 2025-26 season ended.

With Warner’s hire, all four official coaching positions at Iowa are held by former Hawkeye wrestlers — head coach Tom Brands, associate head coach Terry Brands, assistant coach Ryan Morningstar and Warner. (Telford also wrestled for the Hawkeyes.)

While Warner does not have official coaching experience, being in the Hawkeye Wrestling Club allowed him to help sharpen athletes still competing in the college ranks. Warner has been credited by several wrestlers in the program for helping their development, none bigger than national champion Stephen Buchanan.

“Jacob knows what it takes to compete at the highest level, both on and off the mat,” Tom Brands said in a release. “He represents everything Iowa wrestling stands for. His toughness, discipline and relentless work ethic will be a tremendous asset to our staff and our student-athletes.”

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As a wrestler, Warner had a career record of 97-28 in a Hawkeye singlet. He took seventh at the NCAA Championships in 2019 as a redshirt freshman, earned All-American honors for the canceled 2020 NCAA Championships, then was fourth in 2021, an NCAA runner-up in 2022 and finished his career in fifth place in 2023. Warner also has experience on the major World stages. He won a bronze medal at the 2016 Cadet World Championships and was on the 2018 Junior World team for the United States.

The Hawkeyes have a pivotal 2026-27 season ahead, following a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships and a regular season to forget. Time will tell whether Warner’s official addition to the staff can help spark better results as the Hawkeyes look to return to their championship ways.

“Our fans, I see them on the street, I see them here, I see them there, I say, ‘We got to do better for you,’” Tom Brands said after the NCAA Championships. “We know that.”

Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.

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Iowa State women’s basketball team adds transfer guard from Kent State

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Iowa State women’s basketball team adds transfer guard from Kent State


Iowa State women’s basketball team adds transfer guard from Kent State

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ROUND PICK. WE’LL BE PULLING FOR HIM. THE DRAFT STARTS THURSDAY, APRIL 23RD. CYCLE IN. WOMEN LOST NEARLY THEIR ENTIRE ROSTER THURSDAY. THEY GOT ONE BACK. MAYA BABBITT IS COMING OVER FROM KENT STATE. SHE LED THAT TEAM AT 16 POINTS PE

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Iowa State women’s basketball team adds transfer guard from Kent State

Updated: 10:40 PM CDT Apr 9, 2026

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Iowa State got a strong start on its 2026 transfer class Thursday.Kent State guard Mya Babbitt announced her commitment to Iowa State.Babbitt, a 5’8″ guard from Papillion, Nebraska, has been a two-year starter for the Golden Flashes and earned second-team All-MAC honors in 2025-26 after averaging 16.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. She also set the Kent State record for 3-pointers in a season as a sophomore, making 83 3-pointers at a 41.5% clip.Babbitt is the first incoming transfer to announce her commitment to Iowa State this offseason. She will have one year of eligibility remaining.The Cyclones are tasked with replacing nearly the entire roster from 2025-26 after nine players entered the transfer portal.Senior-to-be Arianna Jackson has announced her return, as has reserve guard Freya Jensen. Iowa State also brings in highly touted recruit Macy Comito. Comito led Carlisle High School to its first state title this winter.» Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play

Iowa State got a strong start on its 2026 transfer class Thursday.

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Kent State guard Mya Babbitt announced her commitment to Iowa State.

Babbitt, a 5’8″ guard from Papillion, Nebraska, has been a two-year starter for the Golden Flashes and earned second-team All-MAC honors in 2025-26 after averaging 16.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. She also set the Kent State record for 3-pointers in a season as a sophomore, making 83 3-pointers at a 41.5% clip.

This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

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Babbitt is the first incoming transfer to announce her commitment to Iowa State this offseason. She will have one year of eligibility remaining.

The Cyclones are tasked with replacing nearly the entire roster from 2025-26 after nine players entered the transfer portal.

Senior-to-be Arianna Jackson has announced her return, as has reserve guard Freya Jensen. Iowa State also brings in highly touted recruit Macy Comito. Comito led Carlisle High School to its first state title this winter.

» Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page

» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play

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