Iowa
What are Iowa football’s recruiting needs for early signing day? What to know
Kirk Ferentz sizes up his team’s 40-16 win over Nebraska, 8-4 finish
The Iowa head coach said his team knows how to fight and compete for the full 60 minutes.
IOWA CITY — The early signing period begins on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
Here’s a guide previewing Iowa football’s recruiting endeavors in the 2026 high school class.
The Hawkeyes currently have 17 known scholarship commitments, plus four preferred walk-on pledges.
The offensive line is one of the highlights of Iowa’s class. The Hawkeyes have five commitments in the class, three of whom are regarded as four-star prospects, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Iowa has done well to keep in-state talent home. According to the 247Sports Composite, five of the top eight players in the state’s 2026 recruiting class are committed to the Hawkeyes, including the top three. Iowa got two of those five from right in their backyard — Iowa City West’s Julian Manson and Colin Whitters.
There are some promising pieces for the future of Iowa’s long-ailing passing game. Quarterback Tradon Bessinger is the top-ranked player in Iowa’s 2026 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. He is accompanied by a trio of 3-star receivers. The Hawkeyes also recently landed Norwalk’s Luke Brewer, a highly sought-after four-star tight end.
Iowa has been a linebacker pipeline to the next level. There are some well-regarded players set to arrive at that position in this class. In-state prospects Manson and Kasen Thomas are each rated as four-star recruits. The trio of linebackers in the class also includes 3-star Billy Weivoda.
What remains unclear is what Iowa is going to do at kicker following the departure of Drew Stevens, the program’s all-time leader in made field goals. At this moment, the only kicker projected to be on Iowa’s 2026 roster is preferred walk-on Caden Buhr.
Iowa’s recruiting class is still subject to change. But here is who’s expected to officially become a Hawkeye during the early signing period.
Iowa football team recruiting rankings
The Hawkeyes rank 27th nationally in the team recruiting rankings, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Iowa football commitments in 2026 high school recruiting class
Tradon Bessinger
- Position: Quarterback
- High School: Davis
- Home state: Utah
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): Four-star
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): 140
Julian Manson
- Position: Linebacker
- High School: Iowa City West
- Home state: Iowa
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): Four-star
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): 183
Carson Nielsen
- Position: Offensive lineman
- High School: Waterloo West
- Home state: Iowa
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): Four-star
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): 254
Darion Jones
- Position: Defensive back
- High School: Omaha North
- Home state: Nebraska
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): Four-star
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): 266
Kasen Thomas
- Position: Linebacker
- High School: Bishop Heelan Catholic
- Home state: Iowa
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): Four-star
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): 289
Gene Riordan
- Position: Offensive lineman
- High School: Hinsdale Central
- Home state: Illinois
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): Four-star
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): 321
Hudson Parliament
- Position: Offensive lineman
- High School: Brandon Valley
- Home state: South Dakota
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): Four-star
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): 330
Luke Brewer
- Position: Tight end
- High School: Norwalk
- Home state: Iowa
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): Four-star
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): 448
Billy Weivoda
- Position: Linebacker
- High School: Milton
- Home state: Georgia
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): Three-star
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): 496
Marcello Vitti
- Position: Defensive back
- High School: Divine Child
- Home state: Michigan
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): Three-star
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): 546
Owen Linder
- Position: Offensive lineman
- High School: Chanhassen
- Home state: Minnesota
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): Three-star
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): 600
Colin Whitters
- Position: Offensive lineman
- High School: Iowa City West
- Home state: Iowa
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): Three-star
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): 600
Brody Schaffer
- Position: Wide receiver
- High School: Winneconne
- Home state: Wisconsin
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): Three-star
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): 677
Xavier Stinson
- Position: Wide receiver
- High School: Vero Beach
- Home state: Florida
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): Three-star
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): 677
Sawyer Jezierski
- Position: Defensive lineman
- High School: Edina
- Home state: Minnesota
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): Three-star
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): 964
Diondre Smith
- Position: Wide receivers
- High School: Duncan U. Fletcher
- Home state: Florida
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): Three-star
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): 1,048
Ronnie Hill
- Position: Defensive back
- High School: Adlai Stevenson
- Home state: Michigan
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): Three-star
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): 1,048
Preferred walk-ons
Isaiah Oliver
- Position: Wide receiver
- High School: Waukee
- Home state: Iowa
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): N/A
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): N/A
Noah Daniel
- Position: Defensive back
- High School: Fort Dodge
- Home state: Iowa
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): N/A
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): N/A
David Fason
- Position: Defensive lineman
- High School: Cedar Rapids Prairie
- Home state: Iowa
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): N/A
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): N/A
Eli Robbins
- Position: Defensive back
- High School: Norwalk
- Home state: Iowa
- Rating (according to 247Sports Composite): N/A
- National ranking (according to 247Sports Composite): N/A
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com
Iowa
Chicago Cubs’ Matt Shaw expected to begin rehab assignment with Iowa
See inside Principal Park, home of the Iowa Cubs
See inside the batting cages, locker rooms and other spaces inside Principal Park, home of the Iowa Cubs baseball team.
When the Iowa Cubs return to Principal Park in Des Moines on June 2, the Triple-A team will likely be bringing back a familiar face.
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsel told reporters in St. Louis, Mo., on May 29 that super utilityman Matt Shaw would likely join Iowa when the team opens a six-game series against Toledo that Tuesday.
“Matts doing super well,” Counsell said during a pregame meeting with scribes. “The plan kind of remains intact that we think he’s going to be able to start a rehab assignment on Tuesday in Iowa. So, assuming everything progresses like it progresses, he’s going to have basically a full weekend of kind of normal pregame stuff. He should be good to go on Tuesday in Iowa.”
Shaw was placed on the injured list back on May 22 with mild back tightness, retroactive to May 20. He was replaced on the big-league roster by prized Cubs prospect Pedro Ramrirez, who tore apart opposing pitching during his first stint in Triple-A in 2026.
Shaw, 24, was hitting .242 (23-for-95) with six doubles, three home runs, three stolen bases and a .291 on base percentage to go along with a .400 slugging percentage in 42 games with Chicago this season. He’s bounced around the field this season and provided an important option off the bench for the Cubs.
Shaw remains one of the organization’s top young players. The Cubs selected in the first round of the 2023 draft. Shaw rapidly rose through the minor leagues and made his big-league debut with Chicago in 2025. After some early-season struggles, Shaw was briefly demoted to Iowa in 2024 before eventually making a return to the big leagues.
While the hitting wasn’t great, the defense was exceptional. Shaw found a home at third base and played so well he became a Gold Glove finalist in 2025.
Iowa starts the series on Tuesday at 6:38 p.m.
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020, 2023 and 2025 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.
Iowa
Iowa Supreme court affirms eviction order for Short’s Burger & Shine
Following a years-long legal saga, the Iowa Supreme Court recently upheld a decision to evict Short’s Burger and Shine from its South Clinton Street building.
The May 22 decision, delivered by Chief Justice Susan Christensen, agreed with the Johnson County District Court’s decision to evict the downtown burger restaurant after finding that it did not notify the building’s owner — a trust operated by Midwest One Bank — of its intent to extend the lease.
The decision concludes one part of the Short’s legal saga. The now-closed restaurant is also in litigation for a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit Short’s owner, Kevin Perez filed in 2024 against Midwest One Bank, the trust of late building owner Haywood Belle, Belle’s widow, a bank employee, and the City of Iowa City
Iowa City’s Short’s Burgers and Shine closed in 2024
Short’s closed in early 2024 after the court determined Perez hadn’t renewed the business’s lease on time.
Short’s opened at 18 S. Clinton Street in 2008 with the goal of honoring the legacy and story of former building owner H.D. Short, who shined shoes for 50 years, beginning in 1920. The original ownership group included Perez, Dan Ouverson, and former Hawkeye and NFL player Nate Kaeding, who now runs the Gold Cap Hospitality ownership group.
Eviction proceedings started when Short’s temporarily closed in April 2022 “to fix poor building conditions” without notifying Midwest One Bank, the executor of Belle’s trust.
The closure breached a part of the lease agreement that said the restaurant would default on its lease if it “failed to engage” in normal business for more than 15 consecutive business days, the court found. The renovations also violated a provision that forbade structural changes or improvements without prior written approval.
Midwest One Bank sent notice on May 10, 2022, that Short’s would default on its lease if it did not reopen for regular business and cease renovations within 10 days, according to court documents. Shorts responded, claiming it could not reopen for business until renovations were complete because the gas could not be turned back on until repairs were finished.
Midwest One Bank “terminated” the lease and started eviction proceedings in May 2022. Shorts was allowed to continue operating and occupying the building while the case was litigated.
Midwest One Bank filed two eviction claims and delivered notice that Short’s needed to vacate the building by the end of the lease on April 30. Short’s did not vacate, and Midwest One Bank pursued a third eviction claim, accusing the owners of failing to provide notice of renewal.
Short’s argued that because they continued renovations, disputed eviction, and secured insurance, it was evidence of their intent to renew.
The restaurant owners also argued that pending eviction proceedings prevented them from renewal. The court argued that Short’s simply did not declare intent to renew for “whatever reason.”
“Mere forgetfulness does not entitle a party to equitable relief,” the decision reads.
Liam Halawith covers Johnson County local government and public safety for the Press-Citizen. Reach him by email at lhalawith@registermedia.com. Follow him on X at @liam_halawith.
Iowa
Fired Iowa nurse aide wins jobless benefits after numerous resident-care complaints
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH) – An Iowa nursing home worker fired after being accused of repeatedly neglecting residents’ needs is entitled to unemployment benefits, a judge has ruled.
State records indicate certified nurse aide Abigail Kromah worked for Pine Acres Rehabilitation and Care Center in West Des Moines from May 2024 through December 2025, when she was fired. She subsequently applied for unemployment benefits, which led to a recent hearing before an administrative law judge.
The hearing records indicate Kromah testified that when she was fired on Dec. 19, 2025, the employer informed her that the discharge was due to “numerous resident complaints” regarding the care she had been providing.
According to the judge’s findings in the case, Kromah had received multiple disciplinary warnings related to resident care. In August 2024, she allegedly received verbal and written warnings for failing to answer residents’ call-lights in a timely manner, failing to properly assist residents with their personal care, and for complaining about the residents in common areas of the workplace.
Her employer testified Kromah was also given warnings for refusing work instructions from the nursing staff, and for telling a resident who needed to be toileted to go the bathroom in their briefs.
In August 2025, it was alleged that Kromah failed to check on a resident throughout the entire night. During that shift, a nurse had neglected to unclamp a feeding tube, which caused the tube to leak. When another nurse checked on the resident at 5 a.m., the resident was “drenched in feeding solution from head to toe,” according to the judge’s findings.
‘I can’t live this way… She’s horrible.’
Days later, the home alleged, a resident of the facility entered the hallway in his wheelchair at about 6 a.m., loudly complaining, “I can’t do this anymore,” and, “I can’t live this way.” The man allegedly refused to go back to his room, explaining that Kromah was there and “she’s horrible.”
The man reportedly stated had had switched on his call-light to have his urinal emptied, but Kromah never came to assist him, which meant the urinal overflowed and spilled on him. When Kromah eventually came to the room, the man allegedly said, she changed him into dry clothing but did not clean him.
The home alleged Kromah was given additional warnings in October 2025 for reportedly failing to answer residents’ call lights and failing to complete her rounds every two hours. One resident of the home had allegedly became so frustrated by the lack of response to his call-light that he contacted the police on one occasion, according to the judge’s findings.
State inspection reports indicate Pine Acres Rehabilitation and Care Center was cited for insufficient staff in January 2026, with one resident complaining the issue with call-lights had been a longstanding problem. According to the inspectors, the man said that on one occasion, he couldn’t get help to clear his airway and was afraid he was going to die unless he managed to clear it himself, which he did.
In ruling that Kromah was entitled to jobless benefits, Administrative Law Judge Michael Lunn noted that while she had clearly been warned about deficiencies in resident care, she appeared to have been fired for a separate issue — attendance — for which she had received no such warnings.
A discharge for misconduct cannot be based on past acts such as the resident-care issues, Lunn ruled, but must instead be based on a current act. With no current act of disqualifying misconduct, Lunn stated, Kromah was entitled to collect unemployment benefits.
Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to locate Kromah to seek comment for this article.
Copyright 2026 IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH. All rights reserved.
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