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Three more prospects commit to Iowa on busy weekend, Hawkeyes jump to 3rd in B1G recruiting rankings
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It was one of the busier weekends on the recruiting front in college football, and Iowa did not miss out on the action.
The Hawkeyes added three players to their 2020 recruiting class on Sunday, all of which were defensive players. Linebacker Jay Higgins, cornerback Brenden Deasfernandes and defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness all committed to Iowa on Sunday, bringing the team’s count to 18 prospects.
With those three additions, Iowa jumped up to No. 18 in the national recruiting rankings and third in the B1G, behind Ohio State and Michigan.
Van Ness, a three-star defensive end out of Barrington, Illinois, was the highest-rated recruit to join the class on Sunday. He’s listed as the No. 57 strong-side defensive end and is a top 20 player out of his home state. His 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame should fit in well along the Hawkeyes’ defensive front in the future.
Higgins, an Indianapolis prospect, is a two-star linebacker but is ranked as one of the top 100 players at his position and a top 30 player out of the state of Indiana. Deasfernandes is also a two-star athlete out of Belleville, Michigan.
While most fans and programs tend to look a little closer at the star ratings, that’s not much of a concern for Kirk Ferentz and his staff. The Hawkeyes are accustomed to turning two-star players into key contributors on the field.
In the 2013 class alone, linebacker Josey Jewell, wide receiver Matt VandeBerg and running back Akrum Wadley were all listed as two-star prospects out of high school, and all went on to have successful careers in Iowa City.
Van Ness, Higgins and Deasfernandes could be tremendous Hawkeyes in the future, despite not receiving quite as much love from recruiting sites.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB