On Monday afternoon, Iowa landed the commitment of Gene Riordan, a 2026 three-star OL out of Hinsdale Central in Illinois.
Heavily recruited, Riordan chose the Hawkeyes over some of his other top choices, including Illinois, Northwestern, Minnesota and Oklahoma. He also held offers from Iowa State, Kansas, Louisville, Auburn, Penn State and more.
At one of Iowa's Junior Day visits this spring, offensive line coach George Barnett shared with OL recruits that he would only take four prospects in the 2026 class. He held an exception for Riordan, who is now the fifth to choose the Hawkeyes.
"They really like my ability to be an in-between guy at tackle or guard at the Big Ten level," Riordan shared in February. "I think my versatility as an offensive lineman and also my character that I could bring into the program is important. They already have a ton of great guys in the offensive line room. They see me as somebody who could fit in very well there."
Iowa's willingness to keep space open in the 2026 class for Riordan didn't go unnoticed.
"I think it's huge that they're still considering me for something they originally did not think about, but they want me to the point where they're willing to stretch their boundary for it," he said at the time. "Iowa was always near the top of my list. I've always had a really special place in my heart for the Hawkeyes, and I have a lot of respect for the program. Seeing that they have that mutual respect for me and that want for me as a football player, I think that really shows something to me."
Even from the beginning of his recruitment, one could tell that Riordan was going to heavily consider Iowa and Barnett.
"There are a lot of people that I know that really support the Hawkeyes. My high school has sent of ton of kids to Iowa," Riordan said after receiving the offer from Iowa last summer. "My next door neighbors -- they're both Iowa alumni. I got a text from them about 15 minutes after I got the offer. They sent a Hawkeye GIF and said 'Let's go! Future Iowa City resident.'"
"It's a cultish following of the football team up there, and I love it."
Riordan is the ninth commit in Iowa's 2026 recruiting class, joining fellow offensive linemen Colin Whitters, Hudson Parliament, Owen Linder and Carson Nielsen along with Diondre Smith, Brody Schaffer, Marcello Vitti and Cash Herrera .
