Iowa's offensive line took a significant step forward with its 2024 recruiting class, as Will Nolan was one of two four-star OL prospects to sign with the Hawkeyes. Nolan, from Arlington Heights, Illinois, should walk right into the o-line room as a future tackle at 6'6" and 280 pounds.

He signed with Iowa over other top schools Iowa State, Indiana, Minnesota and Vanderbilt.

With 19 D-1 offers to his name, Nolan wasn't hurting for options to continue his college career. An Iowa offer just meant more, though; Nolan told us he was ready to commit when Iowa offered.

"I couldn't see myself anywhere but Iowa in the end," Nolan said. "So I was just like, 'you know what, why not?' The second I got the offer, I kind of knew [I wanted to go to Iowa]. I didn't want to wait."

Nolan's high school offensive line coach, Chris Riley, played under Iowa OL coach George Barnett for a short time at Illinois State in the early 2010s.

"Coach Riley is a big proponent of me playing for Coach Barnett," Nolan told us in April. "He played for him for a year and a half; that gives me a whole lot more confidence. For Coach Riley to say that this guy would definitely be worth it to play for after being with him for just a year and a half -- that definitely gives Iowa a big boost."

Simply put, Will Nolan is every bit the road grader Iowa needs at tackle.

Nolan uses his footwork, angles and pad level to create leverage to devastating effect, and once a defender is on skates in front of him it's over. For a Hawkeye run game that tries to achieve chunk plays on the ground, a bookend tackle like Nolan who can seal edges or get to the next level to take out a smaller defender may mean the difference between a five-yard rush and 50 yards.

Nolan is one of four offensive linemen in Iowa's 2024 class.