Iowa's 2023 Scholarship Signees
Along with additions via the transfer portal and PWOs, Iowa is adding 21 new scholarship athletes out of high school and JUCO. Some will contribute sooner rather than later, some will play two sports, and some will take a while to develop.
Let's take a look at some new Hawkeyes.
A transfer from Iowa Western, Anterio Thompson was one of the most-coveted junior college players in the 2023 class. He held offers from Nebraska, Illinois, Kansas, North Carolina State, Washington State, and others. After redshirting his first year at IWCC he posted 32 tackles, including ten TFL and six sacks. His JUCO teammate Jackson Filer is a PWO.
An addition that many consider to be the highlight of the class is Ben Kueter. He'll wrestle and play football at Iowa. The hometown hero registered 93.5 tackles this season for the Little Hawks, including seven sacks and 25.5 TFL. Before committing at the start of his junior season, he reported offers from Iowa State, Minnesota, and Missouri. As pictured above, Kueter was selected to the Under Armor All-American game and is No. 145 on Rivals250 for the 2023 class.
The other four-star in Iowa's 2023 class, Trevor Lauck picked the Hawkeyes over offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Louisville, Purdue, and others. Lauck is No. 243 on Rivals250 for the 2023 class.
Marco Lainez III will join the quarterback room and be tasked with learning the Iowa offense. The three-star quarterback from New Jersey completed 97 of 125 passes (78 percent) for 2,182 yards and 23 touchdowns with just five interceptions this season. He had offers from Illinois, Michigan State, Maryland, Pitt, West Virginia, and others.
One of the later additions to the 2023 class after flipping his commitment from Purdue, Terrell Washington Jr. will play running back at Iowa. He finished his senior season at Wylie East with 598 yards rushing, 604 yards receiving, and 22 touchdowns. He received scholarship offers from Houston, Tulane, Memphis, Vanderbilt, Washington State, and others.
A local athlete from Marion, Alex Mota will play wide receiver for the Hawkeyes. He caught 12 passes for 230 yards and three scores while also running the ball 97 times for 742 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022. He may take the win on most visits to campus, making the 40-minute drive to Iowa City eight times. He received offers from Kansas State, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Nebraska, Kansas, and others.
A heavily recruited safety from the Chicago area, Kahlil Tate may be one of the more underrated players in the recruiting class. The three-star registered 129 tackles and five interceptions between his junior and senior seasons. He held offers from Colorado, Oregon, Tennessee, Penn State, Michigan, and others.
A small-town, cornfed Iowan, Zach Lutmer joins the Hawkeyes after a stellar career at powerhouse Central Lyon. Though he'll play safety at Iowa, he did it all in high school. He completed 75 passes for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns, carried the ball 137 times for 1,562 yards and 22 touchdowns, and finished the year with 45 tackles, five TFL, and three picks. He fielded offers from South Dakota and South Dakota State along with interest from Iowa State.
Another do-it-all small towner, Aidan Hall hails from Harlan, Iowa. Expected to be a linebacker for the Hawkeyes, he finished 2022 with 27 tackles, four TFL, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and an interception. Tasked with carrying much of the load offensively, he also ran the ball 80 times for 810 yards and 17 TDs while hauling in 51 receptions for 837 yards and 14 scores. He received offers from Army, Air Force, Minnesota, North Dakota State, and others.
From Fort Lauderdale, Flo., Kamari Moulton had his most productive season as a junior for Cardinal Gibbons when he ran the ball 156 times for 1,075 yards and 18 touchdowns. With a plethora of group of five and FCS offers, Iowa stood out for Moulton. His lone other power five offer came from Syracuse.
An all-state performer on both sides of the ball, Teegan Davis accumulated 52 tackles and eight interceptions on defense along with 1,638 yards passing, 766 yards rushing, and 36 touchdowns on offense as a senior. Originally committed to Eastern Illinois, Davis flipped to the Hawkeyes after receiving an offer in December.
Adding a scholarship receiver to a thin group never hurts. From Kansas City, Dayton Howard posted 45 catches for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns for Park Hill this season. He held interest from Colorado State, Kansas, Kansas State, and Iowa State, only receiving an offer from Iowa.
Not one, but two wide receivers are joining the Iowa program in this class. Jarriett Buie, a teammate of 2024 Iowa recruit Drew Woodaz at Jesuit High School in Tampa, caught 47 passes for 735 yards and six touchdowns this season. He received offers from Boston College, South Florida, James Madison, Iowa State, and others.
A splash addition to Iowa's 2023 class, Kenny Merrieweather has loads of potential, despite being just a three-star recruit. He recorded 52 tackles as a senior, with 18 TFL, 12 sacks, four forced fumbles, and two safeties. he received offers from Cincinnati, Kentucky, Indiana, Oregon, Pitt, and others.
The first tight end signed in the 2023 class, Zach Ortwerth decided to head to TEU despite a barrage of other offers, including from Connecticut, Wisconsin, Purdue, West Virginia, Pitt, Minnesota, Lousiville, and others. Between his junior and senior seasons, he caught 31 passes for 492 yards and five touchdowns.
It's not every day you bring in a 6'9 offensive tackle. At 265 lbs., Cannon Leonard has a large frame that will need to fill out for him to earn time in the Big Ten. His older brother Clayton Leonard plays for Illinois. Cannon received offers from Florida Atlantic, Army, Ball State, and a multitude of FCS programs.
Another Chicago-land recruit, John Nestor posted 52 tackles, five interceptions, ten pass break-ups, and three forced fumbles in 2022, earning a Rivals first-team all-state selection as a senior. He held offers from Kansas, Iowa State, Minnesota, Purdue, and a variety of group of five programs.
A center from Brownsburg, Ind., Leighton Jones was a four-year starter, being named Indiana's Mr. Football for offensive line as a senior. He was offered by Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Toledo, Purdue, and others.
Chase Brackney joins Tommy Poholsky as another Colorado recruit joining the Hawkeyes. The 6'4, 285-pound defensive end registered 145 tackles, ten TFL, and ten sacks between his junior and senior seasons. He held offers from USC, Oregon State, Cal, and others.
Maddux Borcherding-Johnson is a big-bodied, 6'3, 277-pound defensive tackle that will plug the trenches in his future as a Hawkeye. Between his junior and senior year at Norwalk, Borcherding-Johnson registered 69 tackles, including 18 TFL, and two sacks. He also received an offer from Iowa State.
The final scholarship signee in the 2023 class, Grant Leeper will join the Hawkeyes looking to be another name in the long lineage of talented tight ends to come through Iowa City. In his lone year of playing high school football, Leeper registered 27 receptions for 376 yards en route to receiving scholarship offers from Navy, Wake Forest, Indiana, Army, and others.