Iowa Football continues to re-shape its roster following the 2024-2025 season. The Hawkeyes added five mid-year transfers and 10 freshmen to the roster in the offseason. Iowa has also lost seven players to the transfer portal since the portal opened.
Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz is adamant about recruiting players who fit their philosophy. He prefers recruiting high-character players the program can develop, over relying on the transfer portal.
During his media interviews following the first spring practice, Ferentz was adamant about focusing on player development, not the transfer portal. He does not want to build a roster from the portal, and stated that it is not what the program is about.
That places the honus on his staff to recruit the right players and develop them in the "Iowa way."
Iowa has received seven commitments for the 2026 recruiting class and is hosting another 2026 prospect this weekend.
Locked in!! 💛🖤@TylerBarnesIOWA @Spauldingiowa pic.twitter.com/oBGfcv9xgN
— Messiah Tilson (@mini_sago11) April 15, 2025
Messiah Tilson, a three-star prospect from Rockford, Illinois, scheduled an official visit to Iowa City this weekend. The meeting begins on April 18 and continues through the weekend. After receiving an offer from Iowa, Tilson is up to 12 offers.
Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker has been heavily recruiting Tilson to fill gaps on defense. The six-foot-two Tilson played defensive back and wide receiver in high school and is listed as an athlete in the 2026 recruiting class. He is currently projected to play defensive back or safety in college.
247 Sports ranked Tilson as a three-star prospect and the No. 38 safety (No. 503 overall) in the 2026 recruiting class. After defensive back Kahlil Tate entered the transfer portal, Tilson can provide some much-needed depth in the Iowa secondary.
If Tilson commits to the Hawkeyes, he would be the first and only safety commit in the 2026 recruiting class.