The Iowa program has been successful in recruiting talented players from just across the border in Illinois, and a bulk of its recent recruiting has focused on the neighbors to the east.
Iowa currently has 18 players on the roster who are from Illinois, with some, including Gennings Dunker and Jonah Pace, heading to graduation.
The Hawkeyes have some big names on the roster from Illinois, and are trying to add to that in the 2027 class.
Recently, the Hawkeyes made an offer to unranked Chicago prospect Darrell Mattison to potentially add to the secondary, and tried to pull another versatile player from another high school in Chicago.
Iowa offered 2027 OL/DL/TE prospect David Folorunsho
Iowa's latest offer went to a versatile prospect from St. Patrick's High School in Chicago, the second Chicago prospect to receive an offer from the program.
I am honored and blessed to receive an offer from @TheIowaHawkeyes. @CoachK_Bell @LemmingReport @AABonNBC @AllenTrieu @EDGYTIM @GregSmithRivals @WarrenSapp @StPatrickFB pic.twitter.com/5LkltAKRrv
— David Folorunsho ‘27 🇳🇬 (@DavidFolorunsh0) January 19, 2026
With a picture of former star Adrian Clayborn in his post, David Folorunsho announced he received an offer from the Hawkeyes.
Folorunsho is a versatile offensive and defensive line prospect who has also played tight end for the St. Patrick Shamrocks.
Iowa defensive line coach Kelvin Bell was listed as Folorunsho's primary recruiter, signaling the Hawkeyes value him more as a defensive lineman.
247Sports is also leaning towards Folorunsho playing on the defensive line, doing their rankings based on that.
They ranked Folorunsho as a three-star prospect, Illinois' No. 25 overall prospect and the No. 72 defensive line prospect in the 2027 recruiting class.
Folorunsho has the size (six-foot-four, 280 pounds) and raw athleticism to make an impact across the defensive line, and it will be interesting to see where Phil Parker and Kelvin Bell utilize him if he does commit.