Iowa was dealt a big recruiting blow after an elite QB prospect revealed his destination

You win some, and you lose some on the recruiting trail, and Iowa Football just learned that lesson the hard way.

Kirk Ferentz and Co. have picked up four big recruiting wins over the last few weeks, adding four talented prospects, including four-star defensive lineman Tommy Riordan.

After adding four more players to the class, Rivals currently ranks Iowa's recruiting class as the No. 9 in the Big Ten and No. 26 overall, as the rankings continue to fluctuate.

Even with all the recent recruiting wins, Iowa lost out on a big-time quarterback prospect that would have given an incredible boost to a blossoming 2027 class.

Iowa narrowly missed out on elite quarterback target Jake Nawrot

Iowa's continued success with Kirk Ferentz at the helm keeps them in play for talented prospects, but losing out on one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2027 class really stings.

The Hawkeyes flipped four-star quarterback Tradon Bessinger from Boise State in the 2026 recruiting class, but were unable to reel in Jake Nawrot, one of the top-ranked quarterbacks in the 2027 class.

Even as recently as late February, Rivals projected Nawrot to sign with the Iowa program, only for him to pivot and sign with the Kentucky Wildcats.

Rivals ranks Nawrot as a four-star prospect, Illinois' No. 2 overall prospect, the No. 2 quarterback prospect, and the No. 32 overall prospect in the 2027 recruiting class.

Nawrot finished his junior season last year, throwing for 3,078 passing yards and 41 touchdowns with a 71 percent completion percentage, and he oozes star potential on film.

The Hawkeyes defeinitely missed out on an exciting talent, but the program won't lose sleep over it.