Meet some of Iowa's top rising high school football recruits from the 2024 offseason

Summer means the offseason, for some.

But for others, it’s a chance to improve in athletics and get the attention of college coaches. Whether that be through attending prospect camps, distributing film or hitting the gym, some athletes view the offseason as a a season of growth.

From Luke Brewer to Axel Ramazani, several high school football players seized the opportunity to rise in the recruiting rankings. The Des Moines Register spoke to some of those athletes to hear their perspectives about why they think they rose in the recruiting world.

Here are some of Iowa’s top rising recruits in football.

Names are listed in alphabetical order by last name. Offers listed are current as of Aug. 1 at 10 a.m.

Landon Blum, So., Woodbine

Blum is representing his small town of Woodbine, on the football field and the basketball court.

When he wasn’t pulling in offers from Iowa, Iowa State and Kansas State this summer, Blum competed in club basketball with ETG on the Prep Hoops circuit. He’d consider playing basketball in college if an offer came up for the 6-foot-5 sophomore, but right now, it’s all about football.

It was a summer of development for Blum, who focused on route running and mobility. But several parts of his game stuck out to college coaches.

“They really like my character, my grades and my potential,” Blum said of the three schools, all recruiting him at receiver right now. “I’m pretty big for my age, and I’m athletic for 6-5.”

Luke Brewer, So., Norwalk

Another sophomore on this list and for good reason. Brewer grabbed a few offers in the offseason, including ones from Iowa and…Georgia.

That’s nothing to blink at, especially since the 6-foot-4 tight end posted limited stats on a talented Norwalk team in his freshman season.

“When I got the Iowa State offer, I kind of anticipated that it might start picking up,” Brewer said. The Cyclones offered Brewer first, back in October 2023.

“But I had no idea that it would get this big. I’m just staying levelheaded and really appreciating every opportunity.”

It’s easy to see why colleges like Brewer. The size is there, he’s seen as a receiving tight end – who needs to work on his blocking a bit – and he’s a solid route runner. This is what stuck out, though:

Matt Campbell worked one-on-one with Brewer quite a bit at prospect camp this summer. What did Brewer do after?

“The next day, we had a team meeting, and I took what I learned and just talked to the younger kids in our program,” Brewer said. “Just taking what he said and applying it to the high school team to make everyone better, not just me.”

Jaxx DeJean, So., OABCIG

Most Iowa football fans should recognize this player’s last name, at least.

Make no mistake, though, the youngest DeJean brother is making a name for himself. He earned offers from Iowa and Kansas State this summer, and more are certainly on the way for the 6-foot-4 athlete.

DeJean didn’t expect to pick up the offers this early in his recruitment. He attended camp just to stay in football mode between the high school football offseason and the months without 7-on-7 football.

But colleges saw something in DeJean. Differing from his brother, Cooper, Iowa and Kansas State both see DeJean as a tight end.

“They just liked my film,” DeJean said. “And where I’m at at such a young age, how I could develop. I’ve definitely learned a lot about blocking, which I’ve needed to develop to play at the college level.”

Evan Jacobson, Jr., Waukee

If this is about recruiting jumps, look no further than Jacobson.

The 6-foot-7 tight end collected close to 20 offers, including scholarship opportunities with Florida State, LSU, Miami and Penn State. Iowa State was the first team to offer Jacobson back in March.

Jacobson shared that picking up his ranking – now a 4-star – from 247Sports played a large role in his recruiting rise. That, and getting his tape out to college coaches across the country.

There is a lot for college coaches to like about Jacobson.

“Obviously, being 6-7, 220, having the frame I have, along with my athletic ability and speed,” Jacobson said.

He emphasized that there is still a lot of room for growth in his game, but Jacobson is thankful for every opportunity.

“Every offer is a blessing and I’m super grateful for all of them,” Jacobson said. “There’s always more work to be done.”

Alex Manske, Sr., Algona

Sure, Manske committed to Iowa State in February. But being bumped up to a 4-star ranking and competing in the Elite 11 finals, an exclusive camp comprised of 20 of the best high school quarterbacks in the nation, means that Manske’s recruiting stock rose over the last few months.

“Being able to throw against the best guys in the country and see how you compare against them was definitely an amazing experience,” Manske said.

Knowledge was the most beneficial takeaway from Elite 11 for Manske, who took every opportunity to absorb the advice coming from the lineup of speakers. The experience also challenged Manske’s loyalty. Even though he said he had some coaches texting him after the event, Iowa State fans don’t need to worry.

“I’m pretty locked in with Iowa State, and I don’t really see that changing,” Manske said.

Even as a committed player, Manske turned all his focus to football in the offseason. He said he worked mainly on his consistency, accuracy and mechanics.

Marcus McGregor, Sr., Valley

There are not one, but two players on this list headed to Wyoming after whirlwind summers in the recruiting world.

The 6-foot-3 offensive lineman out of Valley chose the Cowboys over offers from Northern Iowa and Montana, among others. But the offers didn’t come until McGregor put himself out there.

“I think it’s really all about the film and the hard work I was putting in at some of the camps,” McGregor said.

McGregor noted that coaches liked his flexibility and his speed off the ball. With his senior season on the horizon, the Tigers’ lineman is focused on playing harder, being consistent, and leaving everything out on the field.

Jayden McGregory, Jr., Valley

There must be something special about a recruit if the reigning national champions are interested.

That’s the case for McGregory, who added an offer in June from Michigan to his laundry list of offers, which includes Iowa State. Six schools have offered the 6-foot-2 athlete since April.

He competed at only one camp this summer, instead using his time to take unofficial visits to some out-of-state schools. For the dual-sport athlete – who won a state championship in basketball with Valley this year – there was one major part of his game that stood out to college coaches.

“With basketball, they like multisport athletes,” McGregory said. “They love basketball players and the athleticism it shows.”

Tariq Miller, Sr., Central Decatur

After playing for a smaller school, Miller knew he needed just one solid season of film to convince college coaches to give him a shot. Once he had that, he advocated for himself.

Miller used social media to his advantage. He posted workouts, shared his film with coaches and logged his improvement in the offseason. After some coaches got eyes on him at camp, the recruiting picked up.

“Coaches saw the high ceiling I had with football,” Miller said. “Measurables, for sure, at 6-4, 285. Just growing my body, staying athletic, but the best football’s ahead.”

After landing a handful of Division I offers, Miller decided on Wyoming. He felt at home there and the coaching staff showed the most interest in the budding Iowa athlete.

His advice for other young recruits coming from smaller towns?

“Work in silence,” Miller said. “Invest in yourself, know your worth, and promote yourself. It’s hard work, but you have to get yourself out there.”

Axel Ramazani, Sr., Urbandale

The 6-foot-3 edge rusher held no Division I offers heading into his junior season, and not in the immediate weeks after the high school season concluded either. Now he has eight, including Cincinnati, Northern Iowa and Wyoming.

Ramazani thinks it was getting his film out to the right coaches that kickstarted his recruitment. He says that he’s different from most Iowa high school football players – more explosive, a little twitchy.

There were some nerves not having any offers leading up to February of this year, but Ramazani remained patient, knowing that coaches would like what they saw on his film.

“Mostly versatility,” Ramazani said, about what college coaches liked about him. “I’ve worked on my strength and football IQ. Last year, it was mostly just speed. Now I’m focused on playing with more technique.”

Kailer Smith, Sr., Cedar Falls

Smith’s first FBS offer from Air Force meant a little bit more, because there was that element of patriotism that comes with an offer from one of the service academies. That stood out to Smith, even as he picked up a few more Division I offers in the summer before his senior year.

But ultimately, the hometown team won out, with UNI offering Smith in mid-June and the Cedar Falls rising star committing shortly after.

With limited film, Smith reached out to coaches and developed relationships. When it came time for summer prospect camps, Smith was already familiar with some of the faces watching from the sidelines.

The 6-foot-6 tight end could be a steal for UNI, who seems like he’d fit right in with the Panthers’ program.

“I have a really good frame, that can fit into a couple different positions,” Smith said. “There’s also the fact that I love blocking. It’s my bread and butter. That’s something that you can’t always teach. That really caught a lot of eyes.”

Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 10 of Iowa's top high school football recruits from the 2024 offseason