New Scouting Reports on Iowa's Super Sophomores

I'm continuing to scan our Prep Red Zone rankings for student-athletes needing evaluations added to their profile pages. Today that means we're perusing the 2027 Class for these individuals.    Blum followed up a fine freshman season by shining<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/16568301/672b8056612a2a6625d81ee8"> as a sophomore</a>. He caught 40 passes for 802 yards and 18 touchdowns, earning first-team all-state recognition. Blum stands out in high school and AAU basketball, too, which speaks to his outstanding athleticism. He looks like he's moving faster and more efficiently than most of his opponents. A crisp route-runner, Blum gets off the line quickly and produces whether he's goes deep or is operating in the middle of the field, where he makes people miss. He lists tight end as a secondary position on his <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/16568301/672b8056612a2a6625d81ee8">Hudl page</a>, and his talents would play up even more at that spot. Iowa, Iowa State and Kansas already had offered him scholarships at the time of this report.     Valenta has video highlights posted of him playing <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19644597/6722a324ab5e124bb2822cb1">defense</a> and <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19644597/67226fa1fd10be7e12eb0fc8">offense</a> on his Hudl page. Colleges will be open to considering both sides of the ball with him being a high-end athlete capable of developing at several positions. Valenta caught 47 passes for 460 yards and four touchdowns. On defense, he delivered 32 solo tackles and 4.0 tackles for loss. His speed stands out and helps him succeed no matter where he lines up. He runs crisp routes with good hands. Valenta is a versatile defender that can stick in coverage or crash down on the run. Overall, he's a physical football player.     Hanks is dedicated to training and maximizing his abilities through sharpening his skills. He puts time in and it shows when watching his <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19627691/67267aa6b66cc40f79293a2e">sophomore highlight video</a>. Hanks displays his explosiveness on the first clip, where he blitzes up the middle and nails the quarterback. The second play has him dropping into coverage and picking off a pass. Versatility at linebacker is a strength and a great foundation for his future as someone reliable in multiple ways. Hanks racked up 53.5 tackles (35 solo, 5.5 TFL) and 2.5 sacks as a 10th-grader in one of the state's top programs. The ceiling is high here.     Heitland's development is right on time, if not ahead of schedule. It will be a big summer for him on the camp circuit, working with college coaches and showing them what he can do. Heitland shined as a sophomore signal caller in 2024, completing 74.4 percent of his passes for 1,883 yards and 28 touchdowns against only six interceptions. He added 208 yards (7.2 YPC) and four scores on the ground. Heitland's <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/18395167/673686b85574b294591a5518">sophomore highlight video</a> shows us how he gets the job done. He's elusive and can throw with accuracy on the run, keeping plays alive off schedule. Heitland's release is quick and so is his ability to get through progressions. Iowa played host to Heitland for visits in December and again in late March. Many other schools are showing interest.     Harder helped Tri-Center win a state championship in 2024 by completing 63.7 percent of his passes for 2,882 yards 29 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. He added 116 yards and a score on the ground. Harder is a pass-first quarterback as we witness when watching his <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19437617/674f63a4352362e4628e7733">sophomore highlight video</a>. That said, he's not a statue at the position. He's a good athlete that can avoid the rush and buy time with his legs. The ball comes out quickly with good ball placement and zip. Harder gets the ball downfield with accuracy and without much effort thanks to his arm strength.     I watched Rinnan perform in person at Iowa City West during the 2024 campaign. His athleticism and toughness were the qualities that stood out the most. Rinnan is a dual-threat that rushed for 632 yards and six touchdowns last fall. If he can take another step forward as a passer next season, Rinnan could raise his stock considerably. His speed and physicality could potentially play at a different position at the next level. No rush for such decisions today with two years of high school remaining, however. The potential is there behind center, as we see when watching his<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19370754/672bc5e5742f7fc5272575d4"> sophomore highlight video</a>. He has a strong arm and a quick release. Consistency is the next hurdle to clear, and he has time on his side.

I'm continuing to scan our Prep Red Zone rankings for student-athletes needing evaluations added to their profile pages. Today that means we're perusing the 2027 Class for these individuals.