Iowa 2028s Making Noise This Season

Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: howe30 in the coupon code area   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/10/prep-redzone-iowa-week-7-team-rankings/">Prep Redzone Iowa Week 7 Team Rankings</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/10/weigh-in-wednesday-vote-iowas-top-receiver/">Weigh-In Wednesday: Vote Iowa's Top Receiver</a>   Members of Iowa's 2028 Class served noticed as freshmen last season that big production was ahead. That group has returned this fall with more evidence of depth and talent in the cycle.   Here's a look at sophomores making noise in 2025:    Sheehan has done just about everything except sell popcorn at halftime this season. The West Sioux sophomore completed three passes, averaged 10 yards on eight carries, caught three balls for 136 yards and two touchdowns, delivered a tackle for loss and a sack, returned a kick for 37 yards and brought back a pair of punts during his team's first seven games. His <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/26847164/68d195d78e7002b431a0d127">sophomore season highlights</a> to date illustrate how he can impact games in so many ways. His physicality is advanced for a sophomore. His speed also is unusual for his age, and it appears he's playing a tick or two faster than the opponent. Based on evidence so far, it's difficult to project where he would play on the next level. But having versatility and flexibility positionally are assets. And the athleticism is college prospect worthy.     I <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/06/iowa-sophomores-set-to-shine-in-the-fall/">wrote about Hemmer</a> back in June after tracking down some of his freshman highlights. He stood out for his motor and advanced strength for a ninth-grader. Checking back in through seven games of the 2025 campaign, it looks like Hemmer has lifted his game to another level. Hemmer is a bulldog lining up with his hand in the dirt as a defensive end. Not the tallest guy at the position, he fires off of the ball and gets into the chest of his opponent with optimal pad level and leverage. Hemmer operates with violent hands and plays through the whistle. He's off to a great start to his high school career and should be monitored by programs at the next level. Through seven games, he contributed 10.5 tackles (7 solo, 1.0 TFL) with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.     Gary <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/06/iowa-sophomores-set-to-soar-in-2025/">grabbed my attention</a> back in June when I was sifting through highlights from the 2024 season. That was when he was playing as a freshman in the sophomore squad. When checked back on him seven games into his 10th-grade year, he'd taken a big step forward as a key, multi-phase contributor on the varsity. Gary carried 10 times for 198 yards and three touchdowns, caught 19 passes for 200 yards and a score, delivered five solo tackles and averaged 31.5 yards on four kick returns. With a solid frame, high-end athleticism and advanced physicality, Gary is just scratching the surface of what he can become. That should impress college scouts.     Shepard has been one of the state's top breakout sophomores in 2025. Through the Wahawks first seven games, the 10th-grader had piled up 41.5 tackles, 37 of which were impressively of the solo variety. He recorded 2.0 tackles for loss, too. He chipped 112 rushing yards on 14 carries. Shepard flashes potential on both sides of the ball when watching <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/23638806/Isaiah-Shepard/highlights">his highlights</a> from this season. As a running back, he gets downhill quickly with another gear when he hits the open field. He makes one cut and, poof, he's running free. Defensively, he flies to the football and does well it getting off of blocks. Shepard flows well to the football and stays in his lane before arriving at the ball with bad intentions. With added development and strength to come with more reps, he's a prospect to watch moving forward.     Carlton has contributed on both sides of the ball as a sophomore on a Class 5A playoff contender. Through seven weeks, he'd contributed two carries for 16 yards and added 13 tackles (10 solo). When popping on Carlton's <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/22526831/Caleb-Carlton/highlights">highlight videos</a> from the season, we witness an explosive presence at safety. He identifies plays quickly and gets to the ball in a hurry. With an advanced level of physicality for his age, Carlton stands out on run defense. His speed and fluid hip actions portend a player capable of locking down in coverage, too. Carlton has room to grow physically and as a player before reaching his considerable potential.     Stumpff came onto the Prep Redzone radar with his performance as a middle-schooler a couple of years ago. He's steadily grown physically with a game that's matured as well. Stumpff stands out for his athleticism, as we can see when watching highlights on his <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/22771986/jayden-stumpff/highlights">Hudl page</a>. With his size and speed, he's a handful at the receiver position. Stumpff can rise up to high point the ball and take it away from the defender, or he can blast by the secondary. Stumpff is even more advanced as a defender. Through the Prairie Hawks' first seven games this season, he'd registered 21.0 tackles, 15 of which were of the solo variety. He added 2.5 stops for lost yardage and returned kicks. With a frame still capable of filling out and adding strength, projecting a future position for Stumpff is difficult. It's pretty easy picturing him developing into a difference maker somewhere on the next level, however.

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