Evaluating Iowa Sophomores with Significant Upside

Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: howe30 in the coupon code area   It's rankings season here at Prep Redzone Iowa. We're underway with updates after dropping the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/iowa/rankings/2026-rankings/">final Class of 2026 rundown</a> just before the holidays and a <a href="https://prepredzone.com/iowa/rankings/2027-rankings/">2027 revision</a> on New Year's Eve. We've planned to refresh 2028 and issue our first 2029 rankings later this month.   In that pursuit, we'll be filing scouting reports on Iowa underclassmen right up to when those new ratings are released. Today, that takes us to the sophomore class. It's an important time for this group, whose members are early in their search for college homes.   Here's a closer look at new evaluations for student-athletes in the cycle:    Dlouhy dug in as a sophomore on the West Central Valley varsity during 2025. He amassed 57.5 tackles, 35 of which were of the solo variety. The linebacker came up with 5.0 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and a sack. The Wildcats also list Dlouhy as an offensive lineman on the team's official roster. Finding footage of Dlouhy is not easy. His Hudl page houses a video of clips from a game this past season. The first clip features him lining up at left guard, pulling and pancaking a defender. He's delivering a tackle for loss by flying to the football on the second clip. And then to cap off an impressive trifecta of plays, Dloughy flattens an opponent on kick return team duty on clip No. 3. The rest of the short film highlights burst and physicality.     The Bombers received dynamite play from one of their youngest contributors this past season. Clement piled up 57.0 tackles with 45 of them being solo stops. The sophomore recorded 2.0 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in earning first-team all-district laurels at linebacker. On offense, he chipped in 105 yards rushing (6.6 YPC), and caught six balls for 55 yards and a pair of scores. He even returned a couple of kicks. Clement's versatility and athleticism shine through when watching his <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/23743035/69323e4655262ab8c7b8fc6a">10th-grade highlight video</a>. There's also a lot of physicality, especially for his age. Clement diagnoses plays quickly and flows to the football. He breaks down the opponent and delivers form tackles.     Kleppe impacted the action on both sides of the ball as a sophomore at New Hampton this past year. He rushed for 424 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and caught two passes for 11 yards. Kleppe really clamped down on defense, however. He recorded 55.5 tackles with 25 of them being solo stops. Kleppe posted 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. It's a projectable frame with room to add strength and mass without the loss of the impressive athleticism we see watching clips on his <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/27782755/Austyn-Kleppe/highlights">Hudl page</a>. Kleppe brings size, speed and physicality to the linebacker position. He's fast to the football and gets downhill in a hurry. Kleppe would be wise getting to college camps this summer to show coaches on the next level what he can do.     Miller ran up statistics on both sides of the ball for Seymour in 2025. The sophomore threw for 446 yards and seven touchdowns, rushed for 720 yards (6.1 YPC) and 11 scores, and caught 10 balls for 119 yards and a TD. On defense, he racked up 49.5 tackles, 33 of which were solo stops. Miller also posted 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions, including a Pick-6. He uploaded individual game highlights on his <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/22022354/Drayden-Miller/highlights">Hudl page</a>. On them we can witness a physical football player that gets downhill in a hurry whether he's carrying the football or tackling it. Miller flashes quickness laterally and in a straight line. He reads what the opposition is doing no matter where he lines up.     Lewis Central has produced next-level prospects for years now. So, when a sophomore shows up and stands out on the varsity, it's best to take notice. Campbell delivered 48.5 tackles as a 10th-grader in 2025. Forty four of those stops were of the solo variety, and he tallied two tackles for loss and picked off two passes. Campbell lists receiver as his secondary position, and his skills would play on that side of the ball. For now, he's impacting the proceedings from the secondary. Campbell recently posted clips from three games on his <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/22556375/tyler-campbell/highlights">Hudl page</a>. On them, there's a well-rounded cornerback that looks comfortable sticking with a receiver in coverage or coming up in run support. His frame looks capable of adding good weight and strength, which provides upside for the future.     Belmond-Klemme received contributions from Steffenson in all three phases during the 2025 campaign. The sophomore rushed for 288 yards (6.4 YPC) and four touchdowns, caught eight balls for 32 yards and added a two-point conversion. He accumulated 48.0 tackles, 28 of which were solo stops, and a pair of tackles for loss. Steffenson averaged 30.1 yards on seven kick returns, bringing one of them all the way back to the house. The 10th-grader posted highlights from some of this season's individual games on his <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/22860565/Jaime-Steffenson/highlights">Hudl page</a>. He flashes potential as a running back capable of making guys miss or running through tackles. There's also upside as a hybrid linebacker/safety with physicality and explosiveness.

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