Five 2027s Worthy of Their First D1 Offer — Specialists

Though special teams is unique in that Division I programs often bring players in as preferred walk-ons, these prospects are worthy of those positions -- and potentially a role on offense or defense, too.    The No. 1 kicker in the state who routinely tests off the charts, [player_tooltip player_id='1571476' first='Logan' last='Barton'] is easily one of the top specialists Iowa has to offer. The kicker and punter for Cedar Rapids Washington, Barton has heard from a barrage of Division I schools through his recruiting process, and it's only a matter of time before a program decides to offer him a walk-on spot. A powerful leg that forced a touchback on all 38 of his kickoffs, along with averaging 39.1 yards per punt this fall, Barton's ceiling is high. Assuming he continues to grow in height and weight, he'll be a great fit at the next level with the right weight training and coaching.     A 4.5-star long snapper according to Kohl's Kicking, [player_tooltip player_id='2085547' first='Daxon' last='Kiesau'] is one of the top snappers the 2027 class has to offer. Standing a 6-foot-2 and 235-pounds, Kiesau is excellent size for what schools want at the next level, and, <a href="https://www.kohlskicking.com/national-player-ratings/long-snappers/2027">according to Kohl's</a>, he posts "an average snap time of .68 seconds," among the best in the class.   Without snapping the entire season due to injury, Kiesau went 15-of-15 on punting snaps and 15-of-15 on kicking snaps.     A unique prospect that possesses elite track speed, [player_tooltip player_id='1621055' first='Tay' last='Seals'] has proven to be one of the top returners in the state, thanks to his high-level quickness and ability to make plays in space. Posting the second-best 110-meter high hurdles time in the state last spring, he won a state title in the event in a 3A record time of 13.58, also a top 20 time in the nation.   A threat to score almost any time he touches the ball, Seals is a utility piece for Clear Creak-Amana, also playing receiver and defensive back for the Clippers -- but his main calling card for playing at the next level may be his ability to make plays as a returner. Returning 11 kicks for 437 yards (39.7 yards per return) and two scores, once Seals gets to top speed, he's awfully difficult to track down. He also returned four punts for 59 yards (14.8 per return).   Offensively, he caught 27 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns, and he'll undoubtedly be a more featured part of the offense in 2026. If he wants to run track and play football at the next level, he'll have a shot thanks to his return skills.     The most productive junior kicker in the state last season, one can tell that Rick Solis Downing is a confident kicker and a major asset for Johnston in the third phase of the game. A bit bigger than the average high school kicker, Solis Downing looks ready to step onto the field and kick for someone at the next level, if they need a freshman to take over.   Making 9-of-12 kicks last season, the soon-to-be senior made a kick from 46 yards last season, both of those stats ranking in the top ten in the state.     Not far behind Kiesau in the Kohl's 2027 longsnapper rankings, [player_tooltip player_id='2049929' first='Powell' last='Wenthe'] of Waukee Northwest is another one of Iowa's -- and the nation's -- top longsnappers. He has a ways to go to match Kiesau's physical tools, but the snapping is there for Wenthe.   Kohl's describes him as having "shown polished mechanics and a smooth snapping motion at every Kohl's Snapping Camp he attends," adding "He had tight ball rotation on each snap and an average snap time of .7 seconds."   He finished the season 17-of-17 on punting snaps and snaps 70-of-70 PATs and field goals.

Though special teams is unique in that Division I programs often bring players in as preferred walk-ons, these prospects are worthy of those positions -- and potentially a role on offense or defense, too.