Closer Look at Iowa Seniors-to-Be Navigating Recruitments

Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: howe30 in the coupon code area   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/checking-in-with-five-uncommitted-iowa-2027s/">Checking In with Five Uncommitted Iowa 2027s</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/discussing-five-iowa-2027s-still-searching-for-college-homes/">Discussing Five Iowa 2027s Still Searching for College Homes</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/updating-recruitments-of-uncommitted-iowa-2027s/">Updating Recruitments of Uncommitted Iowa 2027s</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/closer-look-at-iowa-2027s-still-available-for-colleges/">Closer Look at Iowa 2027s Still Available for Colleges</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/uncommitted-iowa-27s-capable-of-helping-college-programs/" id="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/uncommitted-iowa-27s-capable-of-helping-college-programs/">Uncommitted Iowa '27s Capable of Helping College Programs</a>   I wasn't intending for this piece to be part of a series. It's turned out that way, however. The preview installments have been linked above.   It'd been a minute since I checked on the recruitments of prospects in Iowa's 2027 Class. It was time to update their processes.   Here's a closer look at five talented guys still searching for college homes:   [player_tooltip player_id='1643651' first='Micah' last='Van Beek'], OL, West Lyon   Announced offers: Wayne State, Northwestern College and Black Hills State University.   The Situation: Van Beek enjoyed a memorable junior campaign in helping Inwood West Lyon claim the Class 1A State Championship. The junior was named first-team all-state and was a second-team all-district pick. After playing center as a sophomore, he shifted over to right guard during the title run.   Versatility and projection in a 6-foot-3, 270-pound frame has attracted the attention of colleges. Wyoming has liked what it saw at center, inviting him to a game day this past season. Wayne State got the ball rolling from a scholarship offer standpoint. The Wildcats extended their opportunity on Feb. 13. Northwestern College and Black Hills State University followed suit on Feb. 26.   <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19758529/693ae8261f31bec855cb175b" id="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19758529/693ae8261f31bec855cb175b">Junior highlight video</a> reveals a prospect packed with power and potential. He fires off of the football and gets into the opponent in a hurry. He consistently wins the leverage battle and finishes gaining control with a strong upper body and active hands.   Van Beek holds nice opportunities for playing on the next level. It seems like the interest is light relative to ability and potential, however. He'd benefit from camping with colleges during the next few months.   [player_tooltip player_id='1361313' first='Dawson' last='Kahl'], RB/LB, Cedar Rapids Prairie   Announced offers: Northern Iowa, Northwest Missouri State, Central Michigan.   The Situation: Kahl has been on the radar of the state's Power 4 programs for awhile now. He visited Iowa and Iowa State for game days during his sophomore season. He also stopped at Nebraska that year. Kansas State, Boston College, Wisconsin and Northwestern were in contact during that offseason. Iowa, Iowa State and Kansas State played host to him for visits last spring, and he camped with the Hawkeyes as a linebacker last summer.   Programs stayed involved with Kahl from there. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder visited schools and had coaches visit him at school. Northern Iowa became the first one to extended an offer when it did so on March 12. Northwest Missouri State and Central Michigan have offered since then. Iowa and Wyoming have stopped by Prairie this spring.   Kahl has football in his genes. His father, <a href="https://hawkeyerecap.com/player.asp?id=951" id="https://hawkeyerecap.com/player.asp?id=951">Kent Kahl</a>, starred as a Colorado prep before being named the Iowa Hawkeye MVP for his senior season of 1994.   [player_tooltip player_id='1361313' first='Dawson' last='Kahl'] could end up a successful running back at the next level like his dad. He's also could fit at linebacker or a hybrid in college. He's athletic, as evidenced by him running the 100 meters in 10.85 seconds in last month's Drake Relays prelims.   The <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/20100752/68d73bc6546f4363aa00eab7" id="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/20100752/68d73bc6546f4363aa00eab7">11th-grade highlight video</a> offers up evidence has to how he shines on the gridiron. Kahl gets downhill in a hurry and bursts through the seams. Having seen him in person each of the last two campaigns, I can attest to his strength in discarding arm tackles and running over defenders. He also has some wiggle, good vision and hands to ding defenses as a receiver.   All that said, I'm intrigued by his potential on defense, too. And no matter the side of the ball, Kahl can help programs early on special teams.   [player_tooltip player_id='1616459' first='Drew' last='Bennis'], WR/ATH, Cedar Rapids Prairie   Announced offers: Grand View University.   The Situation: Another Prairie Hawk available for colleges, Bennis, like Kahl, has really shown out on the track this spring. The junior anchored a championship 4x400 team that set the Drake Relays record (3:13.43) with a 46.71 final leg last month.   We witness that explosiveness when watching his <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19731160/690a9cdb640df8dc76c09b0d" id="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19731160/690a9cdb640df8dc76c09b0d">highlight video</a> from his 11th-grade football season. He's a tough cover for high school cornerbacks with his speed and improving route running. He's a weapon the return game, too.   I saw his potential first-hand during a late season win against previously unbeaten Iowa City West. Bennis ripped off a 93-yard kick return for a touchdown and caught a score. For the season, he averaged 19.3 yards on his 27 catches, which ranked second on the team.   Bennis camped with Iowa, Iowa State and Wisconsin last summer. He took game-day visits to Iowa, Iowa State and Drake during the 2025 season. The Cyclones, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota State and Drake visited him at Prairie during January. Grand View University offered him a scholarship on March 28 and Wyoming visited him at his school on April 30.   Track also could be a college path for Bennis. Better yet, maybe a school will see the draw of having a two-sport athlete. College team camps could help him convince staffs.   [player_tooltip player_id='1394059' first='Damarian' last='Orr'], RB, Cedar Rapids Kennedy   Announced offers: None.   The Situation: My in-person exposure to Orr came during Kennedy's matchup with eventual Class 5A state champion Dowling Catholic last season at Kington Stadium. Although the game became lopsided, the junior running back fought hard for his 72 yards and flashed upside as a well-rounded back. He ended up with 624 yards (5.5 YPC) and three touchdowns for an offense that struggled gaining traction in 2025.   The skills are present on his <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/22553815/68fea9442903f84385faea4e" id="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/22553815/68fea9442903f84385faea4e">11th-grade highlight video</a>. He stands out for quickness and shiftiness, but he can finish runs with power and break tackles. There's potential as a receiver and a frame capable of contributing as a blocker.   Colleges have been in on Orr for some time. He visited Murray State during his sophomore year. The next spring, he visited the Tulsa and Washburn campuses, and was invited to camps at Boston College, Kansas State, Wyoming, Dartmouth, North Dakota State and Grand View. He did camp with Upper Iowa.   It was a busy January for Orr. He met with North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, North Dakota, Drake, South Dakota and Northwest Missouri State at Kennedy, and took in a junior day at St. Thomas. He visited Southwest Minnesota State, Sioux Falls and Drake in April. Wyoming, Dubuque, Crown College, Coe, Valparaiso and Northern Iowa have been by his school recently.   Kansas State is set to have Orr at camp on May 31. He intends on attending one at Drake, too, and should take advantage of other camp invites because he has the talent to turn heads in that setting and earn more opportunities.   [player_tooltip player_id='1361135' first='Tyler' last='Nielsen'], ATH, Bettendorf   Announced offers: None.   The Situation: In a way, Nielsen can be viewed as a blank canvas. He's an athlete you get to campus and develop into a productive player knowing he has the versatility to fit at multiple positions with a projectable 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame.   Nielsen impresses during his <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19864078/6930b3c06f3c5abdcb40c393" id="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19864078/6930b3c06f3c5abdcb40c393">junior highlight video</a>. A well-rounded member of the secondary, he proves capable of lining up at cornerback or dropping back to free safety, sticky in coverage and physical against the run. He'd be a special teams' asset, too.   Iowa invited Nielsen to a game during his sophomore season of 2024. The Hawkeyes, Iowa State, Minnesota, Michigan State, Northwestern, North Dakota State, Kansas State, Wyoming and Montana extended camp opportunities last year. The Spartans, South Dakota and Northern Iowa wanted him on campus this past season. This year, he's taken junior day visits to South Dakota State, South Dakota, Drake, St. Thomas and Minnesota State.   Nielsen feels like a prospect that should already have an offer but one or more of them might not be too far off. Those chances would be increased with stops at college camps and then by a super senior season.

Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: howe30 in the coupon code area