Iowa State Cyclones first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers has done a solid job on the recruiting trail early in his tenure with the program, but there is plenty of work that remains.
Their Class of 2027 currently has only seven commits after linebacker Keaton Wollan decommitted and flipped to the Wisconsin Badgers. That leaves them with only one defensive player in the class: defensive lineman Zivad Robinson.
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Sooner or later, that will have to change. The Cyclones will eventually add more defensive players to the Class of 2027. One player they are targeting is Chris Wilson, an edge defender from Yorktown High School in Yorktown, Indiana.
However, to secure a commitment from him, Iowa State will have to surpass the Auburn Tigers, whom Tom Loy of 247Sports (subscription required) believes is the current leader in the clubhouse for him.
Iowa State gets first visit with Chris Wilson
Jul 14, 2022; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of the Iowa State Cyclones helmet logo during the Big 12 Media Day at AT&T Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
“Each of these programs is prioritizing him, so it is anyone’s guess where he is headed with these visits on deck. My best guess as of today is Auburn, but we have a long way to go,” wrote Loy.
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The Cyclones have a bit of an advantage, being the first team that will host Wilson for an official visit. He will be in Ames on May 28 for what will be an incredibly busy weekend for the football staff.
Their Big 12 rivals, the Cincinnati Bearcats, will host him on June 5. After that will be the Purdue Boilermakers on June 12, before Auburn hosts him on June 19. This is a critical part of the process for Wilson, who is planning to announce his commitment decision this summer after concluding those visits.
It is fair to assume those are the final four schools that Wilson will be deciding between, since they are hosting him for an official visit. However, interest in him is very high, with 14 offers in total being made. All of them are from Power Conference programs as well, with the West Virginia Mountaineers being another Big 12 rival in the mix.
It is easy to see why so many high-profile programs are pursuing him. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, he has the size and athleticism to be a difference maker coming off the edge at the highest level of college football.
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Evaluators and scouts are very high on his outlook. He is a three-star player with an 89 rating at 247Sports, coming in as the No. 27-ranked edge and No. 5 player in Indiana. The 247Sports Composite has him ranked even higher.
There he is, No. 278 nationally, No. 25 amongst players at his position and the No. 3-ranked player in his state with a 91.09 rating.
Adding a player of that caliber to their Class of 2027 would be a huge win for Rogers and the program.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/iowa-state as Iowa State Football Thought To Be Chasing Auburn for 3-Star Edge.
