Hawkeyes land 4-star junior QB Marco Lainez III

While most college football fans are paying attention to the senior class that is about to sign, Iowa Hawkeye fans are celebrating news of landing a commitment from Marco Lainez III, one of the top junior quarterbacks in the country.

Marco Lainez III of Skillman (N.J.) The Hun School announced his commitment to the Hawkeyes on Monday. He picked the Hawks over offers from Michigan State, Pitt, West Virginia, Illinois and others. Had he gone through the recruiting process, many recruiting insiders believed he would have racked up more than 20 scholarship offers.

Marco Lainez III felt bond with Iowa coaches

Marco Lainez III was first offered by the Hawks on Feb. 26. He took a number of unofficial visits through the summer and fall and fell in love with Iowa City.

Let’s Fly… @Tonyrazz03 @Red_Zone75 @HawkeyeFootball @CoachKenOKeefe pic.twitter.com/g6xiO4nbyV

— Marco (@MarcoLainez5) December 13, 2021

“I just love everything about the program,” Lainez told Blair Sanderson of Hawkeye Report. “Going out there and meeting Coach O’Keefe and Coach Ferentz – both Ferentzes – and talking with Spencer (Petras) and talking with Nate (Stanley) it seems like a perfect fit for me. With the culture there, it’s a really family-oriented culture and they just want to develop guys into the best athletes and men that they can be.”

Marco Lainez III ranks as the No. 17 quarterback in the country, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also ranked as the No. 5 overall player in New Jersey.

Lainez is commitment No. 3 for Iowa in the 2023 class. He joins LB Ben Kueter of Iowa City, Iowa, and DL Maddux Borcherding-Johnson of Norwalk, Iowa, on the early commitment list.

As a junior, Marco Lainez III went 95 of 117 for 1,735 yards and 21 touchdowns. He only threw two interceptions and completed 81.2% of his passes. He also led The Hun School to a 9-0 record in 2021.

The Hawkeyes do have a quarterback commitment in the 2022 class from three-star Carson May of Jones, Okla.