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Hawkeyes offer 2028 in-state athlete Jayden Stephens

RemasterDirector_5122f8b34by:Blair Sanderson•06/02/25•

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Jayden Stephens
Class of 2028 athlete Jayden Stephens. (Photo by Jameson Toma @jam.withthecam)

Coming off an impressive freshman year in multiple sports at Waverly-Shell Rock, there is no doubt Jayden Stephens will be one of the top names to watch in the state of Iowa in the Class of 2028. On Monday, the 6-foot-0, 180-pound Stephens officially announced his arrival on the football recruiting scene with his first Division I offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Stephens, who has a 4.48 forty, 39″ vertical, and 10′ broad jump, impressed the Iowa coaching staff with his workout at wide receiver at their camp on Sunday. Less than 24 hours later, the Hawkeyes surprised him with a scholarship offer.

“After camp yesterday, they gave my coach a call this afternoon,” said Stephens. “I was shocked. I honestly didn’t know if I performed my best, but I guess the coaches thought differently.”

This spring, Stephens qualified for State Track in four events as a freshman, including the 400-meter hurdles, where he finished fifth place in Class 3A with a time of 53.35 seconds. For Waverly-Shell Rock’s Cal Twait, who coaches both football and track, this is just the beginning as the Class of 2028 prospect begins to realize his full potential.

“Jayden is a phenomenal athlete,” said Twait. “He was highly productive as a freshman this past fall and had a stellar track season this spring as a ninth grader.”

“He is a very competitive kid who wants to win every rep in practice,” Twait said. “He plays and competes with a strong demeanor.”

Stephens, who had 250 yards rushing, 224 yards receiving, and four touchdowns as a freshman, also feels like this is just the beginning. While he is extremely grateful to receive his first offer, he knows there is still lots of work to be done.

“It feels good, but I’m not satisfied,” said Stephens.

Up next on Stephens’ schedule will be camp stops at Iowa State on June 4 and Kansas State on June 19.

Stay with HawkeyeReport.com for the latest on football recruiting.








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