Top football recruits to watch at state wrestling

The annual Iowa state wrestling tournament gets underway in Des Moines this week and will include several top football recruits competing at Wells Fargo Arena. In this update, we take a closer look at some of the names to follow, where things currently stand with their recruiting, and much more.

Dreshaun Ross

Starting with a true wrestling phenom, Fort Dodge sophomore Dreshaun Ross will be looking for his second straight state title this week. After winning at 195 pounds in Class 3A last year, Ross is 43-0 at 215 pounds this season.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Ross has also made his mark on the football field, finishing his sophomore year with 61.5 tackles and 11 TFL as a linebacker on defense along with 729 yards rushing and eight touchdowns on offense last fall.

Ross, who just turned 16 in December, currently holds scholarship offers in football from Iowa, Iowa State, Purdue, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas State, and Kansas. With multiple national titles in wrestling in his age group, he is also one of, if not the, top wrestling recruit in his class. At some point, Ross may have a decision to make unless he takes the Ben Kueter route and tries to do both in college.

Mason Knipp

Waterloo Columbus offensive lineman Mason Knipp, who recently announced he will be walking on at Iowa, is the No. 1 seed at 285 pounds in Class 1A. Knipp, who won a state title at 215 pounds last year, comes into the state tournament with a 34-0 record this season.

A 6-foot-3, 265-pound prospect, Knipp was dominant on both sides of the ball for Columbus last fall, finishing his senior season with 78 tackles, 36.5 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks on defense, but will likely play interior offensive line in college.

Cody Fox

On the other side of the bracket at 285 pounds in Class 1A is future Hawkeye offensive lineman Cody Fox, who earned the No. 2 seed. Fox comes into the state tournament with a 42-2 record. One of those losses was to Knipp, who won a 6-0 decision over Fox back in December.

A 6-foot-5, 270-pound interior offensive lineman, Fox is a devastating run blocker and was Iowa’s very first commit in the Class of 2025, accepting a scholarship offer shortly after his freshman year of high school at East Buchanan.

Trent Cakerice

Defensive lineman Trent Cakerice, who is walking on at Iowa, earned the No. 6 seed at 285 pounds in Class 2A. The Grundy Center native comes into the state tournament with a 37-3 record this season.

A 6-foot-5, 245-pound prospect, Cakerice had an impressive senior season on the gridiron with 57.5 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and seven sacks for Grundy Center, who went undefeated on their way to a second straight state championship.

Drew Campbell

Cedar Falls defensive lineman Drew Campbell is in the state tournament as a No. 4 seed at 285 pounds in Class 3A. Campbell enters the week with a 26-3 record this season.

A 6-foot-4, 225-pound defensive end, Campbell is following in the footsteps of his older brother, Jack Campbell, who was an All-American for the Hawkeyes. The younger Campbell verbally committed on April 1, 2023, choosing Iowa over scholarship offers from Iowa State, Kansas State, and Northern Iowa. As a senior, he finished the season with 64.5 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, and six sacks this past fall.

Ethan Wood

Also in the Class 2A bracket at 285 pounds is Mount Vernon native Ethan Wood, who earned the No. 5 seed. Wood comes into the state tournament with a 39-3 record this season.

A Class of 2025 prospect, Wood is a 6-foot-5, 225-pound defensive end/tight end for Mount Vernon. He finished his junior year with 36 tackles, 17 TFL, and 10.5 sacks on defense along with 24 catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns on offense. Wood has interest from the Hawkeyes and has visited Iowa City several times during the recruiting process. Other schools showing interest include Iowa State, Kansas State, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Northern Iowa.

State Wrestling Brackets

Visit TrackWrestling.com for brackets.

State Wrestling Schedule

Wednesday, February 14
9:00 a.m. | Session 1 | Class 2A, First Round, Consolations
1:30 p.m. | Session 2 | Class 3A, First Round, Consolations
6:00 p.m. | Session 3 | Class 1A, First Round, Consolations

Thursday, February 15
9:00 a.m. | Session 4 | Class 2A Quarterfinals, Consolations
1:30 p.m. | Session 5 | Class 3A Quarterfinals, Consolations
6:00 p.m. | Session 6 | Class 1A Quarterfinals, Consolations

Friday, February 16
9:00 a.m. | Session 7 | Class 2A Semifinals, Consolations
1:30 p.m. | Session 8 | Class 3A Semifinals, Consolations
6:00 p.m. | Session 9 | Class 1A Semifinals, Consolations

Saturday, February 17
9:00 a.m. | Session 10 | All Classes, Consolation Semifinals & Finals
5:15 p.m. | Session 11 | All Classes, Awards, Grand March, Finals

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