It almost seemed like a given that Julian Manson would commit to play football at the University of Iowa. But in today's age of recruiting with NIL, you never know.
Well, Manson took the guesswork out of it all on Wednesday when he officially committed to become a Hawkeye. The Class of 2026 prospect, regarded as one of top players in Iowa, is a legacy recruit for the program.
Manson is the son of former Iowa quarterback Jason Manson, who also currently holds the role of Director of Player Development for Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes.
Staying home‼️ 🏠🐤#committed #AGTG @CoachSWallace @TylerBarnesIOWA @HawkeyeFootball pic.twitter.com/CQetZ6DcIH
— Julian (Juju) Manson (@jujumanson1) June 25, 2025
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Manson is slated to compete for playing time on defense at linebacker. Most recruiting services list him as an athlete, as he held offers from schools such as Kansas State, Arizona, Minnesota and a handful of MAC programs.
But it always seemed like Iowa was where he would wind up. Manson enters his senior season at Iowa City West looking to improve upon a junior campaign in which he recorded 86.5 tackles while grabbing 52 receptions for 867 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The Hawkeyes have been busy lately, especially in terms of in-state recruiting. They also received a commitment from Kasen Thomas, another top athlete from Sioux City Bishop Heelan who is expected to compete for playing time on defense.
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