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The Iowa football team added a valuable piece to its 2026 recruiting class on Monday as four-star offensive lineman Gene Riordan announced his commitment to the Hawkeyes. Riordan is one of the best inside offensive linemen in the 2026 class, so Iowa had some stiff competition here. Riordan had offers from top programs all over the country, but he specifically chose Iowa over Oklahoma, Northwestern and Penn State.
“BREAKING: Four-Star IOL Gene Riordan has Committed to Iowa, he tells me for @on3recruits,” Hayes Fawcett said in a post. “The 6’5 280 IOL from Hinsdale, IL chose the Hawkeyes over Oklahoma, Northwestern, & Penn State Ranked as a Top 5 IOL in ‘26 (per On3).”
Gene Riordan has a short and sweet message for Iowa football fans now that he is committed:
“Go Hawkeyes!! 🐤🐤🐤,” Riordan said.
Riordan is a four-star recruit, according to 247Sports. He is the #285 player in the 2026 class, the #21 IOL and the #9 player in the state of Illinois. Riordan currently attends Hinsdale Central High School in Hinsdale, IL, which is just outside of Chicago. Northwestern had the geographic advantage here over Iowa, but the Hawkeyes got the commitment.
As a four-star prospect, Riordan has a very impressive list of offers. Some other big programs that were hoping to land a commitment from him were Auburn, Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisville, Minnesota, NC State, West Virginia and more. At the end of the day, the Iowa football team stood above the rest.
So far, the 2026 Iowa football recruiting class is shaping up to be a solid one. Most players end up committing in the summer or fall, so it's hard to truly get a good idea of how good a class is at this point in the cycle, but the Hawkeyes are off to a good start.
Gene Riordan is the ninth recruit to commit to Iowa in the 2026 class. The Hawkeyes have landed four four-stars and four three-stars so far. The class is currently ranked #27 in the country and #7 in the Big Ten, according to 247Sports.
Riordan is the second-highest-rated recruit in the 2026 Iowa recruiting class. The only prospect that is ranked higher is four-star offensive tackle Carson Nielsen, who is the #269 player in the 2026 class.
There is still a lot of time left in the 2026 recruiting cycle, but Iowa football head coach Kirk Ferentz is off to a good start. There are still a lot of targets out there for the Hawkeyes, and more commitments should roll in during the summer months.
