Coming into Sunday’s Iowa Football prospect camp, the program had offered only seven 2028 recruits scholarships. West Des Moines Dowling Catholic offensive lineman Carter Barrett was the only in-state student-athlete with that distinction.

That changed on Monday when Waverly-Shell Rock Athlete Jayden Stephens learned that his first scholarship offer was arriving via the Hawkeyes.

“They said they were impressed by me at camp, and the way I handled coaching,” said Stephens, who is finishing up his freshman year of high school.

“It felt good to get my first offer and know that all my hard work has payed off. But this is just the beginning.”

So far, Stephens has scheduled additional camp stops at Iowa State (Wednesday) and Kansas State (June 19). Kansas and Missouri have invited him to camps this month.

Iowa impressed Stephens with its workout on Sunday.

“I liked how they let us play at the camp. Then, they gave us coaching tips after the rep,” he said.

Growing up about 100 miles north of the Iowa City campus, Stephens is familiar with the Hawkeyes being one of the country’s most consistently sound programs.

“I liked Iowa because they’re in state. So, I grew up watching them. The culture that they have is great,” he said.

Stephens (6-0, 180) could end up at several different positions in college, depending on how he develops physically. He’s already strong for his age, and the athleticism is unquestioned.

A four-event qualifier at the state track meet as a freshman, Stephens reports running the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds and a 39-inch vertical leap. He ran 400 hurdles in 53.35 at the state meet.

Stephens caught nine passes for 224 yards and a pair of touchdowns as a freshman in 2024. He also contributed 11 carries for 250 yards and a pair of scores along with racking up 14 solo tackles and an interception as a defensive back. Stephens stood out as a returner, too.