Recruiting in college is full of wins and losses. You get some prospects to commit, and some go elsewhere.
Ben McCollum has won a lot of recruiting battles early in his tenure at Iowa, but he lost a big one on Thursday to a Big Ten rival school.
Colin Rice is a four-star prospect in the 2026 recruiting class from Waukee Northwest High School in Waukee, Iowa. The skilled and lengthy wing was a top target for McCollum and the Hawkeyes, as they wanted to keep his talents in-state. Unfortunately for the Hawks, Rice has other plans for his future. Joe Tipton was the first to report that Rice has committed to play his college ball for Fred Hoiberg and the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
As Tipton said, Rice picked Nebraska over Iowa, Illinois, Northwestern, and countless other offers. It’s not the first wing the Hawkeyes have lost to Lincoln this offseason, as Pryce Sandfort transferred to Nebraska earlier this year. While it’s a blow to Iowa’s 2026 class, it’s far from the end of the world for that group.
McCollum and the Hawks are still in the thick of a bunch of recruiting battles for great 2026 players, including four-stars Katrelle Harmon, Quinn Costello, and Arafan Diane. If Iowa can land one or two of those players, the 2026 class can still be great, and we all know what McCollum is capable of in the transfer portal.
You win some recruiting battles and you lose others. It’s part of the game. While Iowa wasn’t able to secure Rice for its 2026 class, McCollum has earned the trust of the fanbase with his ability to bring top talent to Iowa City.
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