It came as no surprise that the college football recruiting process for Fenwick High School junior Jake Thies picked up dramatically following his strong finish to the 2025 season, which ended with the Friars winning the IHSA Class 6A state championship.
After his outstanding performance in Fenwick’s 38-28 title-game victory against East St. Louis in which he ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns offensively and racked up 19 tackles along with getting a key late interception defensively, which set up Jamen Williams’ game-clinching 3-yard touchdown sneak, the offers started coming in fast and furious. But just as the recruiting process was heating up, Thies brought it to a close with an announcement on X (Twitter), March 28, of his verbal commitment to the University of Iowa. Thies chose the Hawkeyes over Duke, Illinois, Northwestern, and UCLA, among others.
“I’m feeling really good about it,” said Thies, who rushed for 1,142 yards and 14 touchdowns on 143 carries, good for an average of just under 8 yards per carry. On defense, he had 59 tackles (six TFL), five forced fumbles, four interceptions, and three sacks while earning All-Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference honors.
“Iowa’s always been a dream school for me,” Thies said, “and to get an opportunity to play there is a dream come true.”
Thies, whose older brother Tommy will play college football at Miami University of Ohio, told Wednesday Journal that interest greatly picked up after the New Year. He said several coaches came to the school once the recruiting period opened up and those in-house visits were key to his decision.
“Some [coaches] were giving more feedback than others,” Thies said. “As soon as I got my first offer, things got rolling.”
Thies also arranged some Junior Day visits to schools he was interested in, but it was his trip to Iowa that proved decisive. That was when the Hawkeyes made their offer.
“At the end of the day, Iowa really stood out to me. I made the decision that I thought was best for me,” said Thies, who wanted a school with a good football culture, coaches who believed in him, and a place where he could develop the most.
“From day one Iowa believed in me,” he said, adding that he’ll likely major in business.
He also likes the opportunity to play for Kirk Ferentz, who is the longest-tenured head coach in the Big Ten Conference. Ferentz has guided Iowa to a 213-128 record (.625 winning percentage) in his 27 seasons and is the Big Ten’s all-time leader in victories.
“Everyone can see the history he has there,” said Thies, who will play safety for esteemed veteran defensive coordinator Phil Parker. “It’s great to go to a school where you know they win games and do stuff right. [Iowa] does everything the right way in how they handle recruiting and everything within their team. I’m super-excited to go to a program like that.”
He becomes Fenwick’s fourth player in the last two years to commit to a Big Ten institution: 2025 graduates Nate Marshall and Jack Paris spent last fall at Michigan and Illinois respectively. One of Thies’ teammates, senior kicker/punter Noah Sur, will suit up for Northwestern this fall.
“It’s really putting Fenwick on the map as one of the top schools in the state. We’ve got a lot of dogs here,” Thies said. “There are also a lot of guys who might not be playing at bigger schools, but they’re really good.”
Now that recruiting is essentially over, Thies can concentrate on his senior season. He’s eager to help prove that Fenwick can contend in spite of several players from the championship team graduating.
“The offseason is going good; we’re focused on getting better every day,” Thies said. “I can focus on becoming the best version of myself and not have any distractions.
“My brother was a big leader last year. Seeing him lead in previous years, along with Jack [Paris] and learning from them will help me a lot. I’m super-excited for my senior year.”