Warrior Evan Jacobson Gains National Football Attention

Big things are happening for Waukee High School junior Evan Jacobson. He is landing offers from top college football programs around the country — so far, he’s got about two dozen schools to choose from.

Building Momentum

Evan’s first offer came last year from a nearby school: Iowa State University.

“I went up there for a visit, they showed me around and I got to see the facilities. Then, me and my dad went into Coach Campbell’s office and talked to him for 20 minutes. That’s when he told me he was going to offer me,” Evan says.

The offers started rolling in for the Warriors’ tight end after his visit to Cyclone country.

“My second offer was from Texas A&M, an SEC program. That was kind of like, ‘Wow, this is getting real.’ The next day, I picked up Kansas State. For the next two weeks, it felt like an offer every day, which is sort of crazy,” Evan recalls.

College Visits

So far, Evan has offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Boston College, Colorado, Florida State, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, LSU, Louisville, Miami (FL), Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Stanford, Texas A&M, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. He is ranked the #1 tight end recruit in Iowa and #8 in the nation by 247Sports.

Over the past year, Evan has attended multiple school visits to tour the training facilities, meet with coaches, and even watch games from the sidelines. From Florida to Texas to Ohio, he has traveled around the country to get an inside look at some of the nation’s biggest stadiums and top-tier football teams. 

WHS Head Football Coach Bakker explains the interest in Evan from college teams: “Guys that are athletic — 6’7 and 220 lbs — there are not a lot of those guys around. So, that, number one, is where many of these early offers have come from. But once they dove in and watched the film, they realize he’s an all-around good football player.”

“Over my 13 years as a head coach, I would probably say this is the most offers one player has had this early in their career,” Bakker adds.

Family Support

Evan says he’ll make his decision with the support of his family — and they know collegiate sports. His older brother, Michael, played basketball and football at Waukee High School and was recruited by colleges in both sports. Michael went on to start for the Iowa State men’s basketball team from 2018-2020 and is now on the practice squad with the New Orleans Saints as a tight end. Evan’s two older sisters played sports at the collegiate level as well.

“I’ve got a really good support system with my family. I know they’ve got my best interests in mind,” Evan says. “I’m grateful for how supportive they’ve been of me.”

Looking Toward the Future

Evan says he’ll commit after making all his official college visits. “I know that’s something I want to do when I feel the time is right, and I feel like I’ve found home.”

Photo Courtesy: Lena Bruening/The Arrowhead

“After he graduates, I hope, number one, that he enjoyed his experience. I think that’s what we want of all of our players and students; we hope they look back and it was a memorable experience with all the good things. I also want him to keep growing as a person and a man. I think he definitely will,” Bakker says.

Evan credits his coaches and teammates at WHS for preparing him for the future. No matter where he goes next, he values the memories he’s made as part of the Warriors football team.

“What I’ll remember most is the guys around me. Obviously, the wins and losses are all in the moment. We’ll remember that for a little bit. But it’s going to be the locker room memories and the team meals that I’ll remember the most,” Evan says.