The strong Iowa State football 2023 recruiting class is preparing to take the field at their respective high schools, and there are many players to watch.

The Cyclones were very successful in recruiting in-state talent, but that success didn’t stop as they recruited past Iowa’s borders. Just one state away, three very talented young men from Illinois have committed to play football for Iowa State in 2023.

Brandon Henderson

Henderson is a three-star offensive lineman from East St. Louis High School. Henderson already boasts all the measurements to make him an elite offensive lineman, and he still has one year left of high school.

The nearly 6-foot-5, 320-pound tackle has been an anchor for East St. Louis’ offensive line for years. Henderson has the size and the speed needed to line up on the outside for the Cyclones, where he is expected to get reps.

Not only does Henderson have the measurables, but he’s also shown great hands and pocket awareness in his high school film. With one more year on the East St. Louis line, he can shore up any areas he lacks before he heads to Ames.

So far, Henderson is the only offensive tackle to commit to Iowa State’s 2023 recruiting class, but this shouldn’t worry fans one bit. Henderson is ranked just outside the top 100 offensive tackles in the nation, coming in as the 15th-best prospect out of Illinois, according to 247Sports.

Henderson fielded offers from Illinois, Nebraska, Miami of Ohio, Toledo and Tulsa before officially committing to Iowa State. The strength of the offensive line group and coaching staff at Iowa State helped keep Henderson interested.

Jack Sadowsky

The next player is another three-star prospect. Sadowsky is a linebacker from Batavia, Illinois, where he’s seen a productive career so far.

Sadowsky stands at 6-foot-2, and his explosiveness and versatility make him a significant threat to opposing offenses. He excels at most aspects of the linebacker position and causes chaos for quarterbacks that line up across from him.

As a junior, Sadowsky recorded 81 tackles with 20.5 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks. That meant he averaged one sack every other game and nearly two tackles for a loss a game.

His presence in the run game makes him a strong addition to the Cyclones in 2023, and he is only getting stronger. Sadowsky is over 230 pounds now and can bench and clean over 300 pounds and squat 465 pounds, according to his Hudl profile.

In fact, at just 16 years old, he was cleaning 315 pounds casually in pajama pants. One thing that he brings to the table is his fun personality.

Sadowsky loves to play football, taking the seriousness out of the room when needed. Having someone like Sadowsky on a team makes it easy for teammates to get along and build a strong bond, which helped his high school team to an undefeated regular season record last season.

Iowa State can welcome Sadowsky in 2023 as they beat out fellow Big 12 member Kansas State with his commitment.

Anthony Cunningham

The last player out of Illinois in the 2023 recruiting class is Cunningham, who plays on the defensive line. Cunningham comes from Belleville, Illinois, where he played at Belleville-East High School.

The main thing that Cunningham brings to the table is untapped potential. He has the size at 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, so all he needs to do is continue learning his role on the defense.

So far, he has made great strides in getting better and has shown his strength and speed on the field. Cunningham is a playmaker on the Belleville-East defense and regularly gets back to the quarterback.

The strong relationship he’s grown with the Iowa State coaching staff already is the main reason he chose to be a Cyclone. The team sees his potential and is sure he can succeed when he gets to Iowa State.

Cunningham is a leader on the Belleville-East team and should have a strong final season. Right now, the only things on Cunningham’s mind are winning games and sacking the quarterback.

His size and strength on the field, along with his work ethic off the field, should make him a great addition to the future Cyclone team.