Cyclones Sign Another Top 20 Recruiting Class

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger announced Wednesday the signings of four preps for the 2026-27 season. This is the third time in five recruiting cycles under Otzelberger the Cyclones have turned in a Top 20 class in the country.

The class is rated No. 18 nationally by 247sports and No. 35 by Rivals. 247Sports ranks it the third-best class in the Big 12, while Rivals has it ranked fifth in the league.

Gray was the first to commit to the Cyclones. He is ranked as a four-star recruit from ESPN and a three-star from Rivals and 247Sports. He's a consensus Top 5 player in the state of Wisconsin, with 247Sports listing him as the top player in the state. Gray is ranked the 23^rd-best shooting guard in the country by 247Sports and the 29^th-best by ESPN. Gray led West Allis Central to the second round of the Wisconsin Division I State Tournament last season before falling to eventual state champion Marquette University. He went over 1,000 points for his career midway through his junior season. Gray played for Team Herro on the EYBL Circuit last summer, averaging 20 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.3 assists per game in the fourth session.

"Yusef is a downhill, attacking guard who we are very excited about joining our program," Otzelberger said. "Offensively he excels when attacking closeouts and getting downhill. He can play multiple positions on the perimeter and facilitate for others. Defensively, he comes with a competitive edge to win his matchup and dominate his opponent. His size and athleticism at the guard spot allows him to defend multiple positions. He has been an exceptional rebounder and we expect him to bring that to our program from day one."

Kiss is rated as a four-star prospect by both 247Sports and ESPN, while being a three-star in Rivals. All three have him as the fifth-best player in the state of Utah, while 247Sports ranks him as the 95^th-best prospect in the country. All three services have him in the Top 25 at his position in the country. Kiss is playing his final prep season at Utah Prep. Last summer, he played in the FIBA U17 World Cup, helping New Zealand take fourth place. He was second on the team in rebounds with 6.6 per game, while being second on the team in blocked shots with 0.7 per game. He also averaged 7.9 points and 1.9 assists. He had 17 points in a 73-65 New Zealand victory over Lithuania in the quarterfinals. At the 2025 Peach Jam, he averaged 14.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.

"Jackson is a player that plays with a high motor and competitive edge," Otzelberger said. "He is comfortable with the ball in his hands, attacking mismatches to get in the paint or to make plays for his teammates. Kiss is someone who takes pride in rebounding the ball on both ends and brings toughness on the defensive end. He'll make an immediate impact on our program with his maturity and consistency."

A late commit to the Cyclones, Rinaldo-Komlan is not in the recruiting rankings. He is playing his final prep season at SPIRE Academy in Ohio after coming to the United States from France. He played for Limoges Espoirs in France, where he averaged 11.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Rinaldo-Komlan shot 55 percent from the floor for Limoges Espoirs, starting 10 of the 21 games he played in. He averaged 18.3 minutes per game. He played for Hustle Paris at the 2025 Peach Jam, where he averaged 16.4 points and eight rebounds per game, while shooting nearly 70 percent from the floor. He will be the second player in school history from France, joining current Cyclone Killyan Toure.

"Dorian is an extremely active, versatile and athletic player," Otzelberger said. "He is someone that will be disruptive defensively in multiple ways and a high-level rebounder on both ends. Dorian has a natural ability and scoring touch to finish in the paint and around the rim. He is also comfortable attacking closeouts and utilizing his versatile skill set offensively. He'll make an immediate impact on our program with his work ethic and character."

Wiggins is a consensus four-star prospect by all three services. Rivals ranks him as the No. 103 player in the country, while 247Sports has him at No. 119. He's the
top-ranked player in Minnesota by Rivals, while ranking No. 2 at 247Sports and No. 3 by ESPN. He's ranked as the 17^th-best shooting guard in the country by 247Sports, while Rivals has him at No. 27. Wiggins played for D1 Minnesota on the Three Stripes AAU Circuit. He led the team to the National Championship game, as he tallied 16 points and five rebounds in the semifinal win over New World. Wiggins scored his 1,000th point of his high school career last year as a junior, as he helped Wayzata to the state championship for the third time in five years. He tallied 21 points, five rebounds and three assists in the state title game.

"Christian embodies all the qualities we look for in a student-athlete," Otzelberger said. "His parents have provided an amazing foundation of character, work ethic and accountability in Christian. He comes from a very successful high school program where daily habits, toughness and competitiveness are valued. His combination of intelligence, toughness, athleticism and skill will allow him to contribute to our program from day one."