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"Opportunity is too big to pass up": Iowa State QB commit Jett Thomalla reflects on his upcoming visit to 18x Natty winner

Modified May 26, 2025 17:19 GMT

Jett Thomalla, a four-star quarterback out of Omaha, Nebraska, remains committed to Iowa State—but the door isn’t shut on other opportunities just yet. The 2026 prospect, who shattered Nebraska state records for completions, passing yards and touchdowns as a junior, is scheduled to take an official visit to Alabama on Friday, May 30, according to On3’s Blake Byler.

Despite pledging to the Cyclones in April following a January scholarship offer, Thomalla’s recruitment is heating up. Alabama, a national juggernaut with 18 championships and a reputation for molding NFL quarterbacks, extended an offer earlier this month and is looking to flip the standout signal-caller.

“This opportunity is too big to pass up and not check out Alabama,” Thomalla told Tuscaloosa News. “I don’t want to be kicking myself in the butt down the road for not checking out Alabama.”

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While Missouri was once in the mix, Alabama poses a far more significant threat, even without Nick Saban. The Crimson Tide boasts a quarterback lineage that includes NFL starters like Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa and Bryce Young, not to mention legends like Joe Namath and Bart Starr.

“It’s something to look at because I know they’d [Alabama] help me get there,” Thomalla said. “So would Iowa State.”

The Cyclones, however, offer a faster path to playing time, as Alabama’s QB room is already loaded with three young five-star passers. Still, Thomalla welcomes competition.

“You want to go in there thinking you’re the guy and you’re going to be the starter,” he said. “That might not even be true, but that needs to be your mentality going to a school like Alabama.”

For now, Iowa State stays in constant contact and remains fully transparent about Thomalla’s recruitment. But with Alabama in the picture, the battle is far from over.

Jett Thomalla remains focused amid Alabama visit, intense recruitment

Iowa State quarterback commit Jett Thomalla continues to draw national attention as he prepares for a key visit to Alabama. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Millard South standout earned offers from programs such as Arizona, Iowa, Missouri, Duke, Virginia Tech, Washington State, UNLV, San Diego State, Colorado State, and Arkansas State before choosing Iowa State.

Alabama’s offer arrived later, but left a mark.

“It was just cool,” Thomalla said. “Growing up as a kid, it’s always been one of the bigger programs... It just shows hard work pays off and it’s cool to get.”

Now set to meet Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, Thomalla said,

“He did a great job at Washington... I kind of just want to go down there and meet him. I’ve talked to him before – he’s a cool guy.”

Though he’s exploring options, Thomalla maintains transparency with Iowa State.

“They’re still going to recruit me really hard,” he said. “They kind of just say to stay locked in and ‘you’re our guy.’”

The junior threw for 3,664 yards, 47 touchdowns, and only three interceptions in 2024, leading his team to a 12–1 record, a state title, and a No. 1 ranking in Nebraska (No. 131 nationally), per On3.

About the author

Aman is a journalist who has been covering college sports at Sportskeeda since 2023. Graduating with a specialization in Transportation Technology, he believes his educational background, although seemingly unrelated, helped him develop the research, analysis and critical thinking skills important for his current role.

Aman is adept at contextualizing current events within historical narratives. He is also good at technical deep dives and presenting comprehensive report strategies, coaching tactics, and player performances with precision. Through meticulous research, multiple sourcing, timeliness, transparency, and adherence to ethical standards, Aman works to ensure accuracy and relevance in articles.

Caitlin Clark's recent achievement of becoming the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer is his current favorite college sports moment. He also admires Clark and Angel Ree¬se, Caleb Williams, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. Iowa Hawkeyes basketball, LSU, Alabama Football, Michigan Football are his all-time favorite college teams.

Aman finds relaxation and inspiration in activities like reading, hiking, playing badminton & table tennis.

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