Less than a week after Jase Bauer entered the transfer portal, his successor as the quarterback for the Ankeny football team has followed suit.
Iowa State redshirt freshman JJ Kohl announced on Monday that he will be looking for a new home as well.
“Thank you to my coaches, teammates, and Cyclone Nation for all your support,” Kohl tweeted on X. “I have entered the portal with 3 years left of eligibility. God bless you all.”
The 6-foot-7, 250-pound Kohl was a two-time all-stater at Ankeny, where he passed for 4,208 yards and 42 touchdowns in his career. He helped the Hawks to a runner-up finish in Class 5A as a junior in 2021.
Rated a four-star quarterback by all four major recruiting outlets, Kohl was ranked as a top-10 quarterback nationally by ESPN (No. 8) and Rivals (No. 9). He was tabbed the No. 3 player in the state by 247Sports Composite.
Kohl, who played in the 2023 Under Armour All-American game, picked Iowa State over offers from Iowa, Auburn and Penn State among others. He was a legacy recruit for the Cyclones–since his father, Jamie, was the kicker for Iowa State from 1995-98.
Kohl played in three games as a true freshman in 2023. He completed 9-of-11 passes for 23 yards and ran six times for 32 yards.
Kohl has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll three times. He was also selected to the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team.
Redshirt sophomore Rocco Becht is firmly entrenched as the Cyclones’ starter at quarterback. True freshman Connor Moberly, a former Southeast Polk star, has emerged as the team’s primary backup.