Michigan offers Rivals300 Iowa LB commit Kasen Thomas

On June 23, Iowa landed a huge commitment from Sioux City (Iowa) Bishop Heelan Catholic Rivals300 linebacker Kasen Thomas. He chose the Hawkeyes over Nebraska and Iowa State, among others.

Since opting to stay in-state, Thomas has been rock-solid with head coach Kirk Ferentz. For the first time since revealing his pledge, though, the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder has announced a new offer.

Michigan has jumped in the mix. Thomas took to X on Monday to announce the offer, which came via touted linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary.

After a great conversation with @luc_brian, I am blessed to receive an offer from the University of Michigan. Go Blue〽️. #LLABJ @UMichFootball @AveryBeanUM @IAfootball_ @247Sports @BishopHeelanFB pic.twitter.com/1HIjxwXO5K

— Kasen Thomas (@KasenTHOMAS3) September 22, 2025

The Wolverines have been after adding another linebacker to their 2026 class. To date, Chester (Va.) Hugenot three-star linebacker Markel Dabney is the lone LB in the mix. Michigan is working to flip Owings Mills (Md.) McDonogh four-star Nick Abrams from Georgia and has now offered Thomas.

It will likely be tough to get Thomas to move off his Iowa pledge. The Hawkeyes have once again recruited their home state very well, as four of the top seven prospects in the state are in their 2026 class. Thomas joined the fold after wrapping up his official visit to Iowa City on the weekend of June 20. He’s also been back to campus for a game visit this season.

“I’ve been planning on it since I first got my offer there a year ago,” Thomas told HawkeyeReport.com about his decision. “What ultimately made choose Iowa was the people and the development of their players.”

Thomas remains an outlier for Rivals. In the latest Rivals300 rankings update last week, he checked in as the No. 188 recruit overall. He remains just a three-star in the Rivals Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies — however, ranking No. 446 overall.

Iowa currently has just 14 commits in its 2026 class that ranks No. 30 nationally, per the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. Michigan’s class features 23 commits and checks in at No. 10.

On the defensive side of the ball, Michigan’s class is loaded. Of course, Washington D.C. Gonzaga five-star EDGE Carter Meadows headlines as the No. 3 prospect in the Rivals300. Other blue-chippers in the fold for U-M include: Saint Louis De Smet defensive lineman Titan Davis, Columbia (S.C.) Dutch Fork EDGE Julian Walker, Richmond (Va.) Hermitage safety Andre Clarke, Chicago Simeon EDGE McHale Blade and Liberty Hill (Texas) DL Alister Vallejo, Carrollton (Ga.) cornerback Dorian Barney and Frisco (Texas) Lone Star safety Jordan Deck.