By Hawk Fanatic

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Ben McCollum has landed his second high school recruit since being named the Iowa men’s basketball coach in late March.

And in this case, McCollum has landed this particular recruit twice as 2025 guard/forward Tate Sage announced Wednesday on social media that he has asked to be released from his letter of intent with Drake so he can can sign with Iowa.

The 6-foot-7 Sage, who is from Weatherford, Oklahoma, committed to Drake last September when McCollum was preparing for his first and only season as the Bulldogs head coach.

Drake would go on to finish 31-4 this past season and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1971.

McCollum used that success to help land the Iowa job shortly after Fran McCaffery was fired as the Iowa head coach in mid-March.

Sage averaged 13.1 points per game as a senior this past season and he helped his high school team win the Oklahoma Class 4A state title.

Sage joins 6-11 West Des Moines Valley center Trevin Jirak as high school recruits that have committed to or signed with Iowa since McCollum was hired. Jirak had previously been committed to Northern Iowa before switching to the Hawkeyes.

Five of McCollum’s former players from Drake also have signed with Iowa since the head coaching change, including point guard Bennett Stirtz, who was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year this past season.

Other current roster members include freshman forward Cooper Koch, who is the only holdover from the Fran McCaffery era, Kansas State transfer Brendan Hauser, a 6-4 senior guard, and 6-8 Robert Morris transfer Alvar0 Folgueiras.

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Iowa’s 2025-26 men’s basketball roster

name, height, position, class, 2024-25 player status

Cooper Koch, 6-8, forward, redshirt freshman, holdover from Fran McCaffery era

Bennett Stirtz, 6-4, point guard, senior, transfer from Drake

Kael Combs, 6-4, guard, junior, transfer from Drake

Tavion Banks, 6-7, forward, senior, transfer from Drake

Cam Manyawu, 6-8, forward, junior, transfer from Drake

Isaia Howard, 6-5, guard, sophomore, transfer from Drake

Trevin Jirak, 6-11, center, incoming freshman from West Des Moines Valley

Tate Sage, 6-7, guard/forward, incoming freshman from Weatherford, Oklahoma

Brendan Hausen, 6-4, guard, senior, transfer from Kansas State

Alvaro Folgueiras, 6-8, forward, junior, transfer from Robert Morris

Jacob Koch, 6-2, guard, sophomore, walk-on holdover from Fran McCaffery era