Derrick Sherman Continuing Pursuit of 3-Star WR With Iowa State Football

There are a ton of new faces on the Iowa State Cyclones coaching staff, but arguably the most intriguing hire was wide receivers coach Derrick Sherman.

Hired away from their Big 12 rivals, the Houston Cougars, he has made his presence felt immediately. Sherman is a coach on the rise and has done a great job helping on the recruiting trail thus far.

Now, he is using past relationships to help the Cyclones further along. Three-star wide receiver Brian Manuel Jr. is someone that Sherman had previously been speaking to when he was with Houston, and is now in contact with him again to try to bring him along to Ames.

After receiving an offer from Iowa State during the spring, the Cyclones are now set to host Manuel for a visit. He is set to make an official trip to Ames on May 28-30.

Iowa State set to host Brian Manuel Jr. for visit

“It’s going good with them right now and especially with Coach (Derrick) Sherman,” Manuel said, via Bill Seals of Cyclone Report (subscription required). “We’ve got a good connection. He’s made a really good impression, really cares about his players, only wants the best for them and for them to succeed while he’s coaching them.”

It is certainly a positive that Sherman made such a good impression on Manuel while with the Cougars that he has been able to build upon that with Iowa State. Listed at 6-feet and 170 pounds, interest in the Atascocita High School product is very high.

He has received Power Four offers from the Iowa Hawkeyes, West Virginia Mountaineers and Pittsburgh Panthers. 16 more offers have come from Group of 5 programs and those at the FCS level.

Manuel caught 52 passes during his junior season for 1,059 yards and 18 touchdowns to help drum up interest.

However, the Cyclones may have an edge over the competition. Not only has Sherman helped move things along, but Manuel revealed he is good friends with two former Iowa State players.

“What really led to me setting up an official visit there is Iowa State has always been a school that I’ve wanted an offer from and a school I was really going to look into. I had two friends go through there, Chase Sowell and Hunter Sowell. I saw them making plays and really liked it. Plus, Coach Sherman and I have built a good connection and good relationship, so I decided to set one up.”

Both Chase and Hunter Sowell were on the 2025 roster but have since transferred. They were two of several players and coaches to follow Matt Campbell to the Penn State Nittany Lions this offseason.

While certainly a major change to overcome, new head coach Jimmy Rogers and his staff are doing an excellent job of restocking the talent and building a bright future in Ames.

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