Q&A: Algona's Jack Limbaugh on Iowa and Iowa State football, recruiting and his teammate Alex Manske

As the Iowa high school football season draws closer, there are quite a few teams across the state that fans should keep an eye on.

One of those programs is Algona. Sure, the Bulldogs finished 4-5 last season but there are at least two Division I-bound players on the roster, which makes Algona a team to watch.

Jack Limbaugh, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound edge defender, is one of the top players in the 2025 class. He is ranked the No. 8 player in Iowa and the No. 53 edge in the nation by 247Sports. Limbaugh holds offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Missouri and Nebraska, and he picked up all of those offers between mid-May and late June.

The rising junior recorded 21 total tackles last season, including 12 solo takedowns, seven tackles for loss and one sack.

The Register caught up with Limbaugh ahead of this upcoming season and discussed his recruitment, what he liked about Iowa and Iowa State and playing alongside fellow highly-touted recruit Alex Manske for the latest installment of the recruiting Q&A series.

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Q&A with Algona’s rising recruiting star Jack Limbaugh

What is your earliest memory in sports?

Jack Limbaugh: It would be playing youth football with my dad as my coach. He didn’t let me play until sixth grade because he was worried that I wasn’t big enough. But then he let me play and I had a great time doing it. And I got to play with Alex (Manske) for the first time, so that was a great experience, and we’ve been playing every year since then.

Do you have a favorite memory, either as a player or as a fan?

Limbaugh: I think my favorite memory related to sports would be probably going to Clear Lake freshman year. I didn’t really get to play as much as I wanted, but I really had a great time with my teammates, being able to upset a team that we hadn’t beaten for over 20 years.

So, it was just such a fun atmosphere of my teammates and just everybody working together to achieve the same goal that was just really fun.

I know you’re still pretty early on in your recruiting journey. Can you just walk me through what your experience has been like so far?

Limbaugh: Yeah, I just consider myself so blessed to be able to have the opportunity to be recruited by these amazing schools and programs and I’m just really thankful to the Lord for giving me this opportunity to be able to showcase my talents on the football field.

I just really have enjoyed learning more about programs I grew up watching as a little kid and being able to go to games and stuff. It’s just been very exciting and very humbling.

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Just looking at the offers you’ve picked up – Nebraska, Kansas State, Iowa State, Iowa and Missouri – all within about a month. What have the last few weeks been like for you?

Limbaugh: Being able to see my hard work pay off, it’s a good feeling. But also, I know that I’m not close to done and I’m willing to work even harder now, to show that I’m able to do the things that they see in me and be able to keep continuing on this journey.

Is there any one program that kind of stands out to you right now?

Limbaugh: I think all five are pretty level currently and I’m still just building relationships, looking at the people and looking at the coaching staff and looking at the programs in general. Still kind of feeling it out.

Just focusing on the two in-state schools, can you walk me through what your conversations were like with Iowa and Iowa State’s coaches?

Limbaugh: Iowa State has been very active talking to me, even since like my eighth-grade year when I went to a camp there. They were really impressed and brought me up to the group with the juniors and seniors. So, they’ve been involved with helping me and just talking to me along the way.

And then Iowa came a little bit later, but I had a great time at camp this year. They put on a really quality camp this year, and I’m just really impressed by their program and their development, as well.

You mentioned your connection to Iowa State going back to camp in eighth grade and that you were impressed by Iowa’s camp this year. Can you just talk about how it felt to pick up your offers after camps?

Limbaugh: I think offers after camps are pretty special because you get the opportunity to compete at the highest level against better guys in the same position as you. They’re being recruited by different schools, and so that’s just really special to be able to go out and compete and be able to showcase your talents individually and be able to earn that opportunity after camp.

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And you mentioned Alex (Manske) in your first answer. You and him come from a city of less than 6,000 and you’re both collecting Division I offers right now. What’s going on with Algona football that we have two DI recruits in the same class at the same school?

Limbaugh: Yeah, so that’s a very popular question as far as people asking about it. I just think it’s incredibly special that we both are in the same class and have this opportunity to at least put Algona football on the map and be able to work together.

We grew up friends and we’re neighbors. We live a mile apart, so it’s just really special to be able to go on this journey together. And just having the whole community support behind us is just amazing.

More: Algona quarterback Alex Manske on Iowa State camp, balancing baseball and recruiting

I know you two play on two different sides of the ball, but do you guys push each other at all, being at the level you’re at?

Limbaugh: Oh, absolutely. Even this morning in the weight room, I wasn’t really feeling the greatest before my last set of squats and he just kind of came up to me and said, “You don’t really go half effort here. We go full effort all the time.” And that was just a good reminder to me that we can both push each other to be the best.

Looking ahead since you’re only a rising junior, what are your goals over the next couple of years?

Limbaugh: I’m really kind of team focused, and at this point in my journey, I really want to help my team succeed. As far as the team, I really want to help us go over .500 and make the playoffs this year.

Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Q&A with Algona edge, Iowa and Iowa State recruit Jack Limbaugh