Football Recruiting Spotlight on Ryan Paulsen

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

June 20, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's Hudl page)

The third person in the Iowa State trio to commit last weekend was edge rusher Ryan Paulsen. Paulsen wasn't an Iowa State commit, but he was a heavy lean before he visited Champaign. Paulsen is a long player who is a good competitor but is an odd positional fit. He listed himself as an offensive tackle recruit heading into this year, and some evaluators have listed him as a defensive end rather than an edge. For the Illini though, he would be an . . .

 

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