Vote now for the High School On SI Iowa Class 5A high school football regular season player of the year.
Five nominees have been narrowed down from hundreds of worthy candidates for this honor. Along with taking into consideration individual statistics, the High School On SI committee factored in the win-loss record and the importance to the team that each player represented.
Voting will conclude on Friday, November 6, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CT. Winners will be revealed once voting has wrapped up.
There will be a separate vote for the player of the year in each class that includes playoff performance and factors in the regular season.
Here are the five nominees for the High School On SI Iowa Class 5A Player of the Year.
Callan Koch, Sioux City East, Junior, Quarterback
Stepping in for an all-state quarterback can carry a lot of weight. Koch has handled it supremely, completing 62 percent of his passes for 2,320 yards and 27 touchdowns. He has just five interceptions on 244 attempts, adding over 100 yards rushing.
Koch was extremely impressive in a tough loss to Johnston, completing 31 of 48 for 343 yards with two touchdowns.
Trevin Helming, Johnston, Senior, Quarterback
The man at the controls for the top-ranked team in Class 5A, Helming has been nearly perfect all fall. He is completing 66 percent of his throws, racking up 1,797 yards and 23 touchdowns to just two interceptions on 171 attempts.
Helming went off for 243 yards passing and two touchdowns on 15 of 21 in a win over Southeast Polk.
Stanley Cooper, Southeast Polk, Senior, Running Back
Cooper was helped out by Adrian Cooper in the backfield this fall, but the elder brother still carried the load. He finished with 1,321 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns on 166 carries, averaging eight yards per carry.
In a 31-28 win over defending Class 5A state champion Dowling Catholic, Cooper had 29 carries for 199 yards, scoring three times.
Landon Rinnan, Urbandale, Senior, Quarterback
Opponents geared up their defense every week to stop Rinnan. That didn’t matter to the Air Force Academy commit, as he threw for 1,436 yards and ran for another 895. Rinnan had 14 passing touchdowns and ran in 12 more.
Rinnan was exceptional in a win over Ankeny Centennial, completing 14 of 17 for 211 yards and three touchdowns while rushing 18 times for 98 and another score.
Chase Engel, Dallas Center-Grimes, Quarterback, Senior
The numbers look like they're out of a video game, as Engel completed over 61 percent for 1,693 yards and 26 touchdowns with just one interception on 184 pass attempts. He had a quarterback rating over 184 on the year.
To conclude the regular season at home, Engel completed 21 of 28 for 310 yards, throwing six passing touchdowns.
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