Texas also has LSU, Oklahoma, Okie St coming after that talent
Here's the thing on that though: the modern reality of recruiting is, once you get into that 3* range, the kid is going to get at least regional attention whether he's in suburban Dallas or Sigourney, IA. As you move into the rarified air of 4* and 5* prospects, that just ratchets up. The only difference between Iowa and Texas in this regard is that Texas has a shitload more of such prospects than Iowa, so the recruiting battles are more noticeable.
Point being, whether you're in Iowa or Texas, once you hit a certain prospect talent threshold, those in-state kids aren't going to just leap into your boat. As you move up the talent ladder, you're going to have a progressively tougher fight on your hands and you're going to lose some of those fights.
This is no way directed at you Drummer - you made an innocuous (and true) observation with no hint of agenda...but a significant portion of our fanbase is absolute DESPERATE to minimize the inherent talent challenges Iowa faces. "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard" - yes, I love it, that slogan encapsulates my #1 favorite thing about Iowa football and our program identity, but that is WAY different than "talent doesn't matter". It matters. Like, a LOT. Look at Alabama, that's what you get with talent AND hard work.
Without (a) a significant population base or (b) an elite program history (ideally you'd have BOTH), you're going to face struggles sourcing talent. Those are facts no matter how hard you believe they should not apply to Iowa.