As the transfer portal continues to reshape almost every college football program across the nation, former Iowa fullback Rusty VanWetzinga signed with the Central Michigan Chippewas after spending two seasons with the Hawkeyes.
The 6-foot, 235-pound fullback saw his first game action with Iowa during the Hawkeyes’ Citrus Bowl loss to Tennessee to cap the 2023 season. VanWetzinga played in four games this past season but did not record any statistics.
VanWetzinga had committed to Northern Illinois on Dec. 16, but the Huskies’ departure from the Mid-American Conference for the reconfigured Mountain West Conference might have influenced his decision to switch to the Chippewas.
Former Hawkeye fullback Rusty VanWetzinga has officially signed with Central Michigan @rusty_j_van https://t.co/LrXw9Sp6wz
— Blair Sanderson (@BlairASanderson) January 7, 2025
As VanWetzinga joins Central Michigan’s 2025 roster, the linebacker/fullback will have three years of NCAA eligibility remaining.
VanWetzinga’s younger brother, Joey VanWetzinga, a 6-foot-2, 260 pound offensive lineman, recently signed as part of Iowa’s 2025 signing class.
Similar to Rusty, Joey VanWetzinga hails from Iowa out of Pleasant Valley High School. ESPN ranked Joey VanWetzinga as the No. 10 center in the 2025 signing class.
While Iowa will surely target fullback depth in the transfer portal, VanWetzinga’s departure, combined with the exhausted eligibility of Hayden Large, leaves Eli Miller as the lone fullback on the 2025 roster at the moment.
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