Tag: Ben Kueter

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell comments on Ben Kueter’s move to wrestling

Fickell knows a thing or two about wrestling.

Ben Kueter’s recent announcement that he will be dedicating himself to wrestling only for the next 10 months isn’t overly surprising considering his talent and the doors open for him to pursue right now.

Sure, it may impact the Iowa Hawkeyes’ linebacker depth chart, but the opportunity Kueter has right now is the U23 Worlds and the NCAA title to focus on. Wisconsin Badgers head football coach Luke Fickell thinks this move could turn into more and may pivot into a full-on wrestling career with football falling by the wayside.

Fickell spoke to Josh Basch on his podcast “Baschamania.”

My guess is he’s going wrestling. I think it’d be hard to turn back. If he has success in wrestling, and I don’t know his career. He’s a great high school guy, great international and stuff like that, made the U23 team. I think it’d be really hard to throw it all in and think you’re gonna go back into football, just because recruiting wise, I mean, there’s going to be more and more guys. – Luke Fickell

Fickell has been outspoken about his preference for guys playing multiple high school sports and how that can breed success. Once it gets to the college level, it becomes so much harder with the time commitments.

Everybody’s journey is different and I’ll be really encouraged to watch his journey and see how it goes. I think it’s 10 times more difficult to do both of them today than even was when I was in college … The guys are just so good now. – Luke Fickell

Kueter, a four-star signee from Iowa City, was ranked as the No. 4 prospect in Iowa per 247Sports’ composite rankings as part of the class of 2023. Despite being listed at 220 pounds on the Iowa football roster, Kueter wrestled in the 285-pound weight class last year.

Kueter finished with a 3-1 record, including a 2-1 record against ranked opponents during his first season in Iowa City. Kueter’s lone defeat came against No. 1 Greg Kervliet of Penn State.

Kueter topped then-No. 29 Bennet Tabor of Minnesota and then-No. 11 Konner Doucet of Oklahoma State by decisions. Kueter pinned Northwestern’s Jack Jensen in 45 seconds.

A product of Iowa City High, Kueter was a four-time undefeated state champion, posting a 111-0 high school mark with 74 career pins and 105 career bonus-point wins. Kueter was the seventh in the history of Iowa high school wrestling to accomplish that feat.

Kueter was the 2023 Iowa Class 3A Dan Gable Mr. Wrestler of the Year and the 2023 Bob Steenlage Iowa High School Wrestler of the Year. He was the firth Iowa high-schooler to win a Junior world wrestling title and the fourth from Iowa City High to do so.

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Ben Kueter temporarily stepping away from Iowa football to focus on wrestling dreams

Good luck, Ben!

Ben Kueter decided that Iowa wrestling needed his full attention in order to achieve the championship aspirations that he and the program are both seeking.

In a message on X, Kueter revealed his decision to temporarily step away from Iowa football and focus on Hawkeye wrestling for the next 10 months.

“First off, I would like to thank Coach Wallace and Coach Ferentz for letting me live out a dream of mine. Coach Wallace is the reason I chose to play football at Iowa. Secondly, I would like to thank my football brothers for making this last year so enjoyable. I’ve made bonds with those guys that will last a lifetime.

“With that being said, I would like to announce that I will be transitioning to just wrestling for the next 10 months in order to win a World title, NCAA title and a NCAA team title. To meet these goals will require my full attention for the next 10 months, but this is not the end of my football career. I will start back up in spring ball. Thank you to the best fans in the world and GO HAWKS!” Kueter wrote on X.

Kueter, a blue-chip football signee in Iowa’s 2023 signing class, is also one of the state’s most decorated wrestlers of all time.

A product of Iowa City High, Kueter was a four-time undefeated state champion, posting a 111-0 high school mark with 74 career pins and 105 career bonus-point wins. Kueter was the seventh in the history of Iowa high school wrestling to accomplish that feat.

Kueter was the 2023 Iowa Class 3A Dan Gable Mr. Wrestler of the Year and the 2023 Bob Steenlage Iowa High School Wrestler of the Year. He was the firth Iowa high-schooler to win a Junior world wrestling title and the fourth from Iowa City High to do so.

Kueter was a Freestyle Junior World Champion at 97 kg and a Freestyle Under-20 Pan American Champion at 97 kg.

Kueter finished with a 3-1 record, including a 2-1 record against ranked opponents during his first season in Iowa City. Kueter’s lone defeat came against No. 1 Greg Kervliet of Penn State.

The 6-foot-3, 285 pounder topped then-No. 29 Bennet Tabor of Minnesota and then-No. 11 Konner Doucet of Oklahoma State by decisions. Kueter pinned Northwestern’s Jack Jensen in 45 seconds.

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Hawkeye signee Ryder Block wins Junior national championship

Hawkeye signee Ryder Block captured a Junior National Championship in Fargo, N.D. Kale Petersen also garnered All-American status.

Ryder Block is once again a national champion!

Incoming University of Iowa wrestler Ryder Block won a national title at the Junior Nationals Freestyle Championships on Wednesday. Block mowed through opponents in the Fargo Dome, winning his seven matches by a combined score of 75-10. The Waverly, Iowa, native successfully defended his crown at 138 pounds with a 10-0 victory over California’s Daniel Zepeda.

Block comes to Iowa as a two-time junior national champion and a three-time IHSAA State Champion. He finished his high school career with a 159-1 record.

Block was not the only incoming Iowa signee to achieve All-American status, though. Incoming freshman Kale Peterson took second at 132 pounds. Petersen outscored his opponents, 56-20, before falling to Arizona’s Kyler Larkin 8-0.

Petersen is another big-time recruit for Iowa. He is a three-time IHSAA State Champion, Iowa Class 2A Mr. Dan Gable Wrestler of the Year, and a finalist at the 2023 U20 U.S. Open at 61 kg. A star at Green County, Petersen finished high school with a 111-9 record.

Two All-Americans at the Junior National Championships is not bad at all for the Hawkeyes, especially considering the dominance their top wrestler Block displayed. Block and Petersen are just two recruits in a highly decorated 2023 class that includes state champion Gabe Arnold and undefeated four-time state champion Ben Kueter.

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Iowa recruits looking to make history at Iowa state wrestling championships

Iowa football signee Ben Kueter is looking to track down history at the state wrestling championships along with several other Hawkeyes.

Iowa football and wrestling signee Ben Kueter will look to make history this weekend at the Wells Fargo Arena. The Iowa City senior will look to end his illustrious high school career with an exclamation mark, becoming the 32nd wrestler in Iowa history to win four state championships.

As they have been the past few years, all eyes will be on the Class 3A 220 pound bracket. Iowa City’s Ben Kueter enters in as the top seed and heavy presumptive favorite en route to a historic undefeated career. Few have been as untouchable as Kueter over the past year, nor as fun. The 220-pounder is currently undefeated at 35-0 with no matches going to a decision.

That’s right, 31 of Kueter’s 35 wins have come via pin fall. He is more likely to win by forfeit (which he has twice) than by a decision. This has been the story over the past few years, with 51 pin falls in the last two years.

The World Champion does not simply look to win, he looks to dominate.

Kueter is not the only Hawkeye looking to win a state championship this weekend though. Fellow three-star 2023 recruit Maddux Borcherding-Johnson is the top ranked heavyweight in Class 3A as well. Looking at the 220 pound bracket that Kueter is in, two preferred walk-ons in Rusty VanWetzinga and Cael Winter are ranked sixth and seventh respectively.

Looking outside of Class 3A, 2024  recruit Cody Fox is the second-ranked heavyweight in Class 1A. The four-star went 33-1 this season as a junior, and placed fourth at state as a sophomore last year.

The action at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines will start on Wednesday and conclude on Saturday.

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Kenneth Merrieweather grabs third 247Sports crystal ball prediction to the Iowa Hawkeyes

247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong put in the third crystal ball prediction for 2023 EDGE Kenneth Merrieweather to the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Steve Wiltfong, 247Sports’ director of football recruiting, submitted the third crystal ball prediction for class of 2023 EDGE Kenneth Merrieweather to commit to the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Merrieweather was on hand for the Hawkeyes’ big recruiting weekend and apparently the intel Wiltfong heard coming out of the weekend was enough to swing the pendulum in Iowa’s direction. According to 247Sports, Merrieweather’s top two choices are Iowa and Purdue. That duo is listed as “warm” in his interests section.

Wiltfong joins fellow 247Sports colleagues Allen Trieu and Sean Bock of HawkeyeInsider as experts that have crystal ball predictions in for Merrieweather to the Hawkeyes. Trieu submitted his crystal ball prediction on April 24 and Bock submitted his on April 28.

The fact that Wiltfong felt ready to join those two projections following Merrieweather’s official visit to Iowa seems significant. In addition to Iowa and Purdue, Merrieweather also holds Power Five offers from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Oregon, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse.

According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-3, 235 pound EDGE out of Martin Luther King High School in Detroit, Mich., is a three-star recruit, the No. 50 EDGE and the No. 14 player from Michigan. On3 rates Merrieweather as a three-star talent, the No. 75 EDGE and the No. 15 player from Michigan.

Over the weekend, both Tom Kakert and Blair Sanderson of Rivals put in FutureCasts for Merrieweather to Iowa as well. According to Rivals, Merrieweather is a three-star recruit and the No. 18 player from Michigan.

Thanks to recent June commitments from offensive tackles Trevor Lauck and Cannon Leonard, running back Kendrick Raphael and EDGE David Caulker, the Hawkeyes currently own the nation’s No. 17 recruiting class according to 247Sports and the No. 20 class according to Rivals.

Here’s a look at Merrieweather’s junior season Hudl highlights at Martin Luther King High School, a glance at his full recruiting profile and the Hawkeyes’ entire list of 2023 commits.

4-star 2023 OT Trevor Lauck commits to the Iowa Hawkeyes, becomes 13th commit

Four-star offensive tackle Trevor Lauck committed to Iowa, fortifying the Hawkeyes up front and representing the 13th pledge so far.

A big recruiting weekend for Iowa has already netted the Hawkeyes their first commitment. Class of 2023 offensive tackle Trevor Lauck announced his pledge to the Hawkeyes Sunday evening. He is a 6-foot-6, 285 pound from Roncalli High School in Indianapolis, Ind.

According to Rivals, Lauck is a four-star commit, the nation’s No. 229 player overall, the No. 25 offensive tackle, and the No. 3 player from Indiana. In the 247Sports composite rankings, Lauck is also regarded as a four-star commit, the No. 396 player nationally, the No. 33 offensive tackle and the No. 5 player from the Hoosier State.

ESPN and On3 both rate Lauck as a three-star commit. According to On3, Lauck is the nation’s No. 40 interior offensive lineman and the No. 8 player from Indiana. The On3 consensus rankings has Lauck as the country’s No. 441 player overall and as the No. 34 interior offensive lineman. Finally, ESPN rates Lauck as the No. 48 offensive tackle and the No. 5 player from Indiana.

“I’d like to thank God for putting me in the position I am in and for the blessings he’s gifted me with. I want to thank my mom, dad, family, and friends for everything they do for me and their endless support. Thank you coach Otley, Rodenberg, Quintana, and all the Roncalli staff. I want to thank each coach that has recruited me and built a relationship with me throughout the process. With that being said, I am committed to the University of Iowa! Go Hawkeyes!!!” Lauck wrote in his Twitter announcement.

Lauck represents the 13th commitment in Iowa’s 2023 class that currently ranks No. 17 nationally according to 247Sports and No. 18 according to Rivals. The Hawkeyes’ class is headlined in part by quarterback commit Marco Lainez III, who recently detailed why he’s remained loyal to Iowa.

Lauck also joins three-star offensive linemen Leighton Jones and Cannon Leonard. Here’s a look at Lauck’s junior season Hudl tape at Roncalli High School and a look at his full recruiting profile.

2023 EDGE David Caulker commits, becomes Iowa Hawkeyes’ 10th pledge

Iowa’s 2023 recruiting class expanded to double-figures with the commitment of three-star edge rusher David Caulker of North High School.

After visiting Iowa during the spring, class of 2023 edge rusher and defensive end David Caulker was back on campus for the Hawkeyes’ recent football camp. The 6-foot-4, 256 pound defensive lineman is out of North High School in Des Moines, Iowa.

After impressing the coaching staff, Caulker picked up that elusive offer from the Hawkeyes. It didn’t take long for him to make a decision either. He committed to Iowa on the same day.

HawkeyeInsider’s David Eickholt detailed Caulker’s commitment over on 247Sports with analysis from his colleague, Allen Trieu.

“Caulker is a high ceiling player. He is still raw but his body type and twitch are what you want in a Big Ten defensive line prospect,” 247Sports’ Allen Trieu told HawkeyeInsider. “Iowa is a place that can develop him and craft those tools. It is a good match for both sides but I am not surprised he has gone on the offer run he has recently because defensive linemen with his skill set are tough to find.” – Eickholt, HawkeyeInsider.

According to 247Sports, Caulker is a three-star recruit, the nation’s No. 77 edge rusher and the No. 10 player from the state of Iowa. Rivals also lists Caulker as a three-star talent. He also had offers from Iowa State, Kent State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa.

“First off, I would love to thank my parents for bringing me into this world. Then I would love to thank my teammates, coaches and staff at North High School. I would not have gotten this far without you.

“I would also like to thank any coach who has ever recruited me, I will be forever grateful for the belief you had in me! Finally, I would like to thank Coach Addy, Coach Niemann, and Coach Bell; the impact you’ve had on my life is immeasurable! With that being said, I am 110 percent committed to continuing my academic and football career at the University of Iowa,” Caulker wrote in his commitment announcement.

Caulker becomes the 10th Hawkeye commit in the 2023 class. The full look at Iowa’s 2023 class is below.

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Aidan Hall commits to Iowa, represents the Hawkeyes’ ninth 2023 commit

Aidan Hall committed to Iowa and became the Hawkeyes’ ninth 2023 commit. What does he add to an already impressive class?

Aidan Hall picked up an offer from Iowa on May 13 and a trio of experts across 247Sports and Rivals quickly forecasted that he would wind up committing to the Hawkeyes.

Now, that’s officially how it’s played out. Hall committed to Iowa, becoming the Hawkeyes’ ninth pledge in the 2023 recruiting class. Here’s a look at Iowa’s full 2023 commitment tracker.

According to 247Sports, Hall is a three-star recruit, the nation’s No. 110 athlete and the No. 13 player from Iowa. Hall also represents the fifth in-state commitment for the Hawkeyes.

The 6-foot-2, 200 pound athlete joins athlete Alex Mota of Marion High School, linebacker Ben Kueter of Iowa City High School, defensive lineman Maddux Borcherding-Johnson of Norwalk High School and Zach Lutmer of Central Lyon High School.

Iowa’s other commitments include quarterback Marco Lainez III from the Hun School in Princeton, N.J., defensive end Chase Brackney from Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, Colo., offensive lineman Leighton Jones from Brownsburg High School in Indiana, and cornerback John Nestor from Marist High School in Chicago, Ill.

While Hall is listed as an athlete by 247Sports, Rivals lists Hall as a safety. Penciling in where Hall will fit in with the Hawkeyes is interesting to think about.

Last season with Harlan Community High School, Hall carried 94 times for 777 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns, caught 32 passes for 755 receiving yards and had seven receiving touchdowns. He also totaled 29.5 tackles and three interceptions, so he has the skillset to slide in as an offensive skill player or in the Hawkeyes’ defensive backfield.

Iowa has shown that it’s not afraid to move players from one side of the football to the other if the coaching staff feels it could help a player earn more snaps.

The important news for the Hawkeyes is that Iowa now has the ninth piece to its 2023 class and Hall is a talented puzzle piece to add to the fold. According to 247Sports, Iowa currently owns the nation’s No. 17 recruiting class in the 2023 cycle. Rivals rates the Hawkeyes’ class No. 20 nationally and the No. 26 class according to On3.

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Iowa Hawkeyes offer 2023 cornerback Bo Mascoe from Florida

Bo Mascoe, a three-star Florida cornerback according to 247Sports and On3, picked up an offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Iowa is looking for more in its defensive backfield after landing its second commit from a secondary player in Zach Lutmer. Lutmer joins defensive back John Nestor as a pair of 2023 secondary prospects that have committed to the Hawkeyes.

Iowa is hoping that cornerback Bo Mascoe can join that group before long. The 5-foot-10, 165 pound corner from Osceola High School in Kissimmee, Fla., picked up an offer from the Hawkeye coaching staff.

According to 247Sports, Mascoe is a three-star recruit, the nation’s No. 95 cornerback and the 134th-ranked player from Florida in the 2023 class. On3 rates Mascoe as a three-star talent as well. In the On3 consensus rankings, Mascoe is ranked as the country’s No. 968 player overall, the No. 91 cornerback and the No. 141 player from the Sunshine State.

Iowa joins Rutgers as the second Power Five school to extend an offer to Mascoe. The Florida product also has offers from Florida Atlantic, Marshall, Western Kentucky and has seen interest from Miami (Ohio).

According to MaxPreps, Mascoe finished his junior season at Osceola High School with 41 tackles, 11 passes defensed, seven interceptions and a fumble recovery. He also worked as a kick returner for Osceola High School. Between interception and kick returns, Mascoe had four touchdowns during the 2021 season.

Iowa currently has the nation’s No. 15 class according to 247Sports and ESPN, the No. 18 class according to Rivals and the No. 24 class according to On3.

Here’s a look at Mascoe’s junior season Hudl highlights at Osceola High School.

2023 ATH Zach Lutmer commits to the Iowa Hawkeyes

Zach Lutmer, a three-star recruit according to 247Sports, committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes. Lutmer is the eighth commitment in the 2023 class.

It didn’t take long for 2023 athlete Zach Lutmer to make a decision. After receiving his first FBS and Power Five offer from Iowa, Lutmer took all of one day to announce his commitment to the Hawkeyes.

“Excited to announce that I am committed to play football at the University of Iowa! This would not be possible without the support from my family, coaches and community! #GOHAWKS,” Lutmer wrote in his Twitter announcement.

The 6-foot-1, 190 pound athlete out of Central Lyon High School in Rock Rapids, Iowa, is projected as a defensive back at the next level. Rivals and On3 both list Lutmer as a safety.

Meanwhile, 247Sports lists Lutmer as an athlete. 247Sports is the only recruiting service that currently has a star ranking for Lutmer. According to 247Sports, Lutmer is a three-star recruit, the nation’s No. 147 athlete and the 17th-best player from Iowa in the 2023 class.

He also held offers from South Dakota and South Dakota State and was drawing interest from both Iowa State and Minnesota. Last season at Central Lyon High School, Lutmer registered 1,016 passing yards, 1,246 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns on offense and 46.5 tackles and four interceptions on defense.

Lutmer becomes Iowa’s eighth commit overall in the 2023 class and joins Marion High School athlete Alex Mota, Iowa City High School linebacker Ben Kueter and Norwalk High School defensive lineman Maddux Borcherding-Johnson as in-state products that have pledged commitments to the Hawkeyes.

Iowa’s other commitments include Hun School quarterback Marco Lainez III out of New Jersey, Cherry Creek High School EDGE Chase Brackney out of Colorado, Brownsburg High School offensive lineman Leighton Jones out of Indiana and Marist High School defensive back John Nestor out of Illinois.

Here’s a look at Lutmer’s junior season Hudl highlights and his commitment profile.