Iowa State Football

Iowa State offensive lineman Jake Remsburg will reportedly be suspended six games by the NCAA for gambling violations, according to Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register.

Per that report, "Iowa State administrators would not confirm the news, nor would they comment on any other player involved in the state's sports gambling probe of student-athletes at ISU and Iowa."

Five current Iowa State players, all starters on last year's team, have been embroiled in that probe. Alongside Remsburg, quarterback Hunter Dekkers, running back Jirehl Brock, tight end DeShawn Hanika and defensive lineman Isaiah Lee have all been implicated.

Brock and Lee have already left the team.

While Remsburg bet on NCAA football and basketball games, he didn't wager on any events involving Iowa State. Dekkers, Hanika, Brock and Lee were all accused of placing wagers on Iowa State games, either football or basketball, which is punishable on the NCAA level by a permanent loss of eligibility.

Dekkers is accused of placing 26 bets on Iowa State games, including a 2021 football contest.

Per Travis Hines of the Des Moines Register, Brock allegedly wagered on four Iowa State football games—playing in two of them last season, against Kansas State and Iowa—and 13 Cyclones' basketball contests.

Lee allegedly bet 26 times on 12 Iowa State football contests.

Hanika allegedly placed 70 wagers on Iowa State basketball.

Remsburg allegedly wagered 273 times on college sports for a total of over $1,108, with six bets on college football or basketball.

In the NCAA's new wagering guidelines, any athlete found to be influencing the outcome of a game, providing insider information to bettors or placing wagers on any teams at their own school face a potential permanent loss of eligibility.

Betting on other sports but not on events involving an athlete's school could earn a suspension up to half the season. In Remsburg's case, that comes to six games.

"Iowa State has received the eligibility rulings from the NCAA's Student-Athlete Reinstatement (SAR) Committee and shared those with impacted student-athletes," the school said in a statement. "As we have stated since the outset, we will not comment on any individual's case, however we will continue to support and stand our student-athletes if they elect to appeal their SAR decision."

Iowa State tight end DeShawn Hanika has had his eligibility permanently suspended for violating the NCAA's rules on sports gambling, according to Keith Murphy of WHO 13 Des Moines.

Hanika allegedly bet on an Iowa State sport, though he didn't wager on football. He will appeal the ruling.

Hanika was charged with tampering with records in the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations' wide-ranging gambling probe alongside teammates Jirehl Brock, Isaiah Lee and Jacob Remsburg, according to Travis Hines of the Des Moines Register.

All four served as starters on the 2022 Iowa State football team.

Quarterback Hunter Dekkers and former players Enyi Uwazurike and Dodge Sauser were previously hit with the same charge.

Hanika has been accused of placing 70 bets on Iowa State basketball and 288 total sports wagers totaling $1,262.

Both Brock and Lee were accused of betting on Cyclones' football games, while Brock was also accused of betting on Iowa State basketball contests. Hanika, Brock and Lee were all facing the permanent loss of NCAA eligibility.

Remsburg was accused of placing 273 total wagers, though none on Iowa State teams or games. He's facing a suspension of up to half the season.

Dekkers was accused of betting 26 times on Iowa State games in various sports, including a 2021 Cyclones' game. He was also a starter for the team in 2022.

The NCAA's new guidelines for betting infractions included the possibility of a permanent loss of eligibility for any athletes who were found to have either influenced the result of a game for wagering purposes, provided insider information to bettors or placed wagers on any sport at their own school.

An athlete betting on their own sport, but not games involving their team, faces a potential loss of half the season.

Other punishments for betting on college sports are determined by the total amount of money wagered.

Iowa State will be without its leading rusher from last year after he was charged in the state's gambling probe.

According to Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports, Jirehl Brock voluntarily left the Cyclones after being accused of making more than 1,300 bets on FanDuel, including four wagers on Iowa State football games he played in and 13 additional Iowa State basketball games. If he's found to have bet on his own games, the fifth-year senior could permanently lose his college eligibility.

As part of the investigation into sports betting by student-athletes, Brock was charged with tampering of records by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Brock is one of five Iowa State football players charged in the gambling probe, joining quarterback Hunter Dekkers, tight end DeShawn Hanika, offensive lineman Jacob Remsburg and former defensive tackle Isaiah Lee, who already left the team. Dekkers, Hanika and Remsburg have not participated in fall practice amid the probe. All the players charged were "projected to be major contributors," per Jeyarajah.

Ranked as 4-star prospect in the class of 2019 in 247Sports' composite, Brock was the third-best recruit in Iowa State program history. He spent his first three seasons as the primary backup to Breece Hall, who now plays in the NFL with the New York Jets.

In his first year as the starter, Brock rushed for 445 yards and three touchdowns on 99 carries while being limited by injuries. With him struggling to stay on the field, the Cyclones ranked last in yards and scoring offense on their way to a 4-8 finish to the 2022 season.

After losing Brock, Iowa State is left to rely on returning running backs Eli Sanders and Cartevious Norton, who combined for 509 yards on 3.8 yards per carry last year. Stanford transfer Arlen Harris is also likely to see an increased role. Freshmen Carson Hansen and Abu Sama III will add depth if they see the field this year.

The Cyclones will open the 2023 season on Saturday, Sept. 2 against Northern Iowa.

Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers allegedly gambled on 26 sporting events involving the school's athletic programs, including a 2021 football game when he was a backup on the depth chart.

Dekkers did not play in the 2021 game against Oklahoma State in question.

According to Travis Hines and Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register, the Story County Attorney's Office filed a criminal complaint against the 22-year-old. He was charged with tampering with records related to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation's probe into sports gambling activities.

Keith Murphy of WHO 13 in Iowa shared some of the allegations, including a breach of NCAA policies, unfair wagering and conflict of interest, and underage gambling:

Reviewing documents in the complaint against Iowa State's Hunter Dekkers.

Among allegations:

-Underage gambling

-Breach of University and NCAA policies, i.e. using identity of another

-Unfair wagering and conflict of interest, i.e. betting on Iowa State sporting events 26…

— Keith Murphy (@MurphyKeith) August 1, 2023

Hines and Peterson noted Dekkers could face permanent ineligibility due to NCAA rules that prevent athletes from wagering on games involving their schools.

In May, Iowa State released a statement revealing it notified the NCAA of gambling allegations against approximately 15 student-athletes from football, wrestling and track & field:

Statement from Iowa State on gambling allegations with student-athletes. pic.twitter.com/f8rSXCiLtD

— Chris Williams (@ChrisMWilliams) May 8, 2023

It was not the only school from the state involved in such a situation, as the University of Iowa announced around the same time that 26 student-athletes were involved in a sports gambling investigation in which the school was "fully cooperating."

Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell spoke to reporters at Big 12 media days about the gambling probe and did not offer specifics regarding the status of Dekkers.

"Right now, for us, that investigation is ongoing," Campbell said.

"Just continues to not really have a lot of clarity to it. But I think we're getting closer to getting clarity. The appreciation that I have, is they've kind of given me the opportunity to be removed from that process and just give me the results once the results come our way. I think what I would say for any of our young men that either are or are not involved in this, is it's a great learning lesson."

Dekkers played 12 games last season for the Cyclones and completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 3,044 yards, 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Amid an investigation into possible gambling violations by student-athletes at Iowa and Iowa State, there's been no evidence of game-fixing at either school, according to the head of the state gaming commission.

Brian Ohorilko, the director of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, told Avery Yang and Darren Rovell of the Action Network it won't be necessary to ban or halt any betting markets on Iowa or Iowa State athletics based on recent findings.

"We review the types of wagers that come in and how suspicious they are," he said. "We have no reason to believe that there's anything like that here. ... There wasn't anything giving us pause or leading us to believe that any of these markets were compromised."

On Monday, both Iowa and Iowa State notified the NCAA of gambling allegations against a total of 41 student-athletes across the two schools.

Iowa's investigation:
26 current student-athletes from baseball, football, men’s basketball, men’s track and field, and wrestling and one full-time employee of the UI athletics.
Does not include any current or former coaches. https://t.co/pQX59PFRre

— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) May 8, 2023

Participating in online sports betting is a violation of NCAA rules, and the Hawkeyes and Cyclones aren't the only teams to be dealing with potential infractions.

Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon was fired last week for his alleged involvement in suspicious wagering activity regarding his team last month. Bohannon reportedly was on the phone with a former high school coach when Alabama's top pitcher Luke Holman was scratched from his start against LSU, and the former coach proceeded to place "substantial wagers" on the Tigers at a BetMGM Sportsbook in Cincinnati.

The Crimson Tide went on to lose the game 8-6, and Yang and Rovell noted that "an independent organization filed a report to state gaming commissions across the country indicating potential malfeasance."

Four states and 12 sportsbooks have reportedly halted all betting on Alabama baseball amid multiple ongoing investigations into the suspicious activity.

Iowa State released a statement on Monday announcing that the university has notified the NCAA of gambling allegations against 15 student-athletes.

The statement noted that those facing these allegations come from the sports of football, wrestling and track & field, and they allegedly violated NCAA rules by participating in online betting:

Statement from Iowa State on gambling allegations with student-athletes. pic.twitter.com/f8rSXCiLtD

— Chris Williams (@ChrisMWilliams) May 8, 2023

Iowa State is the latest school to find itself dealing with potential gambling violations over the past few days.

On Friday, Darren Rovell of the Action Network reported that former Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon allegedly relayed information to a former high school baseball coach, who then placed "suspicious" wagers on the LSU Tigers to defeat the Crimson Tide before the two teams faced each other on April 28.

Bohannon reportedly was on the phone with the former coach when Alabama's top pitcher Luke Holman was scratched from his start and replaced by reliever Hagan Banks, who hadn't made a start in over a month. The former coach then placed "substantial wagers" at a Cincinnati sportsbook on the LSU moneyline, which closed at -245, as well as a parlay.

Alabama went on to lose 8-6, and Bohannon was fired on Thursday as a result of the allegations. So far, four states have halted all betting on Alabama baseball.

Rovell also reported on Monday that the Iowa baseball team is under investigation by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. The Hawkeyes had suspended multiple players "due to a potential violation" and made the announcement on Friday just before their weekend series against Ohio State began.

"The commission takes the integrity of gaming in the state seriously and is continuing to monitor the situation and will provide any additional information when able," said Brian Ohorilko, the director of gaming for the state's commission.

Per Chad Leistikow and Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register, the university released a statement revealing that "111 individuals had been flagged in the investigation, including 26 student-athletes in baseball, football, men's basketball, men's track and field and wrestling, plus one full-time employee in the UI athletics department." Iowa has also notified the NCAA of the potential violations and "hired outside counsel to assist in the investigative process."

As online sports betting continues to grow in popularity, it seems inevitable that more schools could face potential gambling violations.

Iowa State linebacker Aidan Ralph was arrested Wednesday for allegedly raping a woman at his home in Ames, Iowa, in December.

According to the Associated Press, Ralph was charged with felony sexual assault and misdemeanor domestic violence in relation to an alleged assault on a woman in the early morning hours of Dec. 3.

The woman told police that Ralph accused her of cheating and pushed her so hard into the stairs that it fractured her spine. Unable to move, she said she asked Ralph to call an ambulance but he "lay on top of her and raped her as she cried and begged him to stop," per the Associated Press.

Ralph is being held on $11,000 bond and will have a hearing regarding the case on May 15.

An Iowa State spokesperson told the Ames Tribune (h/t the AP) the redshirt sophomore from Chicago has been indefinitely suspended from the team.

Ralph was rated as a 3-star recruit by 247Sports when he committed to Iowa State as part of the 2021 recruiting class after playing his high school football at De La Salle Institute in Chicago.

The Cyclones redshirted Ralph during his freshman season in 2021, and he did not see any game action last season.

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 205

HAND: 8¾"

ARM: 31¼"

WINGSPAN: 75⅞"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.54

3-CONE: 7.07

SHUTTLE: 4.31

VERTICAL: 37.5"

BROAD: 10'5"

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POSITIVES

— Versatile defender with experience at both corner and safety.

— Violent player with very good physicality as a run defender.

— Good ball skills from days as a corner. Impressive ability to elevate and make plays on the ball.

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NEGATIVES

— Relatively new to the safety position. He still has to learn the nuances of the position.

—Overly aggressive at times, both in coverage and run defense.

—Average athletic ability. Tightness can show up at times.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 12 Games, 60 TKL, 2 INT, 4 PBU, 1 FF

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NOTES

DOB: 12/02/1999

54 Starts

2022: Second-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches)

Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (2019, 2020, 2021)

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OVERALL

After spending his first four years at corner, Johnson moved to safety for the 2022 season, finishing his Iowa State career with 54 starts, both a Big 12 and school record. While there were certainly some growing pains at the position, Johnson flashed potential and some very intriguing traits that can cross over to the NFL game.

Johnson is a very physical safety who is fearless in his run defense. That often gets him in trouble, as his violent approach creates poor angles and missed tackles. Johnson shows a good downhill burst and invites the physical aspect of the run game. If he can learn to tame his violence and play within himself a tad more, Johnson can provide high-quality run defense.

Johnson's youth at the safety position was quite apparent in coverage. While he's not the fastest player, Johnson's long strides allow him to cover ground quickly, and he possesses a very impressive ability to elevate and make difficult plays on the ball.

His experience at corner has led him to be overaggressive at times, compromising his position to make a play on the ball. When disciplined, Johnson can provide quality coverage over the top and will strengthen his abilities with more experience at the position.

Overall, Johnson is a developmental player at the next level with some intriguing traits. His violence in run defense is a double-edged sword that could prove valuable if he learns to control it. As he refines his angles and game as a whole, Johnson will bring valuable experience at both corner and safety to an NFL roster.

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GRADE: 5.5 (Backup or Draftable/Rounds 6-7)

OVERALL RANK: 258

POSITION RANK: S22

PRO COMPARISON: Bryan Mills

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

HEIGHT: 6'1 7/8"

WEIGHT: 203

HAND: 9 3/8"

ARM: 31 3/8"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.53

3-CONE: 6.91

SHUTTLE: 4.35

VERTICAL: 36"

BROAD: 9'8"

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POSITIVES

— Great hand-eye coordination. Locates and snaps his hands to the ball no matter the degree of difficulty.

— Above-average foot speed and fluidity. Smooth, rhythmic route-runner.

— Above-average play strength as a route runner. Generally fares well against physical coverage and flashes ability to fight for positioning.

— Inside-outside versatility in terms of alignment.

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NEGATIVES

— Struggles to finish at catch point sometimes despite excellent hand-eye coordination.

— Below-average ability to jump and win the ball in the air.

— Below-average YAC skills. Speed is nothing of note, doesn't have good balance and strength.

— Poor blocker. Low energy, strength is lacking.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 12 GM, 107 REC, 1,171 YDS (10.9 AVG), 6 TD

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NOTES

— DOB: June 1, 2000

— 3-star JUCO recruit in 2018

— Three-year starter, 36 career starts

— 2020, 2021, and 2022 first-team All-Big 12

— 2022 Biletnikoff Award finalist

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OVERALL

Xavier Hutchinson is a smooth, versatile receiver whose lack of dynamic traits may limit him to being a role player instead of a game-changer.

Hutchinson wins primarily with good fluidity and route-running skills for his size. He's no Keenan Allen, but he glides in and out of routes smoothly for a receiver who is nearly 6'2". He also has quick feet and understands how to snap off his routes efficiently, allowing him to play with great rhythm and consistency within the offense. Better yet, Hutchinson can play both outside and inside thanks to his blend of size and smooth hips.

Hutchinson tracks the ball quite well, too. For one, he shows no need to slow down and look for the ball while catching on the run. He also has the hand-eye coordination and arm length to find the ball outside his frame consistently. Quarterbacks throwing to Hutchinson will have a wider margin for error than they would normally.

Oddly enough, Hutchinson isn't really a true ball-winner. He finds the ball exceptionally well, but finishing in traffic is a different story. Hutchinson's jumping ability is lacking, and he can struggle to hang on to the ball when physically contested at the catch point. Additionally, Hutchinson lacks any real YAC skills. His speed is non-threatening, and he doesn't quite have the balance or strength to fight for yards through contact. In all, Hutchinson's big-play ability is middling.

Hutchinson can be a solid WR4 sooner rather than later thanks to his route-running chops, ball location, and alignment versatility. He can be the short-to-intermediate "fill in" piece for an offense that likes to move pieces around. That said, Hutchinson's lack of dynamic traits across the board severely limits his ceiling, and it's unlikely he develops into anything more than a decent WR3. Hutchinson would fit best in a system that can flex him around the formation and make use of his route-running skills within 15 yards.

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GRADE: 6.6 (Potential Role Player/Round 4)

OVERALL RANK: 122

POSITION RANK: WR19

PRO COMPARISON: Quintez Cephus

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 239

HAND: 9 1/2"

ARM: 34 7/8"

WINGSPAN: 82 3/8"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.7

3-CONE: 6.85

SHUTTLE: 4.22

VERTICAL: 36"

BROAD: 11'0"

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POSITIVES

– Sets up pass-rushing moves well by getting to square and/or using head/shoulder fakes during the stem phase of the rush.

– Has a nice hesitation move that he can use to get offensive tackles to stop their feet, combined with the burst to capitalize and win around the edge.

– Showed a good inside stick move with impressive quickness and acceleration.

– Uses a spin move as a counter, both inside and outside, and is effective with his quickness and icepick to knock the offensive lineman's hands down.

– Has a limber lower half to help clear his hips on finesse moves as a pass-rusher and has active hands to help get the blocker's hands off of him after contact.

– Good bend with flexible ankles to turn a tight corner at the top of the rush and take an efficient path to the quarterback.

– Has a knack for getting strip-sacks.

– Gets his hands up and has good hand-eye coordination to get batted passes if he can't hit home as a rusher.

– Has the pass-rushing motor to get coverage and clean up sacks.

– Gets his hands up quickly against the run and is physical at the point of attack.

– Doesn't fly too far up the field when unblocked as a run defender and does a good job wrong-arming/getting under pullers.

– Room for growth on his frame.

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NEGATIVES

– Late to react to the snap and can be a little slow out of his stance, diminishing his acceleration off the line of scrimmage.

– Footwork needs work when slanting to be able to get penetration, especially with his delayed get-off.

– Stops his feet on contact and lacks the size and strength to hold his ground as a run defender against offensive tackles.

– Will get kicked inside from combo blocks or double-teams with tight ends.

– Subpar block recognition and gap discipline against reach blocks. Doesn't put himself in a good position to defend against reaches and will lose control by ducking inside the block.

– Shedding is almost nonexistent versus offensive linemen with his lack of strength.

– Struggles with his balance at the top of a pass rush, occasionally falling on the ground after winning around the edge.

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2022 STATISTICS

– 12 GM, 36 TOT, 7.5 TFL, 5 SK, 1 FF, 4 PBU

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NOTES

– DOB: June 4, 1999

– No. 5 on Bruce Feldman's list of exceptional athletes, 42" to 43" vertical, 11' broad jump, 6'10" wingspan, can do backflips standing still and jump over cars, according to Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell

– A 3-star recruit in the 2018 class, No. 787 overall, No. 47 WDE, per 247 Sports' composite rankings

– No major injuries

– 23 career starts

– 2022 Honors: First-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches), Second-Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele, AP)

– 2021 Honors: First-Team All-American (FWAA, Phil Steele), Second-Team All-American (CBS), Third-Team All-American (AP), Big 12 Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year, First-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches), Ted Hendricks Award Semifinalist

– 2020 Honors: First-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches), Ted Hendricks Award Semifinalist, Second-Team Academic All-Big 12

– 2019 Honors: Second-Team Academic All-Big 12

– 2018 Honors: Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team, Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year

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OVERALL

Outside of Will Anderson Jr., there might not be a more accomplished pass-rusher in this year's draft class than Will McDonald IV. The three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection and two-time Hendricks Award semifinalist is a great athlete, and he has a wide array of pass-rushing moves that he can win with and carry over to the NFL.

However, McDonald needs a lot of work as a run defender. Most notably, he isn't big and strong enough to hold up at the point of attack against NFL offensive linemen. He might even struggle against bigger tight ends. His slender 236-pound frame just isn't going to cut it, so he'll need to bulk up before becoming an every-down player.

The good news is that the Iowa State product has some room for growth on his frame and plenty of athleticism to spare. He should be able to get better against the ground game after spending some time in the weight room. It's just a matter of how patient teams are willing to be in the interim.

Schematically, McDonald would be best as a standup outside linebacker in odd fronts. That would allow him to stay out on the edge and should make it a little easier for him to defend against the run. But he'll likely be a third-down pass-rusher to begin his NFL career.

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GRADE: 7.7 (Potential Impact Player, 2nd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 32

POSITION RANK: EDGE6

PRO COMPARISON: Yannick Ngakoue

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Written by B/R NFL Draft Scout Matt Holder