Hawkeye Football LOVES dual-sport athletes, especially those that reside in their own backyard.
Former Iowa City High star Ben Kueter fits that description perfectly. Kueter was not only a four-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, but was also a star wrestler.
During his stellar high school wrestling career, Kueter went a perfect 111-0, and was a four-time state champion.
During his freshman season (2023-2024), Kueter played linebacker for the football team and was also a member of the wrestling team.
He did not appear in a football game, and went 3-1 on the mat.
After his freshman season, he announced that he would be taking a temporary hiatus from football to focus on wrestling, but he planned to return before the 2025 season.
His scheduled return to the football field had another setback as he needed surgery for what was revealed to be a torn labrum.
Kueter wrestled through the injury during the 2024 wrestling season and finished with a 21-9 overall record, including an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Finishing eighth granted him All-American status.
Kueter showed up at spring practice, and after speaking with linebackers coach Seth Wallace, decided to undergo surgery to repair his injury.
He has been rehabbing his hip injury ahead of his redshirt sophomore wrestling season, but made an interesting announcement during wrestling media days.
Ben Kueter plans to return to Iowa football in 2026 https://t.co/G7W2mSTsgy
— Tyler Tachman (@Tyler_T15) October 29, 2025
Kueter announced that he will make another attempt to return to the football field in 2026.
Kueter's announcement comes as a pleasant surprise for the football program as the linebacker group will lose multiple key players after this season.
Jaden Harrell, Jaxon Rexroth, and Karson Sharar will be moving on from the program after exhausting their college eligibility.
If Kueter wants to return to the linebacker group, he will compete for snaps with returner Jayden Montgomery and multiple talented young linebackers, including Cam Buffington and Derek Weisskopf.
Kueter has also not ruled out changing positions and stated he would also be open to playing defensive end.
Nothing has been discussed with the football coaching staff, but Kueter could provide some valuable depth for the Iowa defense next season.