The Iowa Men's Wrestling program went into the transfer portal for the third time this offseason. The Hawkeyes added Nasir Bailey and Jordan Williams from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on March 19 and have scooped up a third transfer on Friday.
Mean Dean officially bringing that Jersey Swagger to Iowa City, go make the most of that final run! 👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/RLlsxrdzsl
— The Wrestling Room (Pat Mineo) (@MrPatMineo) April 4, 2025
The Hawkeyes added a big transfer to their roster with Dean Peterson announcing his commitment to Iowa. Peterson joins the Hawkeyes after spending three years at Rutgers.
Peterson is a three-time NCAA qualifier in the 125-pound weight class. He has reached the NCAA Championships round of 12 twice, falling one win shy of All-American status. He is projected to slot into the 125-pound position for the Hawkeyes.
Joey Cruz was the 125-pound starter for Iowa, but was ineffective during his sophomore season. Cruz finished the 2024-2025 season with a 16-14 overall record. He was 7-5 in dual meets and 6-2 in Big Ten dual meets.
The Hawkeyes are also getting superstar prospect Leo DeLuca next season. DeLuca is the No.1 ranked wrestler in the country by FloWrestling. With Peterson joining the squad, DeLuca can use a redshirt and be more prepared for the 2026 season.
The Hawkeyes wanted to upgrade the roster after a subpar season by Iowa standards, and adding Peterson fills a weak spot.
Peterson will now train with a world-class wrestling program that has produced 125-pound champion wrestlers like Spencer Lee and Matt McDonough.
Peterson has been close to reaching the podium as a championship wrestler. The Hawkeyes hope they can unlock his full potential and use him to address the hole that had at 125 pounds.