If you don't believe Kirk has mandated anything - well then you have your answer. Hence my comment about his preferences.
Ben Kueter
- Thread starter Is_there_vodka_in_heaven
- Start date
As far as I know, his preferences are he/him.
You think it's overly flexible for him to spend some time in the room during season this year?
You're thought process makes no sense to me.
Sometimes it's not all about who is paying for what. Believe or not they look at what is best for the individual and the 2 programs he's representing.
Okay fine.....we'll have them shot instead.
Sheesh, certain punishments are just never good enough for people. They always want more..........
Yes - it’s football season, they are playing for a championship and he is on a football scholarship. If BK wanted to be wrestling right now he would be wrestling right now.
If wrestling was his number 1 priority that is where he would be right now. If you can’t understand that I’m not sure what else can be said.
We have different outlooks on the situation and that’s ok.
I know there is cooperation going on between the 2 programs.
OK, who is your source or how do you know? (this is in reference to BK practicing regularly before 1/1/24)
Who is my source and how do I know lol
It’s not like he’s abandoning the football team.
He’ll be in the wrestling room (and has been) before the magic date you like to reference. Not everyday and maybe not during a full team practice but he’ll be in there. You do realize a guy can get into the wrestling room and drill, even drill hard and not jeopardize anything he has going on in football.
Edit: I guess I’m going to ask, who is your source and how do you know he won’t be in the wrestling room before 1/1/24??
Last edited:
Last Thursday was an off-day for Iowa Football players. His teammates took a breather. Kueter felt like getting on the mat.
"I asked coach (Kirk) Ferentz if I could go do that. He asked if I could handle it. I said I could," Kueter said.
He then told wrestling coach Tom Brands that he'd be over in the room.
"He was like, during football season, go play football. Have fun with that. But that's not really how I'm wired. So, I'll probably try to be in (the wrestling room) a couple of times a week, as much as I can. It's an everyday process right now trying to navigate that," Kueter said.
Sounds like he’s in the room a bit. This was from an Sports Illustrated Article from late August.
Thanks for sharing.
Thought someone on the board said he has worked with AJ Ferrari when he has been in town.
From late August means totally meaningless. The football season didn't even start yet and neither did classes.
No matter what, I am really looking forward to seeing him wrestle after football is done and the time is right. I believe he will really help us out this year.
We have nothing to lose having him go this year instead of redshirting. We may only get two years of him wrestling before football almost has to take over to make the NFL. With Gabe it’s a different situation, we will have his full attention the next 4-5 years, so redshirting this year makes more sense for his best interest as far as future titles are concerned.
What worries me is football shape is a joke compared to wrestling shape. We all saw PK today after taking a little time off from injury and giving up weight. Kueter isn’t going to be a big Heavy and it will take him time to get into shape after the bowl game.
Is Ben going to wrestle this year? Is it a for sure or will he use this year to sit out both and use his shirt? Sure he’s been around and will be full time once fball is over but I’ve not heard if he’s gonna be the guy. Hell does anyone know what 84.97.hwt will look like come January.
I love watching hard hitting Linebackers cause havoc on the field... But I have always thought that Ben would follow in the mold of other Iowa Tight Ends who excelled in college and then in the NFL where a particular build and skill set like his would be better suited. Just my thoughts and I am also hoping he wrestles the 2nd semester and kicks some serious A$$ for the Hawks
I mean, Kirk isn't going to just start mandating things right now like some sort of dictator. This has all been worked out liked adults between Ferentz, Brands, and Ben long before he even accepted his offer, and it certainly includes focusing on football until football season is over, and everyone involved (except vodka I guess) understands the situation and is OK with that.
Yeah, there's no reason to ever RS him in wrestling if he's the best option at his weight (and he clearly is right now). There's a significant chance he could be forced to RS (or medical RS) at least once due to football injuries, and if he does have his sights set on the NFL, he's not going to hang around college for 7 years to get all of his wrestling eligibility in. In fact, if he is going to try to play in the NFL, he's going to lose his senior season in wrestling as well training for the NFL combine. That's big business now, and the training is very specific to the events done there, so he won't use wrestling to "get in shape" and then just show up there, he'll have to focus exclusively on it and train for it (and not risk injury in wrestling derailing his combine performance). That's where millions of dollars could be on the line for him.
Yeah you don't get it. I asked if he'd be attending any wrestling practices prior to football season concluding and have been told the answer is yes. No idea if that's accurate or not. I didn't state or imply that he shouldn't be fully participating in football. Just inquired if he'd be able to do both which I'd say is a fair question considering he has a realistic shot at starting wrestling, and hasn't played a single snap of football. It's astounding how that question would be controversial in any way. I had also stated that I'm sure Ben, Tom, and Kirk had discussed the plan in detail and they have mutual agreement. I'm just not familiar with what the terms of the agreement are and made this post to inquire.
If you have anything material to provide to this thread, please feel free. Your comment above says absolutely nothing.
Last edited:
This really makes coaching hwt extremely difficult in so many ways. Imagine trying to sell a kid to give me everything you got for a month or 2 just to be replaced by a kid that will be the starter after the first of the year. Then add to that the one that comes in after the first of the year is basically 2 months behind. I understand why BK is doing it but it has to suck for the staff and other heavies in the room.
Hill is fortunate to be in the Iowa lineup for as long as the situation allows.
Kind of what I was thinking. I mean we just discussed in the other thread outright forfeiting HWT against ISU as an option. At least he gets a chance to wrestle.
Agree. Hill and the other heavyweights were never going to see the lineup until this strange situation happened with the gambling and your stud recruit also being a 4 star football recruit. Hill is the best of the worst, and indeed very lucky.
This is why we will not be able to get a legit top heavy weight recruit or transfer until BK commits totally to football. It sucks, but you don’t say no to the number 2 pfp wrestler, who lives in your backyard and wants to try to wrestle also.
I think after the Big Ten Championship game there is a break in football practices until bowl prep starts. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ben showed up in the wrestling room during that break.
Then after the Bowl game he will be 100% wrestling I would assume.
Then after wrestling, back to Spring football.
Then after Spring football, maybe he practices wrestling to do some freestyle or takes a well deserved rest.
Then end of Summer football.
Rinse and repeat.
Ben is a busy boy.
Then after the Bowl game he will be 100% wrestling I would assume.
Then after wrestling, back to Spring football.
Then after Spring football, maybe he practices wrestling to do some freestyle or takes a well deserved rest.
Then end of Summer football.
Rinse and repeat.
Ben is a busy boy.
For that very reason, I would be concerned with injury if just he sporadically pops in the room during the football season.
this can lead to success in football. Won't lead to success in wrestling also. Need to get a big HWT recruit and BK will be an awesome training partner when he isn't in football. If BK says He wants wrestling 100% (no one seems to think he will) Than he is all we need for a while.
Isn't it wonderful that BK gets all this free and unsolicited advice from this message board. I'll shut up and let him do what he wants. 
Last edited:
There's a big difference between drilling and going hard/live. Of course he isn't going to go into the wrestling room and immediately wrestle a live match 100%. The risk of injury is greater if going straight from football to wrestling and trying to get up to full speed in a short amount of time without having stepped onto a wrestling mat in 5 months.
It is surprising to me how many of you are insistent that a dual sport college athlete shouldn't practice one of their sports even once in a 5 month period.
Isn't it wonderful that BK gets all this free and unsolicited advice from this message board. I'll shut up and lety him do what he wants.
Are you new here? This is a fan forum. This is kind of what happens. People give their opinions on athletes/coaches. Almost every single thread here is "advice"/feedback on wrestlers/coaches.
And my posts have been inquiries on how the dual sport process is functioning. Not advice directed at Ben. I don't think anyone here is hoping that Ben is reading this thread and listening to "advice".
Lots of people telling him what he should do. How nice. I think it is best just to shut up and let Ben do whatever he pleases. He only gets this shot in life once.
Has Ben ever wrestled heavyweight? Just wondering how he‘s done when wrestling the big boys. I know he’s good but isn‘t he giving up a lot of weight?
He was 220 and was splitting matches with Christian Carroll. Carroll is about 255 lbs now and having an average year at best so far. Ben will probably be around 230
I imagine the mentality of the coaching staff is to go all in on recruits at the studs at other weights. Gives a kid like Hill a chance to compete. Seems like there will be a certain degree of uncertainty at Hwt for the next couple years.
From an outside perspective the thing that I don’t get is Iowa doesn’t seem to be in on any of the high level heavyweight recruits right now. That indicates to me one of two things.
1. T&T believe that they will get significant contribution from Keuter over the next several years
2. Heavyweight recruits don’t want to commit to a school where they will have the possibility of someone like Keuter stepping in whenever he can to take their spot. Because he’s better than all of them available now.
We ran into a similar problem with Steveson’s stupid “will I come back or won’t I?” bit the last two years. No one wanted to transfer in because of the possibility he’d come take their spot and it really hamstrung our coaches. The only reason we got Hopke is because he won’t be off redshirt till Gable is out of eligibility.
1. T&T believe that they will get significant contribution from Keuter over the next several years
2. Heavyweight recruits don’t want to commit to a school where they will have the possibility of someone like Keuter stepping in whenever he can to take their spot. Because he’s better than all of them available now.
We ran into a similar problem with Steveson’s stupid “will I come back or won’t I?” bit the last two years. No one wanted to transfer in because of the possibility he’d come take their spot and it really hamstrung our coaches. The only reason we got Hopke is because he won’t be off redshirt till Gable is out of eligibility.
Similar threads
