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As we come down the home stretch to National Signing Day on Wednesday, the Iowa coaching staff is making the rounds in an attempt to fill out the class of 2017. They got one step closer today as they added a commitment from an in state athlete.
Nate Wieland of Iowa City City High announced his commitment to the Hawkeyes today. The 2-star prospect was a QB and LB (with some DE sprinkled in there) for the Little Hawks and was formerly committed to Northern Illinois. Wieland received an offer from Iowa last week when we learned that LB Thomas Johnston of Alabama had chosen to stay home and play with his older brother at UAB rather than attend one of his three finalists.
— Nate Wieland (@NateWieland) January 29, 2017
Wieland wasted no time and took an official visit to campus this weekend. From there, it was just a formality that he would commit. He didn’t leave anyone hanging in suspense as he announced his de-commitment from NIU shortly after his visit ended and let everyone know he would be announcing his new choice a day later.
Over lunch, he made it official.
Very excited to announce that I am committing to the University of Iowa to further my football and academic career #Swarm17 pic.twitter.com/mYIwpSE6sC
— Nate Wieland (@NateWieland) January 30, 2017
Although he played QB at City High, Wieland will almost certainly play defense for the Hawkeyes. At 6’3", 195 lbs, he has a good frame to play LB and Iowa has a need there, although not an immediate one as the Hawkeyes will return 8 LBs next year.
With the addition of Wieland, the Hawkeyes’ class of 2017 now sits at 16. As we’ve outlined, the class will likely include upwards of 20 commitments. Look for 1-2 more to come in today and tomorrow with the rest filling in on signing day.
As always, keep your Twitter feeds scrolling and your browsers locked in here. We’ll keep you updated with all the NSD news.