Iowa fullback Rusty VanWetzinga to enter transfer portal

IOWA CITY — Iowa fullback Rusty VanWetzinga will enter the transfer portal with three years of eligibility remaining, he announced Thursday morning on social media.

VanWetzinga, a former Pleasant Valley standout, arrived at Iowa in 2023 and first saw game action in Iowa’s 35-0 loss to Tennessee in last season’s Citrus Bowl. He appeared sparingly in four games this season and did not record any statistics.

“Thank you Iowa for a great two years,” VanWetzinga said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “After a coaching/system change over the past year on offense, I have decided it is in my best interest to enter the transfer portal with three years of eligibility left as a linebacker/fullback.”

The upcoming roster cutdown to 105 players — something required of all FBS program starting in 2025 following the House vs. NCAA settlement — likely did not help VanWetzinga’s role as a fullback either.

VanWetzinga’s decision to depart comes one day after his younger brother Joey VanWetzinga signed with the Hawkeyes as an offensive lineman in the 2025 recruiting class.

With the older VanWetzinga brother transferring and Hayden Large exhausting his eligibility, Eli Miller could potentially be the only fullback on Iowa’s roster in 2025.

The transfer portal will officially open next Monday. Graduate transfers and players at schools with changes at head coach can already officially enter while others (like VanWetzinga) will have to wait until the beginning of the portal window.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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