Illinois linebacker follows brother to Iowa City

Last season, Iowa freshman Ben Niemann made a splash on special teams, collecting a blocked punt and scooping it up for a touchdown against Northwestern. You'll see more of Niemann as the Hawkeyes' starting outside linebacker this season.

In a few years, you might see even more Niemann, or, really, Niemanns.

Nick Niemann, a 6-3, 205-pound linebacker from Sycamore (Ill.) High School, announced via Twitter on Friday evening that he has accepted a scholarship offer to play for the Hawkeyes.

'Excited to say that I have committed to play football at the University of Iowa! #blessed #GoHawks,” Niemann wrote.

Niemann, whose father Jay is defensive coordinator at Northern Illinois, picked the Hawkeyes over offers from Wisconsin, Northwestern and Illinois.

'All along I knew Iowa was the place I wanted to go,” Niemann told the DeKalb (Ill.) Daily Chronicle Friday night. 'I wanted to make sure I considered all my options. Ben being there helps a lot, cause obviously, it's great to be able to play along with your big brother. I felt real comfortable with all the coaches and facilities because I've been there so much.”

Niemann likely will come into Iowa as a linebacker, but that's not set in stone.

'It sounds like I would be inside if I played linebacker, but there's been discussions about defensive end, tight end or linebacker,” Niemann told HawkeyeReport.com. 'There hasn't been a set position yet of what I would play if I would choose to go there. I don't have a preference. I think I would just do what they felt was best for me because I just want to go where I can play the earliest and help the team. I'm comfortable with any of those positions.”

Niemann caught nine passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns for Sycamore. He also started at linebacker.

It was a busy weekend for Iowa recruiting. The Hawkeyes picked up five commitments and now are up to 15 for a class that's expected to number around 25. The national signing period for 2015 begins Feb. 4.

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