Ben Kueter’s name has become synonymous with grit, grind, and dual-sport excellence in Iowa. After dedicating the past 10 months to wrestling, the Iowa freshman heavyweight made waves at the NCAA Championships, earning All-American honors and securing an eighth-place finish. But now, with the wrestling chapter on pause, Kueter is making a switch.

Now he’s headed back to the football field, as he confirmed on social media: “College wrestling is a grind and I freaking love it!! All American… back to football 🐤.” He may be putting the wrestling on ice for now, but his decision to take a break from football to chase wrestling greatness paid off.

Kueter went 3-1 in his redshirt wrestling season, logging impressive wins against top-30 opponents and pinning Northwestern’s Jack Jessen in just 45 seconds. Most notably, his lone loss came against Penn State’s Greg Kerkvliet, the reigning NCAA champion. That run culminated in an All-American nod at 285 pounds—making Kueter the 46th wrestler in Iowa program history to earn such recognition.

Kueter’s choice to temporarily step away from football wasn’t taken lightly. As a redshirt linebacker, he found himself behind Iowa’s experienced trio of starters and opted to give wrestling his full attention. That dedication also led him to a title at the U20 World Team Trials, positioning him to compete for his second U20 World Championship, which he won.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound athlete from Iowa City has long been celebrated as a top talent. His high school resume includes a flawless 111-0 wrestling record with four state titles, 75 pins, and national No. 1 rankings. On the football field, he racked up 98 tackles and 11 touchdowns his senior year while playing both sides of the ball.

Now, Ben Kueter returns to spring football with confidence and momentum, having proven himself on wrestling’s biggest stage. His future shines bright across both sports, embodying the spirit of Iowa athletics.

Ben Kueter is done, now Ayala, Caliendo, and Buchanan fuel Iowa’s podium push

While Kueter dominated headlines, Iowa’s core trio of Drake Ayala, Michael Caliendo, and Stephen Buchanan powered the team’s NCAA title push, each securing spots in the finals. Though the overall title was clinched by the Nittany Lions, to the surprise of probably no one, it’s interesting to note that Iowa has just as many wrestlers in the finals as the Nittany Lions do.

Ayala, who took second at 125 pounds last year, returned to the finals at 133 pounds with a commanding 6-1 semifinal win. Caliendo, the No. 3 seed at 165, unleashed an early barrage en route to a 14-10 decision over West Virginia’s Peyton Hall. Buchanan, meanwhile, won a high-stakes showdown against former NCAA champ AJ Ferrari, earning a 3-0 decision to reach his first final. Interestingly enough, this has made Buchanan the first wrestler to All-American under 3 different programs—Wyoming, Oklahoma, and now Iowa.

Iowa now boasts three national finalists for the first time since 2021, continuing Coach Tom Brands’ streak of 35 straight seasons with at least one finalist. Now Ayala will take on the top-seeded Lukas Byrd of Illinois, while Caliendo faces off against Penn State’s Mitchell Messenbrink. Buchanan will also face off against a Nittany Lion—Josh Barr.

Their place in the tournament may have looked shaky, but they have pushed through. As the final day looms, the Hawkeyes look to convert podium positions into championship moments—on the mat and beyond.