Nick Niemann and Kyle Taylor smiled as they walked across the Kinnick Stadium field following Saturday’s Iowa practice. The linebacker recruits met up with Nick’s older brother, Ben Niemann, the Hawkeyes’ staring outside backer.

The trio laughed together as they watched Kyle’s older brother, Miles Taylor, Iowa’s starting strong safety, being interviewed by reporters. Their attempts to distract him proved unsuccessful.

The older siblings found their home in Iowa City, playing last year on special teams as true freshmen. Their younger brothers, both high school juniors, have been trying to figure out if they want to follow.

"We did talk about playing together at Iowa," Nick Niemann said of his Saturday conversation with Kyle Taylor. "We both thought it’d be pretty cool, especially since our brothers are there, too."

All Hawkeyes asked Kyle Taylor for an interview. He politely declined, saying he’s not speaking with the media while he concentrates on the recruiting process.

"I had a good time with him (Saturday)," the younger Niemann said of the younger Taylor. "Ben and Miles play together so we knew about each other through them. We’ve talked a little bit but (Saturday) was the first time we met in person, actually, so that was cool."

Nick Niemann, who attends Sycamore (IL) High, has visited Iowa on a number of occasions. He camped at the school last summer and has built a strong relationship with the coaches.

"The facilities are always something that impress me when I go up there. I really like all of the coaches. They are great people. I also like the way the defense plays, fast and at high intensity  consistently. In general, everything was impressive and I had a great time," he said.

"I talked to every coach They all said they’d love to have me be a Hawk and that I’d be a great fit in the program."

While the Hawkeyes sit in good position with Nick Niemann, he’s still working his way through the recruiting process. He also reports offers from Wisconsin, Iowa State and Illinois, among others.

"I’m definitely open to other schools (besides Iowa) if I feel it could be a good fit for me. I’m trying to enjoy (the process) as much as I can. I’ll probably start narrowing it down here in the near future," he said.

Niemann (6-3, 210) said that he’d like to visit Wisconsin again along with Illinois and Iowa State.

"I’m not totally sure when I’ll decide. I’m just going to commit when it feels right to me, hopefully at the beginning of my season," he said.