Ben Stille’s relationship with Iowa began recently and advanced quickly. The defensive end visited the school on Saturday and picked up a scholarship offer.

Stille said he first spoke with Hawkeye Assistant Reese Morgan about two weeks ago. Morgan stopped at his Ashland(NE)-Greenwood High School during the middle of last week to pick up transcripts.

Iowa became the first Power-5 conference program to offer the 6-foot-5, 235-pounder a scholarship. He reported other opportunities from Ohio, South Dakota State and Wyoming.

The Hawkeyes might be ahead of the curve with Stille. Other major schools are increasing their interest in him.

"Iowa State is probably the next closest to offering. I plan on visiting Missouri in a few weeks. I’m going to camp at Nebraska, Iowa, Iowa state, Wyoming, Kansas state, and Missouri," he said.

Iowa positioned itself well by impressing Stille on his visit.

"I liked the coaching staff a lot. They have a ton of experience. The brand new facilities were also very impressive," he said.

Stille dominated on both sides of the ball as a junior. On defense, he recorded 19 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. He caught 16 passes for 538 yards and 10 touchdowns as a tight end.

"(The Hawkeyes) have a good history with small-school Nebraska guys. They think they can develop me with the athleticism I have for my size," Stille said.

Husker State native Drew Ott, a defensive end, earned second-team all-Big Ten honors last season. He never was offered a scholarship by Nebraska.

"My relationships with them is just starting to pick up. Definitely, growing up in Nebraska, they have an edge," Stille said.

Stille said he’s considering Architecture as a college major.

"I’m not sure when I’ll make a decision. I’m kind of letting things play out after summer camps. So, most likely, it will happen before the season," he said.

Stille said a proud culture and a winning tradition stand out as two keys for him in making his choice.