2018 Wisconsin LB Mike Bruner "greatly considering" Iowa
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Iowa football team has been the first to offer scholarships to a number of recruits in recent years, and has benefited from doing so.
Being the first to offer gives Iowa an edge with some recruits because it shows faith in a player.
The Hawkeyes have certainly made an impression with 2018 Wisconsin linebacker Mike Bruner, partly by being his first offer, which came in late July during a visit to the Iowa campus.
"It means to me that I have to put forth the effort to make sure I’m able to compete at the next level," Bruner said Wednesday. "I’m greatly considering them because of how great the coaching staff is and I got this sense of family while visiting like it was a place where I should be.
"The facility impressed me a ton, and I really enjoyed how great the coaching staff treated me. The weight room is about 25,000 square feet and I really liked what I saw within the whole football facility."
Four-star running back Eno Benjamin, who is from Wylie, Texas, is one of the best examples of Iowa benefiting from being the first to offer a recruit a scholarship.
Benjamin received his first scholarship offer from Iowa last fall and made a verbal commitment to the Hawkeyes in April, choosing Iowa over more than 20 scholarship offers, including Michigan.
Like Benjamin, Iowa being the first to offer will always remain in the back of Bruner’s mind when other schools come calling.
"I feel that way partly because it makes me feel good about the school," said the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Bruner, who is from Mequon, Wis. "This is the first set of coaches to really care and show interest in me."
Bruner said he has been in contact with Iowa linebackers coach Seth Wallace and with defensive coordinator Phil Parker. They both have told Bruner that they like his aggressiveness and physical style of play.
"They love my work ethic on and off the field," Bruner said. "But they especially like the intensity and aggression on the field.
"I’m always the one to hype up practice."
Bruner said Iowa has shown the most interest, but he also is gaining interest from Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin.