By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Ben Kueter’s decision to focus solely on wrestling for the next 10 months makes perfect sense under the unique circumstances.

His time is now in wrestling as a potential force at 285 pounds, and for an Iowa wrestling team that needs Kueter to make an immediate impact, whereas his time in football as a linebacker is down the road.

The Iowa wrestling team is coming off a disappointing fifth-place finish at the 2024 NCAA Championships and failed to produce an individual champion.

Penn State won its 11th team title under head coach Cael Sanderson, finishing with 172.5 points, 100 points ahead of second place Cornell. Michigan was third with 71.0. The Nittany Lions had eight All-Americans, four NCAA Champions including its first two four-time national champions.

It was sure dominance, and similar to how Iowa used to dominate in the 1980s and 1990s.

But now Iowa needs all the help it can get to probably even stay close to Penn State, and Kueter is ready, willing and able to help on a full-time basis.

Surrounded by the best! My family And I are excited for the future. GOD IS GOOD✝️ @Hawks_Wrestling @HawkeyeFootball pic.twitter.com/fWl8B6lzPV

— Ben kueter (@Benkueter1) June 3, 2024

The former Iowa City High standout won the title at 125 kg at U20 World Team Trials this past weekend.

Kueter also won four individual state wrestling titles in high school and compiled a 111-0 record with 105 matches ending in either a fall or a technical fall.

In football, he was a four-star linebacker, who also played running back in high school.

Kueter’s goals now are to win an individual national title, a national team title and a World title in wrestling, and playing football would have stood in the way of achieving those lofty goals.

To be a two-sport athlete at Iowa is unusual enough, and highly difficult, but to do it as a heavyweight wrestler and as a linebacker in football takes it to another level.

The two seasons overlap, and the two positions require that Kueter treats his body differently in that he can’t get too heavy as a linebacker, but he also can’t get too light for wrestling.

He spent his freshman year adjusting to both sports while being redshirted in both sports.

This past season, Kueter finished 3-1 in wrestling attached with his lone defeat coming against 2024 national champion Greg Kerkvliet from Penn State. Kueter also pinned Jack Jessen from Northwestern in 45 seconds, showing his immense potential.

With Kerkvliet announcing in May that he will return for his sixth and final season, Kueter will have to be at full strength as a wrestler to compete with him, and playing football this fall would have prevented that from happening.

By announcing that he is focusing solely on wrestling for the next 10 months, Kueter leaves the door open to play football again.

Kueter said in his announcement that he plans to return for spring football practice in 2025.

He came to Iowa on a football scholarship and is also part of a new wave of young Hawkeye linebackers.

Kueter probably wouldn’t have played much for Iowa at linebacker this coming season since the top three linebackers from last season all return, including Jay Higgins, who led the Big Ten in tackles last season.

Kueter might have helped on special teams, but barring a rash of injuries at linebacker, that probably would have been the extent of his playing time.

But on the other hand with wrestling, Kueter is poised to shine right now and the best way to do that is to focus solely on that sport.

At least for the next 10 months.