4-star linebacker Gavin Stecker details commitment to Iowa football

IOWA CITY — The first domino to fall in Iowa football’s 2027 high school recruiting class came from within state lines.

Coming off a season where he led Bettendorf in total tackles with 77, Gavin Stecker became the first player 2027 high school player to announce his commitment to the Hawkeyes on Dec. 9. As of May 20, that group has now climbed to 10 commitments, but Stecker, a four-star linebacker, remains the highest-rated player in Iowa’s class, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Stecker picked Iowa over offers from Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Minnesota.

He grew up a Hawkeye fan. His father was teammates with Pat Angerer on the Bettendorf football team. Angerer, a former Hawkeye player, is currently the color analyst for Iowa football.

As he went through the recruiting process, Stecker tried to separate his Hawkeye fandom from what was actually best for the future of his football career.

“I think it was looking not just at the name of the school and not the logo,” Stecker said. “It was more looking at, what are they actually about? What are they showing me? What are they saying? And then how is that translating onto the field?”

That led him to pick Iowa.

More: Iowa football's 2026 opponents, from most challenging to must win

The Hawkeyes have built a reputation for having standout linebacker play. Over the last few seasons, that has included Jack Campbell, Jay Higgins, Nick Jackson and Karson Sharar, all of whom have since moved on to the next level. That lineage played a factor in Stecker’s decision to commit to Iowa.

“First things first, they’re really good at putting linebackers in the NFL,” Stecker told the Register. “Karson Sharar this year. The previous years were (Jay) Higgins and (Nick) Jackson and then Jack Campbell, obviously. So that’s one of the biggest things they’ve been really good at doing is putting linebackers in the NFL. I think coach (Seth) Wallace is one of the best linebacker coaches in the country. And I feel like having the opportunity to come play for a university like Iowa, that’s known to have a defensive personality, I think that’s something I can really be proud of.”

All of those players developed under Wallace, who holds the titles of assistant head coach, assistant defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Hawkeyes. Wallace was Stecker’s primary recruiter at Iowa.

“I feel like I can trust him really well,” Stecker said of Wallace. “I feel like whenever he came to me, it was kind of no BS kind of mindset. Like he told me what he liked about my game, where we were at in the recruiting process. He told me how he was standing with my class… (I) know that he's not going to mess around with that and just give it to me how it is, not how anybody wants to hear it. I think that makes that relationship stronger. That’s someone I can put my faith into and trust to get me to that next level and help me grow as a player and as a man.”

But Stecker’s decision went beyond Iowa’s linebacker pipeline.

“The tradition and the culture that they have built there,” Stecker said. “(Kirk) Ferentz has been there for over 20 years and when you look at that in today’s world of college football, that’s something that’s always a constant: Iowa is going to do this and they’re going to do their thing the right way and they’re going to just kind of be hard-nosed about it. So I feel like the culture aspect was one of the other big pieces.”

A byproduct of Iowa’s culture is that it isn’t a transfer portal hotbed. Droves of players aren’t constantly coming in and out. In many cases, Iowa is a place that players want to stay, not leave. Stecker took note of that.

“They’re not having 50 guys leaving the portal every year,” he said. “They’re not switching coaches every year.”

More: Why Iowa football is place where players want to stay, not leave

Stecker, listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, named Brian Urlacher, Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen as linebackers he has enjoyed watching. 

Here's what he said of his own skillset: “I really like to get downhill. I think just being able to cover the entire field, sideline to sideline. And then, just being able to study the game and kind of know where the ball is going to be before it gets there. I feel like that’s what I really try and embody.”

Despite his individual production, Bettendorf went just 4-5 last season and missed the state playoffs. Stecker described the campaign as “disappointing.” Ahead of his senior season, Stecker is trying to get Bettendorf pointed back in the right direction.

“I feel like I’m really trying to do my best to be a great leader and kind of push the young guys,” Stecker said. “Kind of get them caught up to where we want to be at. And then also just trying to hold everybody accountable. Hold all my teammates and myself accountable for how last season went and then how we’re going to improve next season.”

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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Bettendorf LB Gavin Stecker explains why he committed to Iowa football