Joey VanWetzinga 1st Iowa Commit in '25

Pleasant Valley Lineman Announces Hawkeye Pledge Saturday

Joey VanWetzinga was very excited when he received his first college football scholarship offer from Iowa at the end of June. He earned it after working with coaches at a Hawkeye camp earlier that day. 

The Bettendorf (IA) Pleasant Valley High two-way lineman considered the opportunity during the last 10 days. Saturday, he knew what he wanted to do. 

"I had a talk with my family and went with my gut feeling knowing that I was a good fit for Iowa," he said. 

VanWetzinga (6-2, 255) became the Hawkeyes' first known verbal commitment in the 2025 recruiting class. That was important to him. 

"I think it shows my commitment and dedication towards the program that has given me an opportunity to play at the next level," he said. 

Iowa's '24 Class, this fall's seniors, is up to 16 known verbal commitments after receiving its first pledge from Winthrop (IA) East Buchanan offensive lineman Cody Fox two Junes ago.  

Like Fox, VanWetzinga is ready to aid the Hawkeyes in filling his recruiting cycle with sound prospects. 

"I’m gonna reach out to people to help build Iowa’s program," he said. 

His commitment to the Hawkeyes meant VanWetzinga would be reunited with his older brother on the football field. Rusty VanWetzinga walked on the team as a member of the '23 Class. 

"It's a dream that many people don’t get the opportunity to turn into a reality. So, I’m excited to make the best of this situation and play D-1 football with my brother," Joey said. 

Joey VanWetzinga's sophomore Hudl film shows a prospect that projects on both sides of the ball. He's menace lining up at defensive tackle, combining excellent strength and leverage along with explosiveness. Those traits also make him intriguing at center. 

As a sophomore last fall, VanWetzinga broke out. He racked up 5.5 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss. 

Scouting services like Rivals, On3 and 247 hadn't ranked VanWetzinga at publishing time.