Defensive back Ben Nikkel, a former walk-on, has signed with the Washington Commanders. He wowed teams with an impressive performance at Big 12 Pro Day in Frisco, Texas at the end of March. The McPherson, Kansas, native, started his playing career as a wide receiver at McPherson College before coming to Iowa State as a walk-on in 2021.

After redshirting his initial season, Nikkel switched over from the offensive side of the ball to the defensive backfield and saw action in all 12 games as a special teams standout in 2022.

Prior to the 2023 season, ISU head coach Matt Campbell awarded Nikkel with a scholarship and his value to the program was recognized by his teammates, who voted him a co-captain. He finished the 2024 season with 40 tackles and was second on the team with eight special teams stops. He also scooped up a blocked punt against TCU.

 Nikkel played in 24 career games and making 43 tackles.

DETROIT — University of Iowa defensive lineman Logan Lee stays in the black and gold after being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round of Saturday’s NFL Draft. Lee was the 178th player picked overall.

Lee is the fourth Hawkeye to be selected in the 2024 NFL Draft: DB/RS Cooper DeJean (Philadelphia, second round); TE Erick All (Cincinnati, fourth round); P Tory Taylor (Chicago, fourth round). Iowa has had four or more NFL Draft selections five of the last six years, including 2023 and 2024.

Lee was a two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2022 & 2023). The native of Orion, Illinois, also served on the Player Council three times.

Lee started 41 of 43 games as a Hawkeye, totaling 158 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and seven pass break-ups. Lee led all Hawkeye defensive linemen with 55 tackles last season. Starting all 14 games at defensive tackle in 2023, he totaled 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, three pass break-ups and blocked a field goal.

Pittsburgh won 10 games last season and competed in the first round of the NFL Playoffs last January. The Steelers’ most recently drafted an Iowa player in 2008 when they chose linebacker Mike Humpal in the second round.

Iowa has had at least one player drafted in every NFL Draft since 1978. Lee is the 89th player coached by Kirk Ferentz at the University of Iowa to be selected in the NFL Draft.

To see the University of Iowa’s NFL Draft Central Page, visit Iowa’s Draft Central.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa softball team fell to Minnesota, 7-5, in game one of a three-game series on Saturday afternoon at Bob Pearl Field.

 Sophomore Jalen Adams (9-13) got the start for the Hawkeyes and stranded five gophers in her first two innings of work.

Minnesota got on the board in the top of the third on a solo home run. The Hawkeyes were unable to capitalize in the bottom of the third despite loading the bases with one out. The Gophers capitalized on free passes in the fourth plating four runs on four hits and three walks to extend their lead, 5-0.  

Junior Haley Downe took over in the circle to start the fifth inning. Minnesota pushed the lead to seven in the top of the fifth on a two-run home run. Iowa load up the bases in the bottom of the fifth on singles from Skylinn Pogue and Jena Young and a walk to Tory Bennett. Senior Sammy Diaz brought in the first Hawkeye run on an RBI single up the middle.

Iowa capitalized on Gopher errors in the bottom of the sixth. After Adams led off the inning with a walk, sophomore Avery Jackson laid down a bunt and came all the way around to score on two Minnesota throwing errors to make it, 7-3.  

The Hawkeye fight was alive in the bottom of the seventh as the first two batters reached base to open the inning. Freshman Jena Young dodged a tag at home to score on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Diaz. With runners on the corners the game entered a weather delay. After the delay, senior Brylee Klosterman brought home Bennett on a sacrifice fly to make it, 7-5. The Gophers retired the next two Iowa hitters to close out the game.

Iowa finished with five runs on nine hits and no errors.

DETROIT — University of Iowa All-America punter Tory Taylor was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of Saturday’s NFL Draft. Taylor was the 122nd player picked overall and first punter selected in this year’s draft. He becomes the second highest drafted punter since 2012 and is the first Hawkeye punter ever to be drafted.

Taylor is the third Hawkeye to be selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. Defensive back and return specialist Cooper DeJean was selected by Philadelphia in the second round, while tight end Erick All was chosen minutes earlier in the fourth round.

Taylor was the recipient of the 2024 Ray Guy Award, presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate punter, and a consensus All-American. The Melbourne, Australia, native, also earned the Eddleman-Fields Big Ten Punter of the Year honors and was a first-team all-conference selection.

The native of Melbourne, Australia, broke an NCAA all-time punting yardage record, that was set in 1938, in the Citrus Bowl. He finished the season with 93 punts for a record 4,479 yards in 2023. He also had the best career punting average (46.3), single-season punting average (48.2) and most career games averaging 40 or more yards (43) in NCAA history.

Taylor, a four-year starter, had 40 punts of 50+ yards (seven punts of 60+) and 32 downed inside the 20, 11 inside the 10 and six inside the 5 last year. He finished his career with 295 punts for 13,657 yards — both Iowa career records.

Chicago won seven games last season, finishing fourth in the NFC North. The Bears most recently drafted an Iowa player in 2018 when they chose offensive lineman James Daniels in the second round.

Iowa has had at least one player drafted in every NFL Draft since 1978. Taylor is the 88th player coached by Kirk Ferentz at the University of Iowa to be selected in the NFL Draft.

To see the University of Iowa’s NFL Draft Central Page, visit Iowa’s Draft Central.

DETROIT — University of Iowa tight end Erick All was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of Saturday’s NFL Draft. All was the 115th player picked overall.

All is the 13th tight end selected in the Kirk Ferentz era and fourth in the last five years. Sam LaPorta was picked in the second round by Detroit in 2022, while T.J. Hockensen and Noah Fant were each chosen in the first round of the 2019 draft.

The native of Fairfield, Ohio, started seven games before suffering a season-ending injury in 2023. All had 21 catches leading the team in receiving yards (299) and touchdown receptions (3) last fall. He averaged 14.2 yards per catch and 42.7 yards per contest. All was an honorable mention all-conference selection by the league coaches.

Cincinnati won nine games a year ago finishing fourth in the AFC North. The Bengals most recently drafted an Iowa player in 2012 when they picked defensive back Shaun Prater in the fifth round. All is the seventh Hawkeye selected by Cincinnati.

Iowa has had at least one player drafted in every NFL Draft since 1978. All is the 87th player coached by Kirk Ferentz at the University of Iowa to be selected in the NFL Draft. All is the second Hawkeye to be drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft;  defensive back and return specialist Cooper DeJean was selected by Philadelphia on Friday in the second round.

To see the University of Iowa’s NFL Draft Central Page, visit Iowa’s Draft Central.

Raleigh, N.C. – The University of Iowa rowing team competed in the Lake Wheeler Invitational on Saturday at Lake Wheeler Park.

 Hawkeyes competed in the 1V8, 2V8, 3V8, 1V4, and 2V4 against five of the nation’s top-20 teams along with three teams receiving votes (No. 8 Syracuse, No. 10 Penn, No. 14 Duke, No. 15 Tennessee, No. 19 Washington State, RV Alabama, RV Miami (FL), RV UCF.

Iowa’s top placement of the day came from the 2V4 finishing in second place. With a stacked playing field, the Hawkeyes put up a fight and placed seventh overall with 32 points.

 The Hawkeyes will return back in action on May 4 in an exhibition against the Drake Bulldogs on the Iowa River.

A total of 27 records were broken at the Drake Relays over the weekend, including one of the oldest. John Reniewicki (ren-ih-wick-ee) won the men’s 15 hundred meter run and broke Steve Scott’s 40-year old record in the process.

Reniewicki was focused on the win and not the record.

Reniewicki also competed in the U-S Road Mile Championship last week and says the two races were good preparation as he bids for a spot on the U-S Olympic team.

Canada’s Aurora Rynda just missed a Drake Relays record in winning the women’s 800. The former Michigan standout has a goal of earning a spot on Canada’s Olympic team.

Rynda credited Relays Director Blake Boldon for arranging a challenging and competitive early season race.