Ben Kueter’s path has taken another turn, and it’s one that keeps him off the Iowa football roster for 2026.
Head coach Kirk Ferentz said on Aug. 14 in Chicago that Kueter will not be part of the Hawkeyes’ football team next season. Ferentz added that Kueter is completely locked in on wrestling.
That leaves Kueter in a familiar spot. The former Iowa City High standout arrived in college as a four-star linebacker in the 2023 recruiting class and spent his first year listed with both football and wrestling. He never got onto the field for a game, though.
In 2024, Kueter said he was stepping away from football on a temporary basis so he could focus on wrestling. He never officially returned to the football roster after that, even though that had been the plan. Since leaving football, he has become a two-time All-American for Iowa wrestling at heavyweight and has also gone through multiple offseason surgeries.
One of those health battles became public in March, when his mother, Tina, shared a Facebook post describing a scary moment after surgery.
"After surgery, he scared the life out of us. He stopped breathing.
His heart rate dropped. But he did what he always does - he fought back.
He pushed through with minimal pain meds. He stayed calm.
He stayed tough. And today, we’re walking out of this hospital and making it to his banquet.”
With Kueter out of the picture again, the 2026 season will make it three straight years without him on the Iowa football roster.
Iowa still appears set up well at linebacker this season. Jayden Montgomery, one of the program’s representatives at Big Ten Media Days, is back after getting some starting experience last year, and Cam Buffington is being mentioned as a breakout possibility.
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