AMES, Iowa (AP) — Hunter Dekkers, the quarterback for Iowa State, has been alleged to have engaged in gambling on Cyclones sports events, which encompassed a football game. He was formally charged on Tuesday for tampering with records connected to an ongoing investigation by the Iowa Criminal Division concerning sports gambling.
The official complaint asserts that Dekkers made a total of 366 online bets, accumulating a sum exceeding $2,799. The documentation indicates that these bets encompassed 26 athletic events affiliated with Iowa State, alongside a football match in 2021 against Oklahoma State, during which Dekkers held the position of a backup quarterback. Notably, he did not participate in the game, which ultimately saw Iowa State emerge victorious with a score of 24-21.
Initially brought to light by The Des Moines Register, the charges against Dekkers mark a significant turn of events. In the preceding year, Dekkers had an impressive record, amassing over 3,000 passing yards and securing 19 touchdowns. He was widely anticipated to take up the role of starting quarterback for the forthcoming season. However, in response to the charges, his legal representative has communicated his intention to forego participation in the preseason camp.
During the month of May, authorities from Iowa State University and the University of Iowa disclosed their collaboration with state gaming regulatory bodies. This partnership was established to aid ongoing investigations into illicit online gambling activities taking place within their respective campuses. Iowa’s involvement revealed the potential compromise of NCAA eligibility for approximately 26 athletes across different sports. Similarly, Iowa State acknowledged its own concerns, indicating that around 15 athletes involved in three distinct sports were under suspicion for potential violations of gambling regulations.
As indicated by state online court records, three additional individuals—current or former athletes of Iowa State—are now facing identical charges. Among them is Eyioma Uwazurike, a former defensive lineman for the Cyclones, who was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2022. Uwazurike received an indefinite suspension from the NFL due to his involvement in betting on Broncos games during his rookie season.
Iowa State’s senior associate athletic director, Nick Joos, stated, “We are currently in the process of collecting information and will refrain from making further comments at this juncture.”
All four athletes have been accused of intentionally obscuring their identities “with the intent to deceive or conceal wrongdoing,” as per the complaint detailed in the Register. Each athlete purportedly collaborated with third parties to fabricate a scenario where these third parties, rather than the athletes themselves, were placing wagers.
In the case of Hunter Dekkers, it is alleged that he engaged in a scheme alongside his parents, Scott Dekkers and Jami Dekkers, aimed at concealing his online gambling activities. This scheme was designed to make it appear that bets attributed to Hunter Dekkers were actually made by Jami Dekkers, according to the complaint.
At the age of 22, Hunter Dekkers held the position of starting quarterback in all 12 of Iowa State’s games during the previous season. However, he now faces potential repercussions regarding his NCAA eligibility, as per the guidelines prohibiting athletes from wagering on their own games or other sports within their own educational institutions.
Hunter Dekkers’ legal representative, Mark Weinhardt, has conveyed that Dekkers will refrain from participating in preseason practices to concentrate on both his academic pursuits and the defense against the criminal charge. Weinhardt further stated that Dekkers intends to plead not guilty to the criminal accusation.
In a statement provided to the AP, Weinhardt expressed his perspective on the matter: “This charge attempts to criminalize a daily fact of American life. Millions of people share online accounts of all kinds every day. Thousands and thousands of college athletes place bets — usually very small ones — with shared accounts. That is for the schools and the NCAA to police.”
Anticipating a rise in gambling-related controversies within college sports, experts have pointed out that the increasing acceptance of betting across various states, following a Supreme Court ruling five years ago, may lead to such scandals. The issue gained significant attention earlier in the year when Alabama’s baseball coach, Brian Bohannon, and two Cincinnati baseball staff members were dismissed due to their connections to gambling investigations.
The NCAA has recently toughened its penalties for athletes found to have engaged in betting on their own games, attempting to influence game outcomes, placing bets on other sports within their school, or knowingly sharing information with individuals involved in sports betting activities.
The three additional athletes also face charges of tampering with records in connection with the ongoing investigation, as indicated by state online records. Apart from Eyioma Uwazurike, the others are Dodge Sauser, an offensive lineman, and Paniro Johnson, a wrestler from Iowa State.
Dodge Sauser was involved in approximately 113 online bets, totaling $3,075. Notably, he placed 12 wagers on Iowa State football games, including matches against Ohio, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech, as documented.
Paniro Johnson, who secured a Big 12 wrestling title in his freshman year, is alleged to have placed a substantial number of online bets—roughly 1,283—amounting to over $45,600. Among these bets, approximately 25 were related to Iowa State athletic events.
Eyioma Uwazurike, the former Cyclones defensive lineman, is accused of making 801 online bets, with a total value exceeding $21,300. Among these bets, four were specifically placed on Iowa State football games.
All four athletes are scheduled to appear in court on August 16th. At present, there is limited information available regarding legal representation for most of the individuals named in the complaints.