Iowa has signed four-star linebacker Burke Gautcher. As shared via Iowa social media channels, the Sycamore, IL product is officially a Hawkeye.
Gautcher chose Iowa over offers from Minnesota, Illinois, Kent State, and Northern Illinois, as well as reported interest from Michigan, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Missouri, and more.
Gautcher, the 12th-ranked prospect in the state of Illinois, was one of the earliest commits in Iowa's 2025 class, verbally committing to Iowa over a year ago, in October of 2023.
"I went to the Michigan State game a couple weeks ago and I just loved the environment," he told us last fall after committing to Iowa. "I have a good relationship with the coaches, too. It feels good. After a long talk with my parents, we just felt like it was the best fit."
"I made a game day visit to Iowa when they played Michigan State and I just loved everything that Iowa has to offer," Gautcher told EdgyTim about his decision to commit to Iowa.
"Iowa just has a great game day environment and it's a top school both academically along with being one of the top football programs in the Big Ten. Iowa is recruiting me as a linebacker and they really haven't discussed whether they like me at inside or outside linebacker but I can play at either spot. I also get along great with all of the coaches at Iowa and I already have a great connection with the coaches. Iowa is also pretty close to home which is great for my family."
Iowa's pre-existing ties to Sycamore helped as well -- former Iowa standout linebackers Ben and Nick Niemann both came through Sycamore High.
"Coach (Jay) Niemann coached at NIU for some time and his sons (Ben and Nick) also played for Sycamore and then went on to both play at Iowa in college," Gautcher noted to EdgyTim. "It's cool to have that connection with Iowa and my high school and I'm honored to keep that connection. I know our coaches have great things to say about Iowa."
As he noted, Iowa projects him as a linebacker at the college level, though he played quarterback and safety at the high school level. Gautcher feels the skills he honed at those positions will be beneficial to him at linebacker as well.
"Obviously, playing quarterback you have to be the smartest one on the field," he said. "It helps me a lot with understanding the game. As a safety, I'm pretty fast downhill and a physical guy."
Joe Ryan, Gautcher's head coach at Sycamore, agrees that Gautcher will be able to successfully transition to linebacker at Iowa. "That's what you do at the next level," Ryan told us earlier this fall. "You bring better athletes down and outside. That way, they can play the pass and cover the run. You want your best athletes in there."
"He's a really good athlete, plus he's a cerebral player," he added. "He's a mixture of [Ben and Nick Niemann] both. When I told Seth Wallace and Kirk Ferentz that, they knew the kind of player they were going to get."
On film, Gautcher's speed and hitting ability immediately stand out. Gautcher has great closing speed and shows great quickness in getting to a ball-carrier -- and when he gets there, he's more than capable of delivering some serious pop. He shows good instincts as well -- he diagnoses plays effectively and is adept at flowing to the ball and finishing the tackle. His combination of speed, coverage ability, and big hitting marks him as a definite possibility for Iowa at will or outside linebacker in the future.
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