Several football players and individuals associated with the University of Iowa and Iowa State University have been charged in connection with an investigation into illegal sports wagering. The charges are related to violations of NCAA gambling rules and tampering with records to disguise underage betting.
Here are the key details from the report:
University of Iowa Football Players Charged:
- Former Iowa player Arland Bruce IV is accused of making 132 bets totaling $4,342 with DraftKings. He placed bets on Iowa football games in 2021 and 2022.
- Former Iowa player Reggie Bracy, who is now at Troy University, used an account registered to Arland Bruce IV to place 66 bets totaling $715 between February and November 2022. He made bets on Iowa sporting events, including football games.
- Current Iowa player Jack Johnson made 480 bets totaling over $2,500 with DraftKings between September 2021 and January 2023. About 380 of those bets were made before he was of legal age, and all were on an account registered under his mother’s name.
University of Iowa Individuals Charged:
- Student assistant Owen O’Brien made 350 wagers totaling over $3,047 with FanDuel between March 2021 and December 2022. All bets were on an account registered under his mother’s name, Audra O’Brien.
University of Iowa Statement: Iowa spokesman Matthew Weitzel said the university had no comment on the charges and expected football coach Kirk Ferentz to address the issue at the team’s media day.
Iowa State University Football Players Charged:
- Jirehl Brock is accused of placing 1,327 illegal wagers totaling over $12,000 between February 2022 and February 2023. The bets were made on a FanDuel account controlled by him but registered under the name of Lindzey Paysen.
- ISU teammates Isaiah Lee, DeShawn Hanika, and Jacob Remsburg also face charges related to illegal sports wagers.
University of Iowa State Individuals Charged:
- Former ISU wrestler Panioro Johnson, offensive lineman Dodge Sauser, and quarterback Hunter Dekkers were among the individuals charged last week in connection with the same investigation.
Both universities expressed their commitment to addressing the issues and supporting their student-athletes as the NCAA eligibility issues are sorted out.
