Mid-Prairie's Levi Duwa joins Iowa's 2017 class

Levi Duwa’s bedroom, wardrobe and football dreams have been decked out in black and gold for as long as he can remember.

“I’ve grown up wanting to be an Iowa Hawkeye,” the Mid-Prairie of Wellman defensive lineman said.

And that made for a quick and easy recruitment for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz offered Duwa a scholarship Saturday afternoon following the Hawkeyes’ spring game.

“Right when they offered me, I knew it was pretty well a done deal,” Duwa said. “I was in shock. I didn’t know what to say. It was hard not to commit then and there.”

The 6-foot-3, 235-pound junior took a night to sleep on the decision before calling Ferentz on Sunday morning to accept the offer.

Duwa is the 10th player to commit to Ferentz’s 2017 class, the sixth Iowan and fourth defensive lineman.

“They like my toughness and how hard I go on every play,” he said. “They like that I’m a farm kid and that I wrestle. They said I fit in with a lot of the guys like Mitch King and Matt Kroul and they say I’m kind of like those guys. That means quite a bit to be in that category.”

Duwa collected 23 solo tackles for loss, including 13 sacks last fall. He followed that up by wrestling his way to the state finals at 220 pounds.

He picked the Hawkeyes over scholarship offers from Minnesota and Eastern Michigan and interest from Northern Illinois. The Gophers gave him something to think about in recent weeks. He took a visit to Minnesota earlier this month and posted a picture of himself wearing a Gopher jersey on Twitter.

“I know the people back home didn’t like it very much,” he said. “Everyone wanted me to be a Hawkeye. I guess everyone got what they wished for.”

WATCH DUWA'S HIGHLIGHTS FROM HIS JUNIOR SEASON