Iowa lands first 2018 commit in Wisconsin LB Mike Bruner

Sunday night was fairly sour for Iowa football recruiting until Mike Bruner offered a fresh start.

The junior linebacker from Mequon, Wis., became the Hawkeyes’ first commitment for the class of 2018, only hours after the 2017 list lost four-star running back Eno Benjamin in a decommitment.

Bruner visited Iowa City for Saturday’s loss to Wisconsin and decided to announce his decision just one day later.

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Bruner is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound outside linebacker at Homestead High School, the reigning Division 2 champions in Wisconsin. According to Rivals.com, Iowa linebackers coach Seth Wallace led his recruitment, and Bruner also had an offer from Iowa State.

The Hawkeyes currently have four players from Wisconsin on their 2016 roster and three are true freshmen. Bruner was an all-conference linebacker as a sophomore and Homestead recently qualified for the state playoffs again with an 8-1 record.

Iowa had three 2017 commitments landed by the end of 2015. All were in-state players. Bruner’s projected signing date is 16 months away, but after losing key talent with Benjamin’s departure, the Hawkeyes will be happy to start pulling in 2018 prospects.