Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Iowa Football: Noah Shannon won't attend Big Ten Media Days because of gambling investigation

Starting point is 00:00:00 We have our first name in the gambling investigation at the University of Iowa and the athletic department with the 26 players that have been out there. Noah Shannon will no longer attend Big Ten football media days. What does that mean? Jay Higgins will be making his way to Indianapolis. Plus, Iowa gets another defensive lineman. The 20th commitment of the 2024 recruiting class. We'll tell you about him today on Locked On.

Starting point is 00:00:28 You are Locked On Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome in. I'm Trent Condon, and this is the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We're available wherever you get podcasts. You can also find us on YouTube.

Starting point is 00:01:03 While you're there, make sure you hit that subscribe button. Helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans. As we gear up for next week in Big Ten Football Media Days in Indianapolis, a change happens yesterday as the announcement is given that it will no longer be Noah Shannon amongst the three making their way over to Indy. So this obviously has to do with the gambling investigation. And this is something that we've been waiting for, getting names.

Starting point is 00:01:31 It's been so interesting, certainly from my perspective on my full-time gig, that is working on the radio and being in central Iowa, hearing a lot about the Iowa State part of this investigation. Names have been out there for an incredibly long time. Some pretty pertinent names as it pertains to Iowa State football coming up this season, but the names have been few and far between on the Hawkeye side of things. And certainly there have been rumors, there's been rumblings, and we've heard plenty of those from people that have passed along, some of the contacts that I have, but nothing definitive.

Starting point is 00:02:05 And seemingly every time it felt like I did have a name, I would reach out to another person and it would be quickly shot down. Well, we do have one now, and it comes from Noah Shannon. As he puts out the press release today, along with the University of Iowa, that he will not be attending Big Ten Football Media Days. First, the quote from Noah Shannon. Being selected to represent the Iowa Hawkeye football team at Big Ten Media Day is a tremendous honor and privilege. I am grateful for the opportunity. However, given the circumstances, I told Coach Ferentz it would be best for him to select another player.

Starting point is 00:02:40 Since the NCAA review is not yet complete, I don't feel it is my right. It is right for me to represent the team, unquote. That is from Noah Shannon in the press release from the University of Iowa. This does not say anything about his career being over. This does not say anything about him and what kind of suspension is going to be handed down. Remember, we're still waiting for the DCI to come out with their complete report of what this is. And if there is going to be some kind of penalty, if there's going to be something on the legal side of things, that still has not come out. I've told you before here, every dares, you may remember this, that we have heard in the past plenty that this is not just about athletes. It's something that the DCI very quickly understood that they had to look into when they found out that there were some improprieties.

Starting point is 00:03:27 There were gambling under the age of 21 and they were athletes that were involved. They had to make sure that there was no point shaving. There was no game fixing, those kind of things. They had to do this when they found out the information that was out there. They saw what was happening around the athletic offices with the geofencing that they could have. And very quickly, they understood they had to do that because these people lose their job. Look, if they knew that there was some kind of gambling

Starting point is 00:03:53 happening with student athletes and they just let it go, if that information got to their desk and they let it go, those people would be out of a job. And I know there's people that work for the DCI that didn't want to do this, that didn't want to crack down on people under 21 doing sports gambling. They didn't want to go after Iowa State, but it ultimately is your job. They're not the bad guys here.

Starting point is 00:04:15 They're doing their job, and that's how this played out. Is it happening in other states? Absolutely. Is it happening in the Big Ten, at all other places? There's no doubt about it. I mean, let's not be short-sighted here. We know this is happening, and this is something that is happening across the country. But Iowa wasn't one because of the DCI investigation that was hit.

Starting point is 00:04:35 Look, the DCI from the state of Iowa, they can't go into Minnesota or Wisconsin or Illinois or anywhere else and try to come up with other programs. What they can do is inside our state borders, and that's what they did when the information got there. Continuing on from the press release, also a quote here from a comment from Kirk Ferentz saying this, Noah's decision to share this information and suggest that another player take his place is reflective of his character. Noah is committed and dedicated teammate and this is a fine example of him always wanting to put the team first. Noah Shannon came

Starting point is 00:05:12 back for a six year of eligibility. Noah Shannon easily could be getting ready to gear up for his first NFL training camp coming up here. Instead he decided to come back for another year in a Hawkeye uniform and take that incredibly deep defensive line and add another element inside for another season. And him teamed up in the middle with Logan Lee last year. Those guys were outstanding. You look at the numbers that Noah Shannon was able to put up. A position that at Iowa is pretty difficult to put up big numbers. And he had 44 tackles a year ago.

Starting point is 00:05:42 We don't know how long he is going to be out. And that is still the unknown about this. Again, as we saw from Noah Shannon, he said right there in the quote, since the NCAA review is not yet complete, I don't feel it's right for me to represent the team. Waiting for the NCAA. We're waiting for the DCI. A lot of waiting here here we're talking months now months and months as this has continued since back in may we're moving to the end of july and still waiting get on the horse ncaa say what this is going to be dci wrap up this investigation let's go get this thing settled it is absolutely imperative that they get this thing done.

Starting point is 00:06:25 The continued dragged-out nature of it. We're talking about sports wagering. And if there was point shaving, that would be out there already. That is not the case. It is young men making the decision to bet on sports. I'll tell you, as somebody that was in college 25 years ago, we were doing it back then. And somebody that was there 25 years before me, we're doing it that time.

Starting point is 00:06:49 It's legal now if you're 21 years old. If you're 21 years old, it is legal. We're talking about a misdemeanor if you're under 21 years old. Yes, NCAA rules are different than what happens in the state of Iowa and states that have legalized sports wagering. I get that. And the NCAA very smartly has adjusted the way that they're looking at these penalties. And that's another part here. And that's what we're going to be waiting for next of what this is. You lose a 30% of your season, depending if they're going to round up or down three to four games on the year if you bet over $800.

Starting point is 00:07:26 That's what it is. If you gamble $200 or less combined, now this is all the bets. And if you're somebody that's just betting $10 a game, you bet 25 games during the NFL season, well, that's over the $200. 10% of the season if you bet between $201 and $500 on the year and 20% loss from $501 to $800, over $800. And I'm going to anticipate that is most everybody. And this is not saying that these guys are all gambling $800 a game. That's not what it is. Remember, this is cumulative.

Starting point is 00:07:59 So that $800, look, you bet four or five games on an NFL Sunday, or you bet in the NBA a couple games a week, college basketball, whatever it is, and you're playing a few games, you're doing a 10, 20 bucks a time. That adds up very quickly. And you're going to get over, excuse me, that $800 threshold. Noah Shannon is the first name. There will be more names that will come from Iowa football. How big are those names? We told you, what, about three weeks ago, heard more and more it was on the defensive

Starting point is 00:08:29 side of the football. And we see this, obviously, with Noah Shannon. Now, where does Iowa turn? Knowing that it feels like if this is something that is Noah Shannon coming out and making this decision, how long is that suspension going to be? And what's Iowa going to do without Noah Shannon? We'll talk about that as we continue here. Plus, Iowa gets a new commitment.

Starting point is 00:08:50 That's right, a new commitment for the class of 2024, number 20 on the season. More Iowa football talk as we continue on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. These days, every new potential hire can feel like a high stakes wager for your small business you want to be 100 certain that you have access to the best qualified candidates available that's why you have to check out linkedin jobs linkedin jobs helps you find the right people for your team faster and for free i've been on linkedin. I have used LinkedIn Jobs to find different candidates

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Starting point is 00:11:01 We'll get Iowa media days coming on after that. So much good content, so much good things as we build our way into the fall and get ready for Iowa football. While we continue the conversation, Noah Shannon will not be attending Big Ten football media days. Jay Higgins will be there, though, and excited for that. Look, Jay's a guy that was put in last year after the injury to Justin Jacobs. And to be honest, early in the season, he didn't look lost,

Starting point is 00:11:28 but he wasn't Justin Jacobs. And by the end of the season, he was playing some really good football, getting those reps. Early in his career, he was an excellent special teams player. But what he built on, certainly over the last four or five games of the season, after the injury and what he was able to do. It makes you really excited about what he can be. Seeing him come down with Nick Jackson as they were getting ready for the football availability

Starting point is 00:11:53 just the other day over in Iowa City, you really saw the close-knit nature that those two guys are, and they understand how important it is to be together, to be able to know each other and know where each other is going to be on the field. They're going to need those two guys to play at a high level. Jay Higgins, a guy that went from special teamer to a starter last year and now at media day. It's a pretty cool story for him. Unfortunate the way that it unfolded with Noah Shannon,

Starting point is 00:12:21 but going to be definitely great to have him there. And if he's anything like the old man, if you follow his dad on Twitter, he is, he's a fun guy. He just out there having a great time. He's adding extra Hawks out there. He loves chanting Hawk, Hawk, Hawk. He has a wonderful time and a fun, fun fall for all the Hawkeye fans out there on Twitter. So great for Jay Higgins. The question is up front. I know Shannon, a guy that plugged up the middle would occupy space, would occupy, occupy blockers and allow Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson and the defensive backfield to come in and make the plays behind him or the defensive ends to be making plays. The reason that you got to see linebackers fly around and make plays and

Starting point is 00:13:01 what we've seen out of this Iowa defense, a big part of that is what they do up front. And Noah Shannon, a guy that has that kind of ability to plug up the middle and make it incredibly difficult. So where do they turn? Well, I mentioned him and Logan Lee up front, those two guys at the defensive tackle position, that's where you start. Logan Lee, he's going to be back for another year as a starter also, and he anticipate he's going to have another big season but you continue with why a black and we're still waiting for why a to put it all together we've heard him really since he committed huge body just an absolute mountain of a man he looks physically just different than almost anybody else on this iowa football roster just because of his stature

Starting point is 00:13:42 and certainly on that defensive line. He's got the size. Health has been the concern with him. If Y.A. Black can have a healthy season, though, he's going to be impactful inside. And then Aaron Griggs, who was out there last year, small school kid, comes in. He was an Army All-American. He had all kinds of accolades. All he wanted to be was an Iowa Hawkeye. And he did that and went out on the field last year as a true freshman

Starting point is 00:14:05 playing in the middle of that defensive line and you saw what he can be he was impactful a couple of different times and everything that I have heard the offseason what he did in spring football what he's been doing at workouts Aaron Graves is doing absolutely everything that you'd anticipate from one of the best prospects I was got here recently. We saw a little bit of Jeremiah Pittman last year. He was definitely, for me, an under-the-radar guy. Going back to when he was being recruited, it was honestly a guy. But he was a guy that I think opened some eyes last year when he was in there in his limited reps.

Starting point is 00:14:39 Plus a couple other names also got to throw in there. We're just talking defensive tackle here, remember. Defensive ends, also incredibly deep. And this defensive line is absolutely ridiculous. Ontario Thompson comes in. He was a Juco All-American top 50 player in junior college. And I understand junior college football isn't what it was maybe back in the 80s and 90s where getting a top 50 player.

Starting point is 00:15:00 I mean, you're talking about a guy that just plug and play starter from day one. Juco football is different. But Thompson was a guy that really turned some heads last year, played good football over at Iowa Western, and he didn't come to Iowa City to sit on the bench. I think he's going to come in. Remember Davion Nixon, what he was able to do, and that's maybe putting it out there a little bit too early for Antonio Thompson, but he's a guy I think that's going to be out there and at minimum going to be getting some reps this year. And then he'd go even one spot deeper, and he'd look at the incoming true freshman and chase Brackney.

Starting point is 00:15:32 Brackney, a kid from Colorado, Cal, USC, Colorado were after him. He ultimately committed to the Hawkeyes. He's big, 6'4", 285 as a high schooler, and that's his listed size on the Iowa roster as a true freshman. I don't think they're going to have to get to that point. At minimum, maybe Brackney is a guy that plays at that four-game threshold and still maintains his redshirt status, but a guy definitely got to keep an eye on just starting with that kind of frame coming in as a true freshman this season. So I was in good shape depth-wise at the defensive tackle position. I

Starting point is 00:16:05 don't think this is a huge concern in terms of depth, but you're losing a guy that was a three-year starter. You're losing a guy that was making plays all over the place last season at that spot. That's where it's going to sting, and the likelihood not going to be there for the opener, probably against Iowa State, maybe three, four games into the season. Well, when you go that deep into the season, you know what that means, right? Yeah, when we go that deep into it, that means game number four is Penn State. Let's hope it's three, not four, but that's what we know right now with Noah Shannon. Again, there will be more names that come out.

Starting point is 00:16:38 25 players from the University of Iowa, not just football players. Remember, this is across athletics and a few different teams. But that is something that we're going to get more here, continuing on Noah Shannon, just the first on that one. Iowa football picks up a commitment. Chima Chinecki will talk about that. The 20th commitment of the 2024 Iowa football recruiting class, plus a new punt returner. TC, you might say. Iowa's already got an All a new punt returner.

Starting point is 00:17:05 TC, you might say. Iowa's already got an All-American punt returner. We'll get into that as we roll through. This is Locked on Hawkeyes. Trent Conner back with you one final time on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast as always thank you for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day

Starting point is 00:17:32 your team every day that's what we do here on the Locked On Network and not just Locked On Hawkeyes love you for being here we got Locked On Big Ten Locked On College Football Locked On Fantasy Football you're gearing up for your fantasy football season. And whatever team you have, NFL, MLB, you name it, we got it covered here on the Locked On Network.

Starting point is 00:17:54 So as we wrap things up, another commitment. Shima Sheneke is the latest commitment. Commitment number 20 of the 2024 recruiting class. He was another one that took his official visit here now about a month ago to Iowa City. And Iowa has picked up a commitment from every single guy that made their official visit without a commitment at that time, except for one, waiting for one. Sheneke, though, is the latest of the group that everybody anticipated was going to be there. Who's that remaining target?

Starting point is 00:18:25 We'll get to that here in just a moment. Big frame, and you look at what Calvin Bell has done building this defensive line and the future of the defensive line. Look, they're not going anywhere, it feels like right now. This prospect base is incredibly deep. Sineke had offers from Texas Tech. That's an eye-opener right there. The new coach at Texas Tech, he has really been a guy that has done a lot of great things early on at Texas Tech.

Starting point is 00:18:50 People believe they're cutting the dark horse maybe this year to win the Big 12 Conference and what Texas Tech has done. And what he did, he was banging the trees. A guy that was a high school coach and seemingly knew everybody in the state of Texas at the high school level, and it's led him to recruit very well. Well, he offered Sineke, and ultimately he wanted to be an Iowa Hawkeye. Kansas, Houston, a few other programs, Vanderbilt that were also involved. You see that Vanderbilt offer? That also gets you excited because you have to anticipate, look, if you get an offer from Vanderbilt, you've got to be a smart dude, right?

Starting point is 00:19:20 And that is the case with Shima Sineke. 20th commitment on this class for along the defensive line. Are they done? No, they'll still do more. But currently for 2024, Iowa's at 89 scholarships. You can only have 85. There's going to be attrition. There's going to be change.

Starting point is 00:19:37 It's just the way that college football is. And though Iowa doesn't have to deal with that at the same kind of level as some other programs across the Big Ten and across the country. They just don't have the same kind of turnover. You know that's going to be the case. The one guy that did not make a commitment that was on that visit a month ago in the big recruiting weekend for Iowa football is Xavier Lucas. And it continued to hear that Xavier Lucas really is waiting more than anything

Starting point is 00:20:01 for the Florida State offer. Does that come for him? He's going to wait a little bit longer, not going to make a commitment. Certainly in the month of July, maybe in August would be the case there. Wisconsin, Rutgers, a couple other programs involved. I know Illinois was another one that was there for a while for him. Sounds like right now maybe Wisconsin leads for his services. And you can't discount Rutgers.

Starting point is 00:20:24 Rutgers has brought in a ton of guys from South Florida throughout the time with Shiano. He's done a really good job of mining that state for talent, and they're always a factor when you're talking about some of those Florida prospects. But that's the one that has not committed out of that class, and that's what we know here today on the recruiting front. Final thing for you.

Starting point is 00:20:45 I found this interesting. And going back to the other day when a bunch of Iowa football players were available for media availability and just great to hear from the guys and hear from some different guys too, including Caleb Brown, the Ohio State wide receiver transfer.

Starting point is 00:20:59 There was one little nugget that got out that he was talking about. He's also been working on returning punts. And made my ears perk up when I heard that one. Returning punts, I thought. Hmm. Well, you got Cooper DeGene back there. We saw what a dynamic playmaker, obviously, Cooper is back there returning punts.

Starting point is 00:21:19 Does this mean that they're trying to keep the wear and tear off the tread, if you will, of Cooper Dijon, knowing the importance that he has? Remember, Iowa, the one thing that they did not get that they were looking for in the transfer portal was another cornerback. And I think they understand that the depth just isn't there. They think T.J. Hall is going to take a step forward this year from the guy that we saw last year. And they're hopeful that maybe another one of those younger guys is going to take a step

Starting point is 00:21:45 forward and can help out this year as a depth piece. But just because Cooper Dijon is so important to this Iowa defense, as we saw a year ago in the Nebraska game, because of his importance, maybe they don't want a returning punts this year. That could be something. Here's the other thing, though. You could go the other way. Caleb Brown might be so important for the Iowa offense.

Starting point is 00:22:04 You don't want him back there returning punts either and with the possibility of a injury that happens back returning punts don't want to go that direction or maybe LeVar Woods has got something up his sleeve you know we saw it in the past I was gone with two punt returners at different times is that what they're looking at here using both Dajin and Brown back there as punt returners they signed me up. I think that would be incredibly fun to watch. But just one of those little nuggets that are always fun as we hear from the football players earlier in the week.

Starting point is 00:22:34 As always, thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We'll be back with you tomorrow. I'll be in Iowa City getting ready to call the Class 4A State Baseball Championship game. Semifinals coming up here on Thursday and then Friday for the championship game. So stay over in Iowa City. Looking forward to that. Always fun hanging out in Iowa City. And then after that, it'll be a busy week in front of us.

Starting point is 00:22:58 In fact, next week, we got Scott Dockerman that's going to be stopping by. We'll have reaction from Big Ten Football Media Days in Indianapolis and a whole lot more for you as we finish up the month of July. We'll talk to you again tomorrow. Thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. Go Hawks!

Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Iowa Football: Noah Shannon won't attend Big Ten Media Days because of gambling investigation

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