Three Iowa State football players -- two still on the active roster -- and one former player at Iowa have pleaded guilty to a charge of underage gambling as part of a large-scale sports-betting investigation that has resulted in charges against at least 15 student-athletes at at both Iowa State and Iowa. Cyclones quarterback Hunter Dekkers and offensive lineman Jake Remsburg -- along with former Cyclone Dodge Sauser and former Iowa kicker Aaon Blom -- entered guilty pleas to the simple misdemeanor charge, a law firm representing the athletes announced. They will all pay a $645 fine and all additional charges will be dropped.
The plea is a reduction from an original allegation of tampering with records, an aggravated misdemeanor that could carry up to two years in prison. With the agreement, the three players are out of additional legal jeopardy over their role in the sports gambling investigation.
"The original records tampering charge against these young men never fit the case, either legally or factually," defense lawyer Mark Weinhardt said in the statement. "Hunter, Jake, and Dodge are not and never were guilty of that charge. The charge has nothing to do with gambling. Other than the fact that Hunter, Jake, and Dodge placed some bets before they turned 21, nothing about those bets was a crime under Iowa law."
While the legal proceedings will now come to a close for all three players, further NCAA punishment could still be on the horizon. Remsburg is expected to receive a six-game suspension in 2023. Dekkers, the full-time starting quarterback in 2022, is at risk of permanently losing collegiate eligibility after he allegedly placed bets on 26 Iowa State sporting events, including a 2021 Iowa State football game against Oklahoma State.
Several other Iowa State players remain in legal limbo. In addition to Dekkers, Remsburg and Sauser, tight end DeShawn Hanika is still facing charges. Running back Jirehl Brock and defensive lineman Isaiah Lee both left the team over the summer and have yet to resolve their legal charges.
