Kaden Wetjen Iowa Western cc

H

Hawkcrush

Well-Known Member
Hawks need to get this kid he’s the return guy we need and has legit return skills, a bit like Charlie Jones/Riley McCarron. Saw him play in HS and surprised UNI didn’t offer. Iowa relies on special teams to win games and he can help.

Kaden Wetjen on Hudl

Watch Kaden Wetjen's videos and highlights on Hudl. More info: Iowa Western Community College - Football / WR / Class of 2024 / Council Bluffs, IA
www.hudl.com www.hudl.com
 


F that! I'd take the QB. You see that cat threading the needle and hitting receivers on the run allowing them to make plays with YAC yards!

Shit, bring them in as a package, I guess!!
 






HawkeyeHypnosis said:
I’ve seen a handful of videos saying how many people whiffed on Wetjen. Crazy how the metrics can make people completely overlook solid talent.
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Also a good example of how star ratings are BS.

If you gave me the choice of keeping either Nwankpa or Wetjen right now I don't have to tell you which one it would be.
 


I'm pretty sure Wetjen is set on trying out for the NFL after the season. I wonder if he could try for one more season with the Hawks since the JUCO years have been wiped out, leaving four years of eligibility after the JUCO years are over? I think he has been on the team for four years but not sure if any of those would be eligible for a redshirt.

But either way, if I were him I would start training for the combine the day after any bowl game we play in.
 


haydensly said:
I'm pretty sure Wetjen is set on trying out for the NFL after the season. I wonder if he could try for one more season with the Hawks since the JUCO years have been wiped out, leaving four years of eligibility after the JUCO years are over? I think he has been on the team for four years but not sure if any of those would be eligible for a redshirt.

But either way, if I were him I would start training for the combine the day after any bowl game we play in.
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This is not true. Yet. One kid got a favorable ruling on this point, but it was not a nationwide injunction nor has the NCAA changed its position. As of now, absent a court order, JUCO years do count towards your eligibility. BTW, the basis for the ruling was stupid and I doubt many judges would follow it.
 


haydensly said:
I'm pretty sure Wetjen is set on trying out for the NFL after the season. I wonder if he could try for one more season with the Hawks since the JUCO years have been wiped out, leaving four years of eligibility after the JUCO years are over? I think he has been on the team for four years but not sure if any of those would be eligible for a redshirt.

But either way, if I were him I would start training for the combine the day after any bowl game we play in.
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It's in the courts right now with the Diego Pavia case. There was a court ruling basically saying no JUCO time counts towards NCAA time, but the NCAA is appealing it. However, 1) the judge in that particular situation has been receptive to Pavia, and 2) the NCAA doesn't exactly have a good track record opposing student athletes as of yet. Everything I've read is leaning towards JUCO years not counting, so theoretically it means that a guy could play 2 JUCO and 4 NCAA.

So the answer is probably, "It depends."

I do know that during the interim, the NCAA has been granting waivers until the decision is being made. So could Wetjen get another year here? I'm going to say probably based on what I've read.
 


NorthKCHawk said:
This is not true. Yet. One kid got a favorable ruling on this point, but it was not a nationwide injunction nor has the NCAA changed its position. As of now, absent a court order, JUCO years do count towards your eligibility. BTW, the basis for the ruling was stupid and I doubt many judges would follow it.
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The NCAA issued a temporary waiver back in December allowing it.

https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/committees/d1/board/2025-26D1BOD_WaiverEligibilityQA.pdf
 




Thanks, Fry. Looking at this closer, they did give a blanket exception for this year while they appeal.

Generally, courts allow organizations to set their own standards and eligibility standards as long as they are not discriminatory based upon protected classes. But, I agree with you the NCAA has not been doing well in courts of late.

If this position holds, it would make the prep school loophole less necessary.
 




If Hadensly is right, and he could come back for one more year, which I think is still very much up in the air, I suspect we could throw NIL money at him that maybe mirrors his rookie deal, but it would have to be around million bucks to match what say a fourth rounder would make. If I was this young man, I would not take that offer. He has proven all that he can in college and he should get drafted. Time to move up.
 


NorthKCHawk said:
If Hadensly is right, and he could come back for one more year, which I think is still very much up in the air, I suspect we could throw NIL money at him that maybe mirrors his rookie deal, but it would have to be around million bucks to match what say a fourth rounder would make. If I was this young man, I would not take that offer. He has proven all that he can in college and he should get drafted. Time to move up.
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Correct.

If he comes back he's going to have happen to him what happened to Desmond King. Nobody threw anywhere near him and his stats went in the tank. Now one could argue that was a good thing for King because it showed they feared him, but he's also not at the front of everyone's minds anymore making big plays. You need to be at the front of people's minds and eyeballs. DK went from a likely 2nd rounder to the 5th round and the financial impact of that is very real.

Same thing would happen to Wetjen if he came back. After seeing what he does teams aren't going to give him as many returnable punts and he won't disrupt defenses anymore just by being on the field at the slot or what have you.

Go get your money if you can, you don't owe fans or the team a thing.
 


Man, I don't know. If he can get a million bucks or more guaranteed to come back, he better get really good advice as to which round he is likely to get drafted. Until this year when he showed some WR skills, I'd say there was zero chance he would ever be a draft pick. He'll need to be a 4th or 5th WR to make a team.
 




NorthKCHawk said:
If Hadensly is right, and he could come back for one more year, which I think is still very much up in the air, I suspect we could throw NIL money at him that maybe mirrors his rookie deal, but it would have to be around million bucks to match what say a fourth rounder would make. If I was this young man, I would not take that offer. He has proven all that he can in college and he should get drafted. Time to move up.
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I remember that Tim Lester had to do a pretty hard sales pitch to get him to come back this year, i.e. he would be more involved in the offense. Which has come true. But I think he is set on jumping to the NFL after this year regardless of any possible eligibility he might have left.
 


Thinking about it more, if I were him and got an additional year of eligibility, I'd enter the portal in January and see what the market is for an all-american punt returner.
 


He has a real shot at the NFL right now, and it is probably time for him to move on.

He has been a great Hawkeye, and I hope he makes the league.
 


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