ISU QB, 4 more plead guilty to reduced charge

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior WriterSep 6, 2023, 04:28 PM ET
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- College football reporter.
- Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
- Graduate of Northwestern University.

Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers and four other current or former ISU and Iowa athletes have pleaded guilty to underage gambling, a reduced charge, after a state investigation into sports wagering.

Dekkers, offensive lineman Jake Remsburg, former Iowa State player Dodge Sauser, former Iowa kicker Aaon Blom and former Iowa baseball player Gehrig Christensen all entered guilty pleas. They and other Iowa State and Iowa athletes had been charged with tampering with records, an aggravated misdemeanor that carried a maximum penalty of two years in prison.

The underage gambling charge carries a fine of $645. None of the men will face further criminal penalties.

“The original records tampering charge against these young men never fit this case, either legally or factually,” attorney Mark Weinhardt, who represents Dekkers, Remsburg and Sauser, said in a 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.”

Weinhardt said the athletes can now “focus on the educational and eligibility aspects of this matter.”

Dekkers currently is not participating in team activities for Iowa State.

More than a dozen current or former Iowa State and Iowa athletes have been charged in the state’s investigation. Many have admitted to using online accounts belonging to their parents or others over 21 to place sports wagers.

Several athletes placed wagers on events involving their own teams, which can lead to permanent eligibility loss, according to NCAA rules. Remsburg is facing a six-game suspension from the NCAA, according to sources. He admitted to wagering $1,108 on events, including six NCAA-sanctioned games.

Dekkers admitted to wagering $2,700 on events, including a football game when he was on the team. He remains on ISU’s roster but has not been participating in team activities. Other notable ISU players, such as running back Jirehl Brock and defensive lineman Isaiah Lee, have left the program.

Sauser, an offensive lineman who did not participate in any games at ISU, admitted to wagering more than $3,075 on sporting events, including four Cyclones games in which he did not participate.

Blom was accused of placing wagers on some Iowa events, including the Iowa-Iowa State football game in 2021, in which he did not play.