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Mar. 28—VERMILLION, S.D. — Vermillion has become no stranger to a southpaw gunslinger with the Coyotes' Aidan Bouman under center over the last three seasons.
But on March 26, the pigskin-slinging lefty in the DakotaDome wasn't Bouman. At South Dakota's annual pro day, it was Iowa Western Community College quarterback Hunter Dekkers who caught the eyes of NFL scouts, a position he always thought he'd be in.
Just a few years removed from a college gambling scandal that saw his playing days come to a temporary halt, Dekkers has rejuvenated his career, becoming one of the most intriguing prospects in this year's NFL Draft.
"I'm just back into the position where I wanted to be my whole life, and that's having a chance to play in the NFL," Dekkers said. "It was a little bit different of a journey than I anticipated, but I learned a lot through the process, and obviously, with what I went through, I learned a lot on and off the field."
Dekkers, a Hawarden, Iowa, native, was a highly touted prospect out of high school. Ranked as the No. 230 overall recruit and the No. 8 dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 class, he committed to Iowa State. He redshirted his freshman season and backed up current 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy in his second season before earning the starting job in 2022.
He didn't disappoint, either. In his redshirt sophomore year, he threw for 3,044 yards with a 66% completion percentage and passed for 19 touchdowns. The passing yards were the fourth-most in a single season in Cyclone history, and the completion percentage was the third-highest in the Big 12 that season.
He cemented himself as Iowa State's quarterback, and expectations were high heading into 2023. However, everything took a major turn shortly before the start of that season.
In August 2023, Dekkers was charged in a state investigation regarding underage sports gambling at Iowa State and Iowa. He later pleaded guilty and admitted to wagering more than $2,700 on his mother's DraftKings account. He even placed a bet on an Iowa State game while he was on the team, though he did not play in that contest.
The NCAA eventually ruled Dekkers permanently ineligible in February 2024 because of the bet on the Cyclones, throwing his football career into limbo.
Everybody told Dekkers he would never play again. Although he was unsure of his future, he was only focused on one goal.
"It didn't matter where, I just wanted to play again," Dekkers said. "I could have played in the backyard, I just wanted to play football again. I love the game of football; it's what I want to do the rest of my life. So it didn't really matter where it was, I just knew I wanted to play football again."
Eventually, Dekkers landed at Iowa Western Community College ahead of the 2024 season and made the most out of his lone year in Council Bluffs.
He started in all 13 games for the Reivers, throwing for 3,806 yards with 32 touchdowns and a 64.1% completion percentage. He was named to the NJCAA All-American first team and led the Reivers to the junior college national championship game.
Dekkers was back, but his direct aim at Iowa Western wasn't to catch the eye of pro prospects. More than anything, he was trying to live in the moment and enjoy the playing time he thought he might have lost permanently.
"Having that team aspect, having a locker room, that's the type of stuff you kind of take for granted when you have it," Dekkers said. "When you lose it, you really understand how great it was to have a team in a locker room like that."
Dekkers declared for the NFL Draft following the season and has been going through the pre-draft process. He was not invited to the NFL Combine, but he did play in the Hula Bowl and was also at the Big 12 pro day.
Wednesday's USD pro day served as his official though. His talent, attitude and commitment to making the most out of the opportunity stood out to many, including former Coyotes he threw to during his workout.
"He came a couple of days early, and we got to throw and kind of hang out before that," said former USD wide receiver Carter Bell. "He's a good dude. I'm excited for him that he got a chance after kind of everything he's been through. I thought he looked pretty smooth. It was just fun, so it was great to come out here with him."
"He was slinging it out there," former USD tight end JJ Galbreath said. "He has a tight spiral that comes out good, the ball trajectory comes out good. He gets the ball there in time without floating it."
Dekkers has relished the pre-draft process and said numerous teams have reached out with interest. Whether he'll get the chance to showcase his abilities at the next level is still to be determined.
But if the chance presents itself, he plans to make the most of it.
"I just want to be able to show everyone that I still got it because talent-wise, I know I have it," Dekkers said. "I just have to be able to show everyone that I can still do it."
Continue reading...
But on March 26, the pigskin-slinging lefty in the DakotaDome wasn't Bouman. At South Dakota's annual pro day, it was Iowa Western Community College quarterback Hunter Dekkers who caught the eyes of NFL scouts, a position he always thought he'd be in.
Just a few years removed from a college gambling scandal that saw his playing days come to a temporary halt, Dekkers has rejuvenated his career, becoming one of the most intriguing prospects in this year's NFL Draft.
"I'm just back into the position where I wanted to be my whole life, and that's having a chance to play in the NFL," Dekkers said. "It was a little bit different of a journey than I anticipated, but I learned a lot through the process, and obviously, with what I went through, I learned a lot on and off the field."
Dekkers, a Hawarden, Iowa, native, was a highly touted prospect out of high school. Ranked as the No. 230 overall recruit and the No. 8 dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 class, he committed to Iowa State. He redshirted his freshman season and backed up current 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy in his second season before earning the starting job in 2022.
He didn't disappoint, either. In his redshirt sophomore year, he threw for 3,044 yards with a 66% completion percentage and passed for 19 touchdowns. The passing yards were the fourth-most in a single season in Cyclone history, and the completion percentage was the third-highest in the Big 12 that season.
He cemented himself as Iowa State's quarterback, and expectations were high heading into 2023. However, everything took a major turn shortly before the start of that season.
In August 2023, Dekkers was charged in a state investigation regarding underage sports gambling at Iowa State and Iowa. He later pleaded guilty and admitted to wagering more than $2,700 on his mother's DraftKings account. He even placed a bet on an Iowa State game while he was on the team, though he did not play in that contest.
The NCAA eventually ruled Dekkers permanently ineligible in February 2024 because of the bet on the Cyclones, throwing his football career into limbo.
Everybody told Dekkers he would never play again. Although he was unsure of his future, he was only focused on one goal.
"It didn't matter where, I just wanted to play again," Dekkers said. "I could have played in the backyard, I just wanted to play football again. I love the game of football; it's what I want to do the rest of my life. So it didn't really matter where it was, I just knew I wanted to play football again."
Eventually, Dekkers landed at Iowa Western Community College ahead of the 2024 season and made the most out of his lone year in Council Bluffs.
He started in all 13 games for the Reivers, throwing for 3,806 yards with 32 touchdowns and a 64.1% completion percentage. He was named to the NJCAA All-American first team and led the Reivers to the junior college national championship game.
Dekkers was back, but his direct aim at Iowa Western wasn't to catch the eye of pro prospects. More than anything, he was trying to live in the moment and enjoy the playing time he thought he might have lost permanently.
"Having that team aspect, having a locker room, that's the type of stuff you kind of take for granted when you have it," Dekkers said. "When you lose it, you really understand how great it was to have a team in a locker room like that."
Dekkers declared for the NFL Draft following the season and has been going through the pre-draft process. He was not invited to the NFL Combine, but he did play in the Hula Bowl and was also at the Big 12 pro day.
Wednesday's USD pro day served as his official though. His talent, attitude and commitment to making the most out of the opportunity stood out to many, including former Coyotes he threw to during his workout.
"He came a couple of days early, and we got to throw and kind of hang out before that," said former USD wide receiver Carter Bell. "He's a good dude. I'm excited for him that he got a chance after kind of everything he's been through. I thought he looked pretty smooth. It was just fun, so it was great to come out here with him."
"He was slinging it out there," former USD tight end JJ Galbreath said. "He has a tight spiral that comes out good, the ball trajectory comes out good. He gets the ball there in time without floating it."
Dekkers has relished the pre-draft process and said numerous teams have reached out with interest. Whether he'll get the chance to showcase his abilities at the next level is still to be determined.
But if the chance presents itself, he plans to make the most of it.
"I just want to be able to show everyone that I still got it because talent-wise, I know I have it," Dekkers said. "I just have to be able to show everyone that I can still do it."
Continue reading...
