Graham Eben makes college decision
Talented in-state safety/linebacker Graham Eben has made his college decision. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Eben has accepted a preferred walk-on opportunity from the Iowa Hawkeyes after making an official visit to campus this past weekend.
“To be honest with you, I went up there thinking that I wasn’t going to be a preferred walk-on, but then for some reason it just felt right,” Eben told HawkeyeReport.com. “It really felt like all the weight is off my shoulders if I decided to do that.”
A dynamic playmaker on both sides of the ball for state champion Central Lyon/George-Little Rock, Eben finished his junior season with 1,330 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns on offense and 37 tackles, 2.5 TFL, and four interceptions on defense.
That type of production led to scholarship offers from Eastern Michigan, North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State, and Northern Iowa, but the opportunity to play in the Big Ten for the Hawkeyes was too good to pass up.
“Even though I have to pay to go there, it isn’t about the money,” said Eben. “I look at it like I’m investing in myself and I believe that I can do it. It’s a decision that I’m happy with and my family was very supportive. They’re on my side no matter what.”
Plus, the opportunity at Iowa will give Eben a chance to learn under Phil Parker, widely considered one of the best defensive coordinators in all of college football.
“Who doesn’t want to play for one of the best defenses in the nation?” Eben said. “I feel like it will give me the opportunity to be the best player that I can, so it felt like it was the right choice.”
At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Eben will likely come in at safety as a freshman, but has the versatility to move all around the defense as he continues to develop physically.
“It depends on what weight I come in at next year,” said Eben. “If I come in at what I weigh now, I’ll start out at safety and they think I’ll move down to CASH probably, but if I get bigger, I could play WILL linebacker too.”
At Iowa, Eben will be joining high school teammates Zach Lutmer and Reece Vander Zee next year and hopes to inspire future generations in Northwest Iowa to dream big and reach for their goals.
“My goal isn’t to go down there and just run out of the tunnel,” Eben said. “That isn’t what intrigues me. It’s going down there and making an impact or bigger picture impacting my hometown. If I take this opportunity and use it the right way, I can show kids, like my little brothers, that anybody can do it. That’s my goal and my dream is to go down there and do it at that level.”
