Landyn Van Kekerix has mixed feelings as his Iowa Football deadline nears. The Boyden Hull-Rock Valley (IA) High Class of 2022 linebacker will join the Hawkeyes on June 12.
“I would say I’m a little bit excited to get down there, go to work and meet more people,” said Van Kekerix on Friday. “But I’m also enjoying the last bit right here at home before I head downstairs.”
It’s a life-changing transition for him and his classmates in Iowa. They say goodbye to childhood friends and move on to new relationships.
Van Kekerix (6-2, 205) hails from Inwood, a town of fewer than 1,000 people. He’s following in the footsteps of other small-town Iowa boys who want to make it big on a big stage.
He’s preparing for what awaits him in Iowa City.
“I’ve been lifting and doing what I can to prepare as best I can for when I go down,” he said.
Iowa is returning its three starting linebackers along with a group of backups. Van Kekerix comes with realistic expectations for his freshman season.
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“Really, all I can do is just put my head down and get to work when I get there because I’m starting from the bottom now. I hope to learn from them too because I’m so experienced and they’re very knowledgeable about everything too,” he said.
“I would say I definitely want to gain some weight and definitely want to get stronger. I just have to put my head down and go to work. Maybe I could come in here or there.”
Van Kekerix was named Iowa’s Class 3A Player of the Year as a senior. He was honored with first-team All-State honors last fall after landing on the second-team the year before. In his senior season as a linebacker and receiver, he had 76 tackles and three sacks to go with 1,574 all-purpose yards and 36 total touchdowns.
Last winter, Van Kekerix led his team to a state championship with 26 points and 10 rebounds in the final. He averaged 13.1 points and 6.2 rebounds.
Van Kekerix is looking forward to focusing on one sport and position in college to see where that takes him. He will learn from position coach Seth Wallace.
“Our relationship is pretty good, I would say. He’s pretty intense and he’ll turn you on, but he’s just trying to get the best out of you. That’s something I like about him,” said Van Kekerix.
Van Kekerix connects with others in his class in Iowa.
“We haven’t talked much about our goals yet, but we’ll get to work and see what we can do,” he said.
