Cyclones' Brock and ex-Hawkeye Bruce are among latest players charged in gambling investigation

Updated Aug. 10, 2023 7:27 p.m. ET

Associated Press

Jirehl Brock and three other Iowa State football players along with three current or former Iowa football players and a student assistant were charged Thursday in connection with the state's investigation into illegal sports wagering at the two schools.

A total of 15 football and basketball players and staffers with ties to the schools have been charged since last week in the ongoing investigation. Current athletes face a loss of eligibility for violating NCAA gambling rules.

Brock and ISU teammates Isaiah Lee, DeShawn Hanika and Jacob Remsburg were charged in Story County on suspicion of tampering with records to disguise that they were under the legal betting age of 21 at the time they placed wagers. Former Iowa players Arland Bruce IV and Reggie Bracy, current Iowa player Jack Johnson and student assistant Owen O'Brien face the same charge in Johnson County.

According to court documents:

— Brock, the Cyclones' leading rusher last season, placed 1,327 illegal wagers totaling over $12,000 between February 2022 and February 2023. The bets were made on a FanDuel account controlled by him but registered under the name of Lindzey Paysen. Paysen's relationship to Brock was unknown.

Brock is accused of making bets on three Iowa State football games, two in which he played, and 13 ISU basketball games.

— Lee, a defensive lineman, made 115 wagers totaling over $885 between September 2021 and January 2023 on FanDuel. Among them were 21 wagers on seven ISU football games in 2021 and five more games in 2022. He played in each of the games. His account was registered under the name of a woman described as his fiancee, Kayla Cameron.

— Hanika, a tight end, made 288 wagers totaling $1,262 between March 2022 and April 2023 through DraftKings, with 70 of the bets on ISU basketball games. His account was registered under the name of his mother, Kim Hanika.

— Remsburg, an offensive lineman, made 273 wagers totaling $1,108 between May 2022 and February 2023 through FanDuel. Six bets were on ISU basketball and football games. Remsburg's account was registered under the name Keri Remsburg. The filing also referenced a DraftKings account registered under the name of his mother, Keri Meis. It was unclear whether Keri Remsburg and Keri Meis are the same person.

— Bruce, a receiver who started 12 of 25 games before transferring to Oklahoma State, made 132 bets totaling $4,342 with DraftKings. Among those were wagers on six Iowa football games in 2021 and six more games last season. Bruce played in each of the games. His account was registered under the name of Vincent Bruce, whose relationship to Arland was not listed.

— Bracy, a defensive back who is now at Troy, used the DraftKings accounted registered to Vincent Bruce to place 66 bets totaling $715 between February and November 2022. He made eight bets on Iowa sporting events, including two football games in which he played.

— Johnson, a walk-on receiver, made 480 bets totaling over $2,500 with DraftKings between September 2021 and January 2023. Of the bets, about 380 totaling $1,800 were made before he was of legal age. All were on an account registered under the name of his mother, Jill Johnson.

— O'Brien was a student assistant prior to becoming a graduate assistant in December. O'Brien made 350 wagers totaling over $3,047 with FanDuel between March 2021 and December 2022. All were on an account registered under the name of his mother, Audra O'Brien.

No attorneys were listed in the filings.

The Des Moines Register was first to report the latest charges.

“Since becoming aware of potential NCAA eligibility issues related to sports wagering by several of our student-athletes back in May, Iowa State University has been actively working to address these issues with the involved student-athletes, and that process remains ongoing,” Iowa State senior athletics director Nick Joos said in a statement. “We will continue to support our student-athletes as our compliance staff works with the NCAA to sort out questions surrounding their future eligibility for athletics competition.”

Iowa spokesman Matthew Weitzel said the university had no comment. He said he expected football coach Kirk Ferentz to address the issue at the team's media day Friday.

Last week, charges were filed against Iowa State starting quarterback Hunter Dekkers, ISU offensive lineman Dodge Sauser, ISU wrestler Panioro Johnson, former ISU defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike, former Iowa basketball player Ahron Ulis, Iowa baseball player Gehrig Christensen and Iowa kicker Aaron Blom.

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