Ankeny QB Jase Bauer Discusses PWO Offer from Iowa Football

Jase Bauer, Brody Brecht and Arland Bruce IV are teammates. They’re friends first, however.

The point is proven with how the Ankeny (IA) High senior are handling Bauer’s recruitment. The quarterback is considering a new preferred walk-on offer from Iowa Football, where receivers Brecht and Bruce IV are verbally committed scholarship players.

“They obviously want me to go to Iowa,” Bauer told HN. “But they have been super supportive on getting me to the best place possible. They are helping me as much as they can, and I can’t thank them enough.”

The Hawkeye opportunity came in earlier this week. Bauer (6-2, 205) added it to scholarship offers from FCS schools Northern Iowa, Eastern Illinois, South Dakota State, Southern Illinois and Western Illinois.

“I hear from Southern Illinois and SDSU almost daily. From schools that haven’t offered me, I’ve been hearing from Wyoming, Iowa State, K-State, New Mexico State, Central Michigan and Bowling Green,” he said.

Despite having to pay his own way if he attended Iowa, Bauer appreciated the opportunity.

“It means a lot. Obviously Iowa is a very successful program and for them to want me on their team means a lot,” he said.

“I’ve talked to coach (Ken) O’Keefe and coach (Tyler) Barnes but mostly I’ve been keeping in touch with coach (Jay) Niemann. They have told me they love what I have been doing this year. These coaches have been awesome. They have been super upfront with me in letting me know where they see me.”

Bauer will be weighing the merits of walking on to a Power 5 program (provided one does not offer) with going on scholarship at a smaller school. He holds offers from some top FCS institutions.

“Iowa has had great success with their quarterbacks and getting them to the NFL. That’s my ultimate goal. I am obviously going to have a tough decision ahead. But right now I am only focused on the playoffs and leading my team to a state title,” he said.

Bauer, who is undecided on a college major, plans to make his decision sometime after the season ends.

Class 4A second-ranked Ankeny (6-1) has a bye this week. It will face the winner of Friday’s Sioux City West-Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson contest on Oct. 23.

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Bauer has completed 87 of 134 passes (64.9 percent) this season for 1,266 yards and 19 touchdowns against just two interceptions. He’s carried the ball 68 times for 428 yards (6.3 YPC) and five scores.

Here’s a look at Bauer’s regular-season highlights: