Northern Illinois grad transfer DT Jack Heflin announces commitment to Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa has landed one of the best graduate transfer defensive linemen on the market.

Jack Heflin, a small-town Illinois product who played the past three seasons at Northern Illinois, announced he would play his final season at Iowa via Twitter on Thursday. He will be eligible to play immediately.

Originally a two-star recruit out of Prophetstown, Illinois, a city with a population of just over 2,000 in the middle of the state, Heflin was a versatile defensive lineman in high school but he found his home at tackle with NIU.

He redshirted his first year and logged eight tackles in eight games games as a redshirt freshman. As a redshirt sophomore, Heflin played in all 13 games and had 33 tackles, eight tackles for loss and six sacks.

Last season, he earned honorable mention All-America honors from Pro Football Focus and recorded 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in nine games played for the Huskies.

Heflin, who checks in at 6-foot-4 and 319 pounds, announced he was entering the transfer portal on May 11. He grew up a Hawkeye fan and it was thought Iowa was the frontrunner to land him. It didn't take him long to make a decision.

Heflin projects as an immediate contributor to the interior of Iowa's defensive line next fall.

Matthew Bain covers recruiting, Iowa/Iowa State athletics and Drake basketball for the Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Network. Contact him at mbain@dmreg.com and follow him on Twitter @MatthewBain_.

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