University of Iowa Athletic Director Beth Goetz said Wednesday that the Hawkeyes will self-report a tampering violation to the NCAA regarding offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor.
Hailing from Des Moines, Iowa, Proctor announced his transfer to the Hawkeyes on Jan. 20 after playing his freshman season for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He is the highest-rated prospect in Iowa program history.
Iowa’s Tyler Barnes, who serves as the director of recruiting, sent Proctor an “innocuous” text message of encouragement in September 2023, Athletics Director Beth Goetz told John Steppe of The Gazette.
The violation is expected to be Level III, which is the least severe level. Based on precedent, the punishment is further education for the staffer and admonishment.
Goetz, paraphrasing the message, said it was along the lines of “hey buddy, don’t listen to the naysayers.”
Goetz: “It’s impermissible because it’s still considered tampering. But there’s nothing untoward in the writing of the text message.” #Hawkeyes https://t.co/cUljMlTFqU
— John Steppe (@JSteppe1) February 2, 2024
The same day Proctor announced he was transferring to Iowa, he attended the Iowa men’s basketball game against Purdue at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Proctor was swarmed by reporters and revealed that Iowa contacted him while he was playing for Alabama.
“Even after I was doing bad in the SEC and struggling, they hit me up and said, ‘We’re proud of you. You’re going to get through this,’” Proctor said two weeks ago. “That’s what ultimately helped me with my decision because they still believed in me.”