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Adam Rittenberg
A couple of Authors
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Gennings Dunker folded his 6-foot-5, 319-pound body right into a sales space at Culver’s, overlooking a Midwestern ceremonial dinner are compatible for a mulleted king. On the middle, in fact, have been cheese curds. A family-sized order, all to himself.
Dunker had visited this Culver’s ahead of, typically after Iowa house video games, performed a couple of mile away at Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes’ beginning proper take on would search an informal, acquainted position to dine along with his folks and brothers. For the Dunkers, who went to Culver’s after church again house, no different spot equipped higher convenience meals.
“It is superior to come back right here, as a result of you did not have to make reservations,” Gennings mentioned.
Again then, simply months in the past, Dunker may just move in large part left out at Culver’s. Now not anymore. He had slightly sat down ultimate week when a bunch of youngsters requested to take an image with him. Others wanted him good fortune as they handed through.
A person dressed in a Chicago Cubs hat and hoodie approached.
“I have no idea you, however I really like your memes on the web,” he mentioned. “F—ing nice!”
The memes have modified the entirety for Dunker. He is a projected Day 2 NFL draft select — ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. lists him because the No. 7 take on. Few possibilities, on the other hand, have flooded social media extra right through the draft lead-up, particularly on the mix in Indianapolis, the place the soccer international was once offered to the enormous guy from a small Illinois city, with a flowing pink mullet, a thick mustache and the persona to compare.
Jason and Travis Kelce have been so smitten with Dunker right through their podcast that after Jason likened Dunker’s predraft show to a Westminster Kennel Membership-like “highest in display” for offensive linemen, Travis fell out of his chair. A extensively circulated meme featured Dunker’s 40-yard sprint on the mix in slo-mo — mullet bouncing with each stride, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Loose Fowl” enjoying and the accompanying caption: “Top Male Efficiency.” Esquire posted that Dunker gained the mix “on seems on my own.”
Dunker left Indy as a full-blown superstar.
“When I used to be going thru [Chicago’s] O’Hare Airport after the mix, folks would come as much as me,” Dunker mentioned. “I used to be like: What’s going on?”
Considered one of Dunker’s viral predraft moments concerned Culver’s. Whilst reviewing his huge meals consumption with the NFL Community team on the Senior Bowl, Dunker famous that he integrated Culver’s along with his dietician’s checklist.
“What is Culver’s?” requested NFL Community insider Mike Garafolo.
“You might have by no means been to Culver’s?” an incredulous Dunker spoke back, whilst Garafolo’s colleague Tom Pelissero defined that he is now not from the Midwest.
“That is against the law. Are you critical?” Dunker persevered. “That ain’t proper. You have to test it out.”
Culver’s is a part of Dunker’s adventure, however there is extra to him than curds and a particular hairstyle. Underneath the mullet is an ever-curious thoughts that consumes the finer issues of soccer and lifestyles past the sphere. Dunker is an avid reader and outdoorsman, the kind who appreciates a sundown over Typhoon Lake in Iowa and a excellent fishing spot simply up to writing chemistry equations in his basement.
He is additionally fiercely team-oriented, a part of an Iowa offensive line that gained the 2025 Joe Moore Award because the country’s highest. He is the primary to mention, “We play 5 as one,” and confirmed as much as an ESPN picture shoot dressed in a T-shirt showing the face of linemate Lucas Allgeyer.
However the predraft duration has published one thing else: Gennings Michael Dunker is one among one.
“Soccer’s performed in helmets, it is performed in pads, however the tale of Gennings Dunker has indisputably benefited with the helmet being off,” mentioned Iowa assistant defensive coordinator Seth Wallace, who found out Dunker in tiny Lena, Illinois. “The issues with out his helmet on have given him a possibility to offer himself to the general public, to NFL executives, normal managers, coaches.
“They are all studying: This child’s a hell of a soccer participant, however gosh, he has an infectious persona.”
LET’S BEGIN WITH the mullet and the mustache, as a result of each and every has a tale of its personal. The mustache, like Dunker’s soccer abilities, wanted nourishment.
“I had it when I used to be like 16, and it didn’t glance excellent,” he defined. “I could not even in point of fact develop hair until I used to be 20. Like, I did not have chest hair, slightly had armpit hair.”
Dunker would now not shave, regardless of how foolish he appeared, and sooner or later, the stache crammed in. The mullet, in the meantime, was once a “case find out about,” borrowed from fellow Iowa offensive lineman Connor Colby, now with the San Francisco 49ers.
Colby grew his personal mullet at Iowa in 2021, incomes freshman All-The usa honors as a beginning guard. He then reduce it right through the center a part of his Hawkeyes profession, and his efficiency — and the road’s — started to slide. Colby introduced again the mullet in 2024, this time with Dunker rising one too. They helped revive Iowa’s line efficiency that fall, and Colby earned first-team All-Giant Ten honors ahead of turning into a seventh-round draft select of the 49ers. Would possibly as neatly stay it, Dunker concept to himself.
The reduce has long gone over reasonably neatly in his relations, even though his mom, Michelle, from whom Gennings will get his ginger locks, is not an enormous mullet fan.
“She at all times sought after a daughter, so she can have observed what the daughter would have seemed like,” Gennings mentioned.
Tattoos of Biblical figures line Dunker’s shoulders and chest: Samson, King David and Moses. His favourite is Moses and the Burning Bush, displayed on his left bicep.
“It is roughly like, God’s calling in your lifestyles, move out for journey,” he mentioned. “It is the way you to find goal in lifestyles. Soccer’s roughly an journey. Doing anything else in point of fact exhausting is more or less an journey. That is why I love it.”
Dunker’s soccer journey is a well-recognized one at Iowa: small-town child who wanted time to broaden and emerged as a draftable prospect. He got here in uncooked after shedding his ultimate highschool season to COVID-19 then overlooked his freshman 12 months at Iowa after foot surgical procedure.
The opposite linemen in his elegance had, in his view, extra athleticism, skill and varnish.
“It was once a large soar,” he mentioned.
In 2022, Dunker had 11 appearances and earned his first get started in Iowa’s bowl win. He changed into a full-time starter in 2023, incomes honorable point out all-league honors, however Iowa’s offense remained in a ancient hollow.
“He was once going to be a part of the answer,” Iowa trainer Kirk Ferentz mentioned.
Dunker did not in point of fact really feel relaxed till his fourth 12 months. He remained the beginning proper take on, was once a second-team All-Giant Ten variety and helped block for a top-25 speeding offense. His expectancies had already been a ways exceeded, particularly as a lifelong Iowa fan who had idolized Ferentz.
The potential of an NFL profession nonetheless wasn’t actual to Dunker, till his end-of-season assembly with offensive line trainer George Barnett, who knowledgeable him he may just play within the execs.
“Everybody on this soccer facility knew it ahead of Dunker knew it, which is the cool factor,” offensive take on Trevor Lauck mentioned. “All of us noticed it in him. Simply his stature on my own, how giant he’s, how a lot he lifts, he is fast, he cares so much, clearly. He would not doubt himself, however he’d say, ‘Yeah, I have no idea.’ After which we might watch his movie and we are like, ‘Bro, what are you speaking about? You stay this up, you are going to be nice.'”
Final 12 months, Dunker and Lauck bookended a line the place all 5 starters earned All-Giant Ten honors, together with Dunker, a first-team variety through the media. Ferentz, who reduce his tooth training O-line, expects Dunker to begin his professional profession at guard with the prospective to additionally play take on.
“He desires to dam the man he is meant to dam,” Ferentz mentioned. “As silly as that sounds, so simple as that sounds, it is a giant a part of being a excellent participant. He is at all times looking to do his activity in point of fact neatly. He is were given all of the attributes it takes to achieve success.”
Lots of the ones characteristics have been formed again house in Lena.
BEFORE THE MULLET got here the mop peak. Dunker wore it round Lena, his place of birth of round 2,700, tucked in Illinois’ northeast nook, close to the Iowa and Wisconsin borders.
“He had this massive mop of pink hair, just like the Justin Bieber haircut,” mentioned Gannon, his youngest brother.
“You simply needed to evolve from that,” added Dunker’s different brother, Gage.
Gennings, Gage and Gannon all have been born in Des Moines, Iowa, however moved to Lena when Gennings was once 8. Michelle, a bodily therapist, had landed a task with an area medical institution community. Their father, Mike, labored for National, which sought after any person within the house to promote farm insurance coverage.
Mike and Michelle each had grown up in Iowa, now not a ways from Iowa Town — Mike in Wilton, Michelle in Muscatine — and appreciated the theory of elevating their younger relations in a small city.
Gennings spent a lot of his formative years out of doors, using his motorbike with buddies, enjoying all of the sports activities and making forts in his yard. Rather than some Halo 4, display time was once restricted.
“It seems like ‘Depart it to Beaver,’ however that is what it was once,” Mike mentioned.
Sports activities have been central to lifestyles in Lena, particularly soccer. The Dunker boys spent Friday nights within the fall staring at — and later enjoying — video games at Lena-Winslow Top College, referred to as Le-Win, below trainer Ric Arand, who’s within the Illinois Top College Soccer Coaches Affiliation Corridor of Repute.
“Everyone roughly lives and breathes for the soccer workforce,” Gannon mentioned. “Now not like Odessa in ‘Friday Evening Lighting fixtures,’ however each time I watch that film, I am getting flashbacks.”
Gennings took to sports activities, principally on account of his measurement, but in addition discovered different ways to compete. He thrived within the speeded up studying (AR) program in Lena colleges, which awarded scholars issues for books they completed.
One ebook equaled 12 or 13 issues. Gennings, who beloved Harry Potter and different fable collection, piled up round 1,200.
“I have no idea if someone else sought after to learn, however I used to be like, ‘Screw it, let’s examine what number of issues I will get,'” he mentioned. “I’d attempt to learn a ebook on a daily basis. I’d be up past due in my room, my folks concept I am asleep and I am simply studying.”
Dunker was once recognized for his athletic prowess and intelligence, however he additionally frolicked with a crowd who “beloved numerous a laugh,” mentioned Mark Kuehl, then the fundamental at Le-Win. For the senior prank at the ultimate day of highschool, Dunker corralled geese from a chum’s relations farm and launched them right through first duration.
One ended up at Kuehl’s table.
“I did not know anything else and I am wandering round like I at all times did, and abruptly, right here come those geese down the corridor,” Kuehl mentioned. “[Dunker] was once across the nook. I did not suppose needless to say it was once him, and he is going, ‘Yeah, it was once me.'”
Kuehl had a number of regulations with senior pranks: Not anything damaged or ruined, and no further paintings for the custodians.
“They have been s—ting far and wide the varsity,” Gage mentioned. “He simply made Gennings blank up the s— and he was once advantageous.”
Lifestyles in Lena wasn’t all a laugh and video games. Gennings additionally realized the best way to paintings, first baling hay for eight- or nine-hour shifts at native farms, then as a dishwasher and meals runner at The Rafters, now Lena Brewing Corporate. Mike and the eating place’s proprietor, Ross Vehmeier, lifted weights in combination, and Mike would ship all 3 of his sons to paintings there, beginning with Gennings.
“I have no idea if kid exertions rules are an actual factor in small cities, which is superior,” Gennings mentioned.
Vehmeier did not rent group of workers below 16, which he assumed Gennings was once after having a look on the towering youngster. Then, one evening after a shift at The Rafters, Gennings stood out of doors with one of the most group of workers, when Michelle drove through to pick out him up.
“The cooks are giving him grief, like, ‘Whats up, what is the deal? Why are not you riding? You should not have a license?'” Vehmeier mentioned. “He is going, ‘No, I am handiest 14.’ We were given this 14-year-old child running for us that appears like he is 20, were given those giant ft. I assume the remaining is historical past.”
Gennings beloved the entirety in regards to the activity. At the first day of sophomore 12 months at the highschool, he took an image preserving an indication that indexed “Rafters Cheeseburger” as his favourite meals and “Lead Dishwasher” as what he sought after to be when he grew up.
Dunker already had the rising phase coated. The cheeseburgers helped him get nearer to the profession he ended up pursuing.
“That is why he is so giant,” Gage mentioned. “They’d make him two foods in a six-hour shift, and he’d devour all of it.”
WALLACE HAS RECRUITED the Chicago suburbs for years. He typically takes Interstate 88 house — a directly shot to Iowa Town — however from time to time he will power alongside U.S. Path 20, the country’s longest highway, which cuts around the northern ridge of Illinois, thru Lena.
“A lot more scenic,” Wallace mentioned.
He had one more reason, too. Arand had constructed Lena-Winslow right into a heavyweight in Illinois’ small-school department, profitable seven Magnificence 1A state titles since 2010, together with 4 from 2017 to 2022.
His luck intrigued Wallace, who attempted to “get off the crushed trail” in recruiting.
“It is not heavy-trafficked,” Wallace mentioned. “It is not some of the first 100 colleges you are going to move to within the state of Illinois to discover a prospect.”
Iowa hadn’t recruited Le-Win’s gamers till defensive lineman Isaiah Bruce, a 12 months forward of Dunker, who dedicated to Iowa in November 2018. Wallace visited Bruce at the highschool and taken alongside Hawkeyes trainer Kirk Ferentz. Whilst Ferentz met with Bruce, Wallace and Arand stood within the lobby out of doors the varsity cafeteria.
Dunker, who, in step with Arand, “has were given a query for the entirety,” walked out of the cafeteria towards his trainer, dressed in brilliant pink footwear. He had come to Le-Win at handiest 190 kilos — “A large, redheaded, roughly gawky child,” Arand mentioned — and was once nonetheless including mass: 30-40 kilos right through his sophomore 12 months, some other 20-30 the next summer season.
“Gennings wore 17½, 18 [size] footwear, in order that they caught out like a sore thumb, like Ronald McDonald footwear,” Arand mentioned. “Trainer Wallace and I have been status there speaking, and he seems down at his ft and appears up at Gennings.”
Wallace prolonged his hand.
“My identify is Seth Wallace. What is your identify?
“Gennings Dunker.”
Wallace concept to himself: Holy s—, this can be a mountain of a person. He requested Dunker about his shoe measurement, in addition to his top and weight.
Quickly sufficient, Ferentz came to visit and met the gangly ginger with the enormous pink footwear.
“I nearly peed my pants,” Dunker mentioned. “You grew up staring at Kirk Ferentz, and now he is in my faculty. I used to be like, ‘What the heck? That is wild.’ I believe I blacked out.”
Dunker started attending Iowa’s soccer camps. The coaches’ pastime in Dunker grew and grew.
After a camp, Ferentz introduced Dunker, his folks and brothers to his place of job. He presented Gennings a scholarship. Gennings, who have been photographed dressed in matching Hawkeyes shirts along with his brothers in 2010, dedicated at the spot.
“It was once a groovy power house,” Gennings mentioned. “I do not even know if I did that neatly at that camp. I would by no means pass-set. I believe I attempted to run block on pass-set, however they most probably appreciated that.”
He changed into the primary pledge of the Hawkeyes’ 2021 recruiting elegance.
“I at all times inform folks: We needed to transfer to Illinois for our child to develop into a Hawkeye,” Mike mentioned.
BEFORE WALLACE AND Ferentz got here to Le-Win, Dunker wasn’t even positive he’d move to university. He had a excellent GPA however “took numerous store categories.”
However coming to Iowa speeded up Dunker’s herbal interest, particularly right through a chemistry route.
“I were given an A-minus and I used to be roughly amazed, like, ‘No manner,'” he mentioned. “I used to be like, ‘Screw it, let’s you need to be pre-med.'”
He appreciated the contest of the pre-med monitor, and in addition serving to folks. A well being and human body structure main, he spent two years running at a bone expansion analysis lab at Iowa, and volunteered right through the summers within the respiration unit on the college’s medical institution.
Chemistry hooked him.
“I by no means concept I would love chemistry, like, natural chemistry,” he mentioned. “It roughly tickled me, I beloved it. It is sort of a big puzzle.”
Dunker went to House Depot and bought 148 ft of whiteboard, hanging it across the basement of his off-campus house. Offensive linemate Cael Iciness joked it was once “a serial killer’s basement,” however Dunker would invite over different scholars — athletes and non-athletes — to fill the forums with equations. Dunker hasn’t ever observed “Excellent Will Searching,” however Wallace describes the lineman as “depraved sensible.”
Dunker was once additionally the “glue man” of Iowa’s offensive line room, Lauck mentioned, preserving slackers responsible whilst additionally boosting teammates’ self assurance and at all times injecting some humor. He beloved the road’s Thursday dinners and their summer season shuttle to the Ozarks. Like different Iowa gamers, Dunker participated within the hay bale toss at Red meat Days each July in within reach Solon. Now not strangely, the farmhand from Lena gained titles in 2022 and 2023.
On every occasion Dunker sees Lauck, he does a karate kick as a result of he thinks his pal resembles Po from “Kung Fu Panda.”
“He says I’ve giant cheeks, like on my face,” Lauck mentioned. “I am like, ‘Thank you, I assume. I do not understand how to reply.’ It is lovely random. That has been working for with reference to two years now, and it at all times will get me going.
“There were not in point of fact any unhealthy days when he is within the room.”
For the reason that mix, Dunker has been coaching in Iowa Town, whilst attending Hawkeyes spring soccer practices. When the O-line has an extraordinary selection of gamers, Dunker pulls apart a tender man and works with him (regardless of his pre-med monitor, he is now excited about training highschool soccer when he is completed enjoying).
Dunker displays as much as lend a hand the workforce he loves, however he temporarily turns into the focus.
“We’ve got were given moms, we have were given sisters, we have were given possibilities that, if Gennings Dunker’s within the construction, all of them need to meet him, and so they all need to get their image with him,” Wallace mentioned.
Dunker is not totally relaxed along with his popularity. He has been ready to be a part of some other workforce, to bond with linemates and a quarterback, to be one among 5 once more. In about 10 days, he will know the place he is going.
Dunker can be again in Lena for draft weekend. Just one venue made sense to host his draft celebration, the previous Rafters. Vehmeier has already ordered pink mullets and plans to promote them, with proceeds going to the Lena sports activities program, an concept Gennings right away authorized.
“Each and every time you spot his identify indexed in anything else, it will say Lena, so it is giant for our neighborhood, large,” Kuehl mentioned. “He generally is a nice soccer participant and a horrible individual, and that is the reason now not him. Simply an ideal man.”
Because the draft nears, Dunker is doubling down at the values that formed him, particularly self-belief, which he did not at all times have in soccer, but in addition interest and treating others neatly.
And if you’ll develop a mullet, let it waft.
“All soccer gamers are hidden through the helmet, however particularly O-linemen,” Lauck mentioned. “So it was once cool when he were given to take the helmet off, folks were given to peer him and his hair and his mustache and they are like, ‘Oh, this man’s lovely fascinating.’
“I am satisfied it has labored out how it has.”