UNI football has announced the signing of 21 student-athletes to the 2023 roster from early signing day on Wednesday. Two of the signees are from northwest Iowa. They are Lance Berends from Hartley and Kaleb Cline from Spencer.
Head football coach Mark Farley said, “I’m excited about this year’s incoming recruiting class. We really wanted to hone in on the future of UNI football in taking as many freshmen as we did, building the program the way UNI football has been for years in taking players out of high school and developing them over the years and making them into five-star players.”
Lance Berends, DL, 6-3, 244, Hartley, Iowa | Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn HS
A physical pass rusher from Hartley, Iowa, Berends helped lead his team into the first round of the high school playoffs during the 2022 season with 41 total tackles, including 32 solo stops. He also notched 10 tackles for loss and 5 sacks his senior season. During his high school career, Berends had a total of 98.5 tackles, 84 solo tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks.
Kaleb Cline, OL, 6-3, 240, Spencer, Iowa | Spencer HS
A physical offensive lineman from northwest Iowa, Cline helped lead the charge in Spencer winning a Class 4A district championship. With Cline on the line, the Tigers ran for 2,714 yards and 36 touchdowns his senior year. A solid addition to the Panther line up front, Cline was selected to participate in the River Battle Bowl, a game featuring high school prospects from Iowa and Nebraska.
