Offense
The quarterback position will see a battle last into fall camp. 6-foot-4 junior Hank Brown has a strong arm, while sophomore Jeremy Hecklinski is more of a gunslinger. I expect both to see reps early on, and my bet is for Brown to earn the QB1 role.
The running back room returns experience in Kamari Mouiton and Xavier Williams. Mouiton rushed for nearly 900 yards and five touchdowns last season. The addition of Lendon “LJ” Phillips Jr. from South Dakota is crucial. He led the FCS in rushing last season with 1,921 yards.
The wide receiver room returns some experience in Reece Vander Zee, KJ Parker, Jarriett Buie, Dayton Howard, and tight ends DJ Vonnahme, Zach Ortwerth, and Addison Ostrenga. The additions of Lance Beeghley (SMU), Evan James (Furman), and Tony Diaz (UTRGV) are massive for this unit.
The offensive line loses three 1st Team All-Big 10 performers. Kade Pieper, Trevor Lauck, Michael Myslinski, Leighton Jones, Jack Dotzler, and Cannon Leonard have all seen plenty of reps. The additions of Trent Wilson (James Madison) and some solid freshmen, provide quality depth.
Defense
The defensive line room loses all four starters. Iose Epenesa, Will Hubert, Bryce Hawthorne, and Kenneth Merrieweather will all see expanded roles. The additions of Emmanuel Olagbaju (North Dakota), Lance Ingold (Northern Illinois), Brice Stevenson (Holy Cross), and Kahmari Brown (Elon) are game changers for this unit.
The linebacker room returns experience in Jayden Montgomery, Cam Buffington, Nolan DeLong, Derek Weisskopf, and Landyn Van Kekerix. Montgomery could be the next Iowa LB drafted. Kirk Ferentz and Defensive Coordinator Phil Parker do an amazing job with this unit.
The secondary returns All-Big 10 safety Zach Lutmer. He could be Iowa’s next great defensive back. Deshaun Lee, Jacob Wallace, Jaylen Watson, and Rashad Godfrey Jr. also have experience. The additions of Cody Haddad (Ohio State), Xavier Styles (Robert Morris), Tyler Brown (James Madison), and Anthony Hawkins (Villanova) are big.
Specialists
The transfer portal was used here after players were lost to graduation. Kicking duties will belong to North Dakota State transfer Eli Ozick. While punting duties will belong to D3 Simpson transfer Tanner Philpott.
2026 Schedule
9/5 Northern Illinois
9/12 Iowa State
9/19 Northern Iowa
9/26 at Michigan
10/3 Ohio State
10/9 at Washington
10/24 at Minnesota
10/31 Wisconsin
11/7 at Northwestern
11/14 Purdue
11/21 at Illinois
11/27 Nebraska
Final Analysis
Kirk Ferentz has one of the most steady, consistent programs in the country. You know Iowa will win seven to 10 games every year. This season, the Hawkeyes must replace a lot, but they are built for this. A key three game stretch of at Michigan, vs Ohio State, and at Washington will tell us what we need to know about Iowa.
