The Daily Iowan
PREGAME
Saturday, September 5
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Iowa vs Northern Illinois Kinnick Stadium
How Iowa tight end DJ Vonnahme handles the pre-season hype.
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It’s been the topic of conversation all offseason: Jeremy Hecklinski or Hank Brown? Head coach Kirk Ferentz has been adamant about how close the contest has been, and even after an outstanding Kids’ Day performance by Hecklinski, Ferentz made sure it was understood that the battle is still close. Going into a season-opener against Northern Illinois, the Hawkeyes have some flexibility to let both quarterbacks get some run in live game action. The starter of the game might not necessarily be indicative of who will ultimately win the job.
On paper, this year’s wide receiver room seems to be the best Iowa has had in a decade. With returning talent in 6-foot-4 Reece Vander Zee and 6-foot-5 Dayton Howard, the Hawkeyes added some key pieces in the transfer portal to add a speed threat to the passing game. UTRGV transfer Tony Diaz has received the most hype of perhaps any player on the Iowa roster this offseason, let alone among the receivers. Diaz posted 875 yards on 68 receptions with 11 touchdowns in 2025. The Hawkeyes have the horses to become a solid passing offense, it’s just a matter of proving it on the field.
With no returning starters up front, Iowa defensive coordinator, Phil Parker, has his hands full with a defensive line that returns little to no production. The most experienced defensive lineman returning for the Hawkeyes is fourth-year Bryce Hawthorne.
Hawthorne transferred to Iowa in the spring of 2025 and played a limited role in all 13 games last season. Hawthorne finished the year with 15 tackles, three tackles for loss, and an interception.
Northern Illinois showed a strong run game in 2025, with two running backs sharing the load at nearly a 50/50 split. Chavon Wright led the way with 196 carries for 875 yards and five touchdowns, but third-year Telly Johnson Jr. followed closely behind with 124 attempts for 712 yards and four scores. With Wright now gone, Johnson Jr. seems to fall right in line as the starting running back for the Huskies. Johnson Jr. was named to the Doak Walker Award watchlist ahead of this season and will be a focal point for Iowa’s defense, especially with an inexperienced defensive front.
Special teams have always been the bread and butter of Iowa football, and this year’s group seems to have the most question marks of any group in a long time. The Hawkeyes lost all three of their main specialists in returner Kaden Wetjen, kicker Drew Stevens, and punter Rhys Dakin. North Dakota State transfer kicker Eli Ozick was in a battle with second-year Caden Buhr. There’s a chance both kickers will see the field in the opener, whether one kicks off and one kicks field goals, or both take field goal attempts. Buhr ultimately won the job ahead of the Hawkeyes’ season opener, but Ozick’s experience might give him a chance to take the job later in the season. Simpson transfer punter Tanner Philpott and second-year Boston Everitt were also battling for the starting role, with Everitt ultimately winning the job. Everitt, a native of Australia, hasn’t played a single down of football before coming to Iowa, while Philpott joins the Hawkeyes with two years of experience.
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Iowa tight end leans on his humble beginnings How DJ Vonnahme handles the pre-season hype.
Emma Calabro | The Daily Iowan
Iowa wide receiver Reece Vander Zee and tight end DJ Vonnahme celebrate a touchdown during a football game between Iowa and Nebraska at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska on Nov. 28, 2025. Vonnahme led the Hawkeyes with 434 receiving yards in 2025. Jackson Miller Sports Editor
jackson.miller@dailyiowan.com
500 people live in Breda, Iowa, the hometown of Iowa tight end DJ Vonnahme. It’s not rare that players from small towns are on the Hawkeyes’ roster, but there’s something different about those athletes compared to everyone else on the team. Vonnahme has received plenty of offseason attention after his emergence last season, capped by his performances against Nebraska and Vanderbilt to end the season, where he totaled 10 catches for 237 yards and two touchdowns. For Vonnahme, the hype hasn’t been at the forefront of his mind, and the support he’s received from his small hometown is gratifying and keeps him humble. “It’s amazing, just having everyone in that small community just cheering me on,” Vonnahme said. “It really is gratifying.”
Coming from parents who were both raised on farms and kept that tradition going by raising their kids in the same environment, Vonnahme is well-versed in what hard work looks like. “DJ is a hard-working guy, dependable. Every day is the same with him,” head coach Kirk Ferentz said at media day on Aug. 14. “I’d go out on a limb and say he’s going to be a pretty good player for us. We’re going to need that.” Vonnahme enters this season as a Sporting News second-team preseason All-America, a Phil Steele preseason fourth-team All-Big Ten, and an Athlon preseason second-team All-Big Ten selection. He was also named to the watch list for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end.
Humble Beginnings Vonnahme has always been quiet and humble, so much so that it nearly cost him opportunities on the recruiting trail. Becky Vonnahme, DJ’s mother, said he wasn’t looking for attention, so
he was late on the radar for college coaches. That has always been a part of Vonnahme’s personality, and it’s something his parents were sure to instill in him and his brothers. “We’ve always tried to raise all the boys to be very down to earth,” Becky said. “I feel like we helped a little bit with that, but it really was him taking that to the next level.” Vonnahme spent his childhood helping his parents on the farm, meaning his free time was spent choring rather than hanging out with friends. Becky said that experience helped Vonnahme stay grounded and divert any attention away from himself. “Even when he started to get a lot of attention in high school, right away he’d be like, ‘Mom, you don’t need to post that on Facebook. Literally no one cares,’” Becky said. “So he was just always like that, always has been, so we’re not shocked at all that he’s maintained that level-headedness.” Not only has Vonnahme felt support from the Breda residents since he left for Iowa City, but he also feels like the community helped shape him into the person he is today.
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“It’s not so much the player, it’s the person,” Vonnahme said. “The people that are there, everyone’s super nice, just really open and willing to take you in as their own.” Vonnahme’s parents have also felt that support since Vonnahme joined the Hawkeyes. Becky mentioned how big a deal it is for the community to see their town next to Vonnahme’s name on the roster list. “We knew that this would be a huge deal that in the media guide, it would say, ‘DJ Vonnahme, Breda, Iowa,’” Becky said. “That’s probably the only way that people across the state have ever heard of Breda. He does understand what a big deal that is. And how there’s so many people rooting for him just because they’re proud to see someone from such a small town make that.”
Late Bloomer Vonnahme’s recruiting process was unlike most, as he originally wanted to pursue basketball and didn’t have an interest in playing college football until his junior year of high school. He had always been dominant in football, but Vonnahme didn’t gain full confidence in his abilities on the football field until his third season at Kuemper Catholic High School. Vonnahme, who played quarterback until his senior year, threw for 1,339 yards for 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions in his junior season. He also added 380 yards on the ground on 57 carries with nine touchdowns. That season led to an impactful conversation between Vonnahme and his mom. “We had a conversation where I was like, ‘I know you’re really interested in pursuing basketball in college, but I feel like you’re going to have bigger opportunities for football if you’re open to it,’” Becky said. With no recruiting profiles or highlight videos on social media, Vonnahme needed to start fresh on the recruiting trail with just one year of high school left. While he wasn’t fully open to the idea of playing college football, a basketball injury solidified that decision. During a game against Glenwood, Vonnahme landed on his head and was taken to the hospital directly from the game. The situation was scary for Vonnahme and his family, but he was released from the hospital that same night and was
Emma Calabro | The Daily Iowan
Iowa tight end DJ Vonnahme runs the ball during a football game between Iowa and Nebraska at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska on Nov. 28, 2025. Vonnahme played in 12 of 13 games for the Hawkeyes. diagnosed with a concussion and neck injury. Just two days after the injury, Vonnahme’s perspective on his future shifted.
“I didn’t expect to get much playing time last year, but every single week I prepared like I was a starter. ” DJ Vonnahme Iowa tight end
Vonnahme’s football coach, Ryan Steinkamp, put his name on the radar of some college coaches. Within just two days, Vonnahme had his first visit. Then the offers came flooding in. The first offers came from South Dakota and Northern Iowa, who were both interested in Vonnahme’s teammate, Evan Adams, who currently plays defensive line at South
Dakota. “He really did not have an interest or even a thought that he could play college football until January of 2023,” Becky said. “After that, it was a whirlwind, and everyone knew he was athletic, but they didn’t want him at quarterback.” Vonnahme was being looked at as a wide receiver, linebacker, or safety by most of the schools recruiting him until Iowa decided he’d be a good fit at tight end. Steinkamp said it was interesting to see that Iowa and a few other teams wanted him to play tight end. “He never blocked once for me, ever,” Steinkamp said. “He went to an Iowa camp, and I talked to LeVar [Woods] the week after, and they said they were impressed by his blocking. That just really surprised me because DJ was more of a runaround guy.”
The Rise Vonnahme walked on at Iowa in 2024 and spent most of his first year putting on 30 pounds, going from
210 to 240 pounds. Vonnahme began the 2025 season buried on the depth chart behind fifth-year Addison Ostrenga, Zach Ortwerth, and Hayden Large, who were the three tight ends listed on the depth chart for the season opener against UAlbany. Ostrenga went down with an Achilles injury during Iowa’s 16-13 loss to Iowa State in Week 2, and Vonnahme moved onto the depth chart the following week behind Ortwerth and Large. Vonnahme didn’t record his first multi-catch game until Week 5 against Indiana, where he caught four passes for 16 yards. After increased production as the season went on, Vonnahme earned the starting spot for the final regular-season game against rival Nebraska. That’s where the explosion started. Vonnahme hauled in three passes for 91 yards and a touchdown in a 40-16 rout of the Huskers, and he wasn’t finished there. That performance was then
topped with a seven-catch, 146-yard game against Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl, including a 21-yard touchdown on a reverse, flea-flicker trick play. “[He] shows up, works really hard. Clearly he had really climbed the ladder a little bit last year,” Ferentz said. “As the second part of the season came on, I thought he really got comfortable.” “I definitely didn’t expect to get much playing time last year, but every single week I prepared like I was a starter,” Vonnahme said. “That’s what coach Ferentz always preaches, because you never know what could happen. Of course, the unfortunate injury to [Addison Ostrenga], but I was always ready.” Vonnahme’s rise came as no surprise to Steinkamp, who knew that Vonnahme would be willing to stick it out at Iowa and not transfer when things didn’t go his way. “Him and I had that conversation like, ‘try to get on special teams first,’” Steinkamp said.
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VONNAHME from 5
Steinkamp also made sure to tell Vonnahme that seeing the field at Iowa is a big accomplishment and he has more opportunities because of how often the Hawkeyes use multiple tight-end sets on offense.
Building for a breakout year The hype is there — he’s proven he can dominate against high-level competition, but Vonnahme isn’t going to take the opportunity for granted. Now entering his third year, Vonnahme hasn’t stopped learning. Whether it’s from his coaches, teammates, or even himself, Vonnahme still takes in as much information as possible to keep bettering himself. “The biggest thing is the work ethic and consistency,” Vonnahme said about what he’s learned from the veteran tight ends. “[Addison Ostrenga], every single day, he’s the first one in. Last year, with his injury, he was preparing for the game anyway. He wanted to get back that bad.” While Ostrenga returning during last season was an impossible task, the commitment and dedication he still showed every day while not being able to play stuck out to Vonnahme. Ostrenga echoed that praise back to Vonnahme. “He had that success at the end of the season, but I think that really propelled him into the offseason,” Ostrenga said about Vonnahme. “Just being able to work hard in the weight room, not take any reps for granted, continuing to push himself to be the best player he can. I know he’s going to have a great season again, and I’m excited for it.” Tight ends coach Abdul Hodge credits Vonnahme’s love for football for his success and drive to improve. He also said that Vonnahme’s pursuit of improvement has helped him take younger tight ends under his wing, just as Ostrenga and others did for him. “He’s serious about improvement, he’s serious about development,” Hodge said. “And more importantly, he wants to bring some of the younger guys along with him. I think DJ’s been doing a really good job of just working hard and getting ready for the season.”
The personality off the field The humble and quiet demeanor may bring fans to the conclusion that Vonnahme stays to himself, but it’s quite the opposite when he’s around his teammates. While Vonnahme is dialed in on the field, he enjoys cracking jokes and having a laugh with his favorite people in his downtime. “He’s a goofy guy,” quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski said about Vonnahme. “He’s fun to be around, one of my best friends, and we just have a lot of fun together. He’s just a goofball. I don’t know how to explain it.”
Samantha DeFily | The Daily Iowan
Iowa tight end DJ Vonnahme celebrates after scoring a touchdown during a football game between Iowa and No. 14 Vanderbilt at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Dec. 31, 2025. Vonnahme was named to the John Mackey Award Watch List in August. Vonnahme said his humor among his teammates is just like any other college kid’s, and he enjoys having fun and joking around, whether it’s at the poker table or on the golf course. “We just really enjoy each other, enjoy being around each other and just enjoy football, so it’s really easy to play with them,” Vonnahme said. Offensive tackle Trevor Lauck said he likes to take advantage of Vonnahme’s poker skills when he has a chance. “I like playing poker with him,” Lauck said. “Taking his money, that’s always a privilege of mine.” Vonnahme didn’t take that statement by Lauck too lightly, saying it’s usually the other way around when they get together for a game of poker. “You know, a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while,” Vonnahme said. “I’m sure he’s taken [my money] once or twice, if that, but I feel like over the long run, I’m definitely the one to get the best of him.” Lauck isn’t the only teammate who enjoys taking digs at Vonnahme’s prowess in off-
“He’s fun to be around, one of my best friends, and we just have a lot of fun together. He’s just a goofball" Jeremy Hecklinski Iowa quarterback
field activities, as Ostrenga was sure to let it be known who the better golfer is between him and Vonnahme. “Offensively, there’s a lot of guys that like to go golfing, so it’s just fun being able to have that time with those guys,” Ostrenga said. “I’m definitely a lot better than DJ. I think he’d say the same.” Unlike Lauck’s claim, Vonnahme agrees with Ostrenga on his abilities on the course, and admits that Ostrenga typically gets the best of him. “Right now, he is [better],” Vonnahme said. “That’s for sure.” For offensive coordinator Tim Lester, he still doesn’t get many words from Vonnahme
when they talk, but he’s heard plenty of stories about what Vonnahme says among his teammates. “He doesn’t talk much, still, to me,” Lester said. “I try to get him to talk a little bit more. I think he’s definitely vocal with his buddies because they always have funny stories about what he said and I’m like, ‘He said that?’” Vonnahme and other teammates couldn’t help but grin with a guilty look while declining to give specific examples, but Lauck added to Lester’s sentiment by saying that Vonnahme is a “mystery guy,” because he never knows what he might say. Vonnahme’s down-to-earth and laid back personality helps him combat any pressure he might feel going into 2026, a year where many fans are expecting him to become the next great Iowa tight end. While Vonnahme doesn’t always show his goofy side when he’s on the field and doesn’t take all the credit for his work, he’s just like any other college kid. “Off the field, I like to joke around a lot,” Vonnahme said. “Just hanging with the guys, it’s what every teenage boy likes to do.”
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Competition running wild for Hawkeyes
THE DAILY IOWAN PREGAME | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2026 | 7
As Iowa enters the 2026 season, there are still questions to be answered during game action. Jackson Miller Sports Editor
jackson.miller@dailyiowan.com
Hawkeye football is back, and as head coach Kirk Ferentz enters his 28th year with Iowa, competition has run rampant throughout fall camp. The headline battle is at quarterback, which has yet to be decided, with the Hawkeyes’ depth chart listing Hank Brown or Jeremy Hecklinski as the starter. Ferentz made it clear that the contest is still very close, and both will see the field in the season opener against Northern Illinois. “We haven’t decided on a starter yet,” Ferentz said at a press conference on Sept. 1. “I think we listed them by numerical order, but the bottom line is we don’t know who will start the game. Somebody is going to do that, but it’s safe to say both guys will play during the course of the game, and then we’ll just play it out from there.” With that battle at the forefront of most fans’ minds, there are still questions about who will win the job at other positions, as well. Special teams is where those other contests lie, with the Hawkeyes losing their punter, kicker, long snapper, and returner from last season. According to Ferentz, those battles have been as close as they can get. “Obviously, the biggest question is the quarterback thing, but
John Charlson | The Daily Iowan
Head coach Kirk Ferentz answers questions during the Iowa Football Media Day inside the Ted Pacha Family Club room at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on Aug. 14. I’d kind of lump it in there: quarterback, punter, kicker,” Ferentz said at media availability on Aug. 26. “Right now, it’s all still really dead even.” Unlike the quarterbacks, the competition for those three specialist positions has been decided. Second-year Caden Buhr beat out North Dakota State transfer Eli Ozick for the kicking job, Boston Everitt earned the nod at punter over Simpson transfer Tanner Philpott, and Ike Speltz will start at longsnapper. Iowa not only lost three extremely important specialists, but it also lost the man in charge of the unit, special teams coordinator LeVar Woods. Woods joined the coaching staff at Michigan State as the special teams coordinator and assistant head coach under Pat Fitzgerald. The Hawkeyes then named defensive analyst Chris Polizzi as the
new special teams coordinator in January. The roster turnover has caused plenty of competition at multiple key positions, but offensive coordinator Tim Lester believes that competition is healthy for the team. “[The] competition in every room we have, I’m excited about,” Lester said at media day on August 14. “From the o-line to the running backs, to the quarterbacks, to the tight ends, to the wideouts. It’s just pushing everyone to compete. I always say, the reason they never let you race in the 40-yard dash is that you’ll run faster; that’s why they make you run it by yourself.” Lester said there’s a lot of ‘racing’ going on in the position battles, and that competition has helped to minimize the learning curve. Another room with plenty of competition is the defensive line, a group that returns no starters from 2025 and very little production. The most experienced defensive lineman of the group is fourth-year Bryce Hawthorne. Hawthorne has played in 30 career games in his college career. The Minnesota native played two years at South Dakota State before transferring to Iowa last season. Hawthorne has racked up 42 career tackles, 9 ½ for loss, and 4 ½ sacks. While Hawthorne is one of the main leaders in the mix, there’s still a group of eight to 10 guys who will rotate throughout the season. While that seems like a lot, defensive coordinator Phil Parker said that’s always the goal for his defenses. “Obviously, we’re trying to figure out the first four guys that are going to be in the lineup, and the next four,” Parker said at media day on August 14. “You like to have eight to 10 guys in there to rotate, and I think that’s what you need to do with defensive linemen, how fast the pace is with the offenses now, you’ve got to keep them fresh.” With plenty of questions at multiple positions heading into the 2026 season, the Hawkeyes look to find the answers quickly before running through the gauntlet three-game stretch to start Big Ten play. The coaching staff, however, seems to have confidence in who they’ve got on the roster and believes the new faces can make an immediate impact in Iowa City, and it all starts on Saturday.
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One on One: Tony Diaz The San Marcos, Texas, native discussed his favorite holiday, dream car, and choice superpower.
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Weekly Wager
Pete Ruden
Jackson Miller
College Football Editor, Action Network Daily Iowan alumnus
Sports Editor
Northern Illinois +31.5
Northern Illinois Iowa will have to produce methodical drives and finish them when it crosses NIU’s 40-yard line. With a quarterback battle and an expected vanilla game plan with rival Iowa State on deck, that’s asking a lot. Northern Illinois ranked top25 in explosiveness allowed and top-50 in defensive finishing drives last year.
There’s just too much uncertainty on Iowa’s roster for me to pick them to cover this monster spread. We still don’t know which quarterback will lead the Hawkeyes on their first drive, and with both alternating every two or three drives, it’s hard for me to believe there will be much continuity on offense throughout the game.
OVER 44.5
OVER 44.5
Both offenses should be able to move the ball here.The Hawkeyes should boast one of the best offensive lines in the country again this season. They‘ll tear apart an NIU defensive front that ranked outside the top 110 in Rushing Success Rate allowed last season and is replacing that unit with small-school transfers.
I’ve got this one barely reaching this number. I don’t think the Iowa offense will find a groove until the second half. The Hawkeyes can lean on the run game to put up points, and I think the defense will hold down the NIU offense enough to make the bettors sweat this pick, but the over still hits.
AUBURN -7
CLEMSON +10
While both teams are going through changes, Auburn knows what its identity will be. I’d bet the Tigers at -7 or better.
Dabo Swinney will be very motivated to beat Lane Kiffin. I still think LSU gets the win here, but Clemson keeps it close.
YTD:
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Each week during the Iowa football season, Daily Iowan Sports Editor Jackson Miller and Action Network College Football Editor Pete Ruden will place three hypothetical bets of $100. The score of the contest will be kept in the piggy banks to the right and left with a winner to be declared at the end of the season.
Ruden’s 2025 record: 0-0
YTD:
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Miller’s 2025 record: 0-0
For advanced analysis and statistics, read the full version of The Daily Iowan’s bettor’s guide at
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Game Guide
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The Daily Iowan staff shares their thoughts on this week’s upcoming games.
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KID CAPTAIN
Not Your Everyday Routine Kid Captain Harlow Taube’s Journey with MPS I
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“Don’t Google it, it’s not going to be a thing,” the doctor told the Taube family. “We’ve never had a positive case.” In Illinois, a Mucopolysaccharidosis screening is mandatory for newborn babies. An average step in the process after birth, normally forgotten when complete, as the possibility of a positive case is one in 500,000. When newborn Harley Taube defied the odds, the first reaction from her mother, Marley Taube, could only be summarized into one word: devastation. Harlow came back positive with Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I, or MPS I, an incurable disorder in which the body lacks the alpha-L-iduronidase enzyme needed to break down complex sugar molecules and clear toxic buildup in cells. The toxins, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), can have several physical symptoms, such as short stature, abnormal bone growth, coarse facial features, and enlarged organs. “It was just trying to figure out where to go,” Marley said, revisiting her initial thought process. “We live in Illinois, so we were sent to an Illinois hospital… the vibes were not it.” The immediate solution was simple for Marley, a Maquoketa, Iowa native: Stead Family Children’s Hospital. From seven weeks old, the hour-and-a-half drive from Orion, Illinois to Iowa City became a part of Harlow’s routine, as she would receive enzyme replacement infusions through a chest port at Stead once a week. “We were dealing with COVID on top of it, and after two visits, I was the only one who could go for the first two years,” Marley said. “But the nurses in that hospital and Child Life were so helpful. They’ve helped us navigate this Harlow Taube poses for a photo during Kids’ Day at Kinnick in Iowa City on Aug 15.
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situation that they’ve never seen.” Now 6 years old, Harlow doesn’t view the visits as a chore. Instead, it’s her favorite day of the week. “She loves going,” Marley said, laughing through her words. “It just makes her so happy, and she just makes everybody there happy. She’s always smiling and laughing, and we just love it.” In Harlow’s hospital visits, aside from receiving enzyme replacement therapy, she spends time with her favorite nurse, Nurse Haylee, as well as her “pet away from home,” Nacho, the facility dog. However, while Nacho and the staff at Stead are some of Harlow’s biggest supporters, she has another set of bonds with her favorite people that are unsurpassable: her three older sisters. “Each sister would say that Harlow is their favorite sister,” Marley said, beaming. “She’s the glue. That’s who they will go to, that’s who they will choose. She’s the glue for all of us.”
Samantha DeFily | The Daily Iowan
Harlow’s strength, perseverance and ever-loving adoration for Stead has led to a major milestone in her journey, as she is the first Kid Captain of the season. Harlow is excited, but for her parents and three older sisters, the role of Kid Captain holds a deeper meaning. “We were there for the first [ever] wave,” Marley said. “It was incredible. We cried, and that was before we had Harlow, so we were like, ‘we feel so bad for those parents,’ but never in a million years would we have thought that our kid would be on the other side.” After a reflective pause, Marley continued, “Now when we go to the games, and we do the waves, my husband and I are the ones sobbing in the stands because we understand how those families are feeling now.” Harlow has recently passed 325 infusions, an exciting milestone she will celebrate on the field of Kinnick Stadium this Saturday, as she’ll wave to the nurses who help her continue to be her bubbly self, as well as the kids whose side she has been on before.
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IOWA FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK
Hawkeyes prepare for season opener against Northern Illinois Head coach Kirk Ferentz enters his 28th season with many questions to answer.
Jackson Miller Sports Editor
jackson.miller@dailyiowan.com
Media members gathered in the uncomfortably warm Hansen Football Performance Center in Iowa City on Tuesday, ready to learn more about the Iowa football team ahead of its 2026 season opener. The Hawkeyes return just eight starters from last season, with 31 total letterwinners coming back. While the turnover has been immense, Iowa had just eight players transfer after the 2025 season, the fewest among Power Four teams. Iowa turns to younger, less experienced players who have been in the program, alongside a handful of FCS transfers who look to prove themselves in the Big Ten.
Quarterback The main headline since the end of last season has been the starting quarterback situation. The first depth chart of the season, released on Monday, listed Hank Brown or Jeremy Hecklinski as the starter. It has been known for most of the offseason that the battle had a good chance of continuing into the season, but it’s still unknown which quarterback will get the starting snaps against Northern Illinois on Saturday. “We have no idea,” quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski said about who will get the start on Saturday. “We haven’t been told anything, we’re just focusing on a day at a time.” “It is close statistically,” Ferentz said. “It’s close from a feel standpoint, I think. At this point, after however many practices we’ve
had, 21 or 22, there’s no right way to make a decision at this point.”
New-look defense, same standard Ever since Phil Parker took over as defensive coordinator 15 years ago, the Hawkeyes’ defense has been one of the best in all of college football. Iowa has ranked top-20 in scoring defense in each of the last 11 seasons, and has allowed less than 20 points per game in nine consecutive seasons. With no returning starters on the defensive line and just three on the entire defense, the group looks to uphold the standard set by Parker. “[The standard] is set by Coach Parker and the coaches, but it’s raised each year with the players that come through here,” third-year linebacker Cam Buffington said. “They could go back so far, and the bar just keeps getting higher and higher with everyone that’s come through here.” Buffington has appeared in six games in his career at Iowa, recording seven tackles and an interception. Iowa has shown lots of trust in Buffington coming into 2026, naming him a starting middle linebacker alongside fifth-year Jayden Montgomery. The defensive line lost 77 total starts by Aaron Graves, Ethan Hurkett, Max Llewellyn, and Jonah Pace in 2025, leaving unproven players to fill those roles. The most experienced returner is defensive tackle Bryce Hawthorne, who played in all 13 games last year, recording 15 tackles with three for loss. Also returning with limited experience
Samantha Defily | The Daily Iowan
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz yells out as his team enters the field prior to a football game between Iowa and Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin on Oct. 11, 2025. Ferentz is the winningest coach in Big Ten football history.
is defensive end Kenny Merriweather. The fourth-year also played in all 13 games in 2025, recording 14 tackles. Merriweather said his focus this offseason has been his mentality. “I would say just my game all around, pass rush, and the run game,” Merriweather said about what he’s been working on. “Not even
just my game, just mentally. Being able to help all the younger guys has actually made me able to help myself in different ways.” With many questions still left unanswered, Iowa will face Northern Illinois on Saturday, Sept. 5 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City at 3:15 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network.