Iowa’s offseason buzz around Kade Pieper just keeps building.
The junior offensive lineman has been moving toward center after reports surfaced that he would slide inside, and that appears to be the plan now with Logan Jones off to the NFL after winning the Rimington Award. Pieper is expected to take over those duties in 2026, and the honors have started piling up before he even snaps the ball there.
On Tuesday, Pieper was named a preseason Walter Camp first-team All-American. That follows preseason first-team All-American recognition from Phil Steele a few weeks ago and another preseason first-team All-American nod from Athlon Sports last week.
At 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, the Norfolk, Neb., native is stepping into a huge role for Iowa. He’ll be the one handling protections and shifts from the center spot for the first time, and he’ll be doing it for an offensive line that’s trying to repeat as Joe Moore Award winners.
The Hawkeyes have a strong recent track record of sending centers to the NFL, with James Daniels, Tyler Linderbaum and Jones all drafted in the last decade. Pieper looks like the next one in that line, and if he turns in another big season, first-round pick chatter could be part of the conversation.
For now, he’s the centerpiece of Iowa’s front in 2026, and another major preseason honor suggests the sport is already paying attention. Kirk Ferentz has spent more than 25 years developing elite offensive linemen in Iowa City, and Pieper is the latest name to watch.
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Two Iowa Freshmen Suddenly Have A Real Chance To Matter
Iowas roster turnover has opened a door for two freshmen who arrived with more than just long-term potential. Jaidyn Coon and Ethan Harris were both brought in as four-star recruits, and the Hawkeyes are looking at their size, athleticism and versatility as possible answers while they sort through the departures of Bennett Stirtz, Alvaro Folgueiras and Tavion Banks.
Coon already looks like the kind of wing-forward piece Iowa can plug into a lot of different spots, which matters for a team trying to replace Folgueiras all-around value. Harris brings a different kind of intrigue at 6-foot-9, with enough ball-handling and mobility to give Iowa a mismatch option it will not want to waste, and the early competition for minutes should tell plenty about how quickly both freshmen can matter. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Hawthorne Feels Vital To Iowas Rebuilt Defensive Line
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Parker has already pointed to Hawthorne as a player Iowa can lean on, which says plenty about where the line stands heading into the next phase of the rebuild. There is still room for him to sharpen his work against the run and create more disruption through the middle, but the bigger question for Iowa is how much more he can give as a leader while the rest of the rotation takes shape around him. [Read more 🡒]
Iowas Latest National Praise Comes With One Huge Offensive Twist
Athlon Sports latest preseason All-America teams gave Iowa another round of national recognition, and the attention landed where the Hawkeyes have long built their identity: in the trenches and on defense. Kade Pieper was placed on the first-team offense, Trevor Lauck earned second-team offense honors, and Zach Lutmer made the fourth-team defense, a mix that says plenty about the programs continuing ability to develop linemen and back-end defenders who draw notice well beyond Iowa City.
The bigger storyline, though, is what Piepers selection says about the offense heading into 2026. He is shifting from right guard to center after starting every game there last season, while Lauck returns after anchoring left tackle and Lutmer is back after a productive year in the secondary. With the opener set for Sept. 5 against Northern Illinois at Kinnick Stadium, Iowa will soon find out whether that preseason praise translates into the kind of offensive stability it has been searching for. [Read more 🡒]