Questions around Iowa’s defensive front haven’t gone away since the season ended, but Bryce Hawthorne is giving the Hawkeyes something they badly needed in the middle: stability.
After Iowa lost several key leaders in the trenches, Hawthorne was going to have to absorb a bigger load in 2026. The South Dakota State transfer has answered that challenge, turning his blend of twitch, hand quickness and athleticism into real production. The 6-foot-3, 296-pound tackle flashed last season with 15 tackles and an interception, but his game has taken another jump over the last couple of weeks.
Through six games, Hawthorne has put up 19 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. More important for Iowa, he’s been a steady disruptive presence inside, the kind of player who changes how offenses have to line up and forces attention away from everyone else.
Defensive coordinator Phil Parker highlighted not just the production, but the way Hawthorne is doing the work.
"We showed a clip a couple days ago of Bryce actually making a great effort play on the sideline. We had a missed tackle in the flat right in front of our bench, and you saw Bryce start running after him," Parker said.
"It was the way he's grown a little bit, the effort that he was putting in, and the leadership. He's hard to block, as you see, and he's very active.
When somebody does that, it establishes that leadership role. That kid is playing very hard and going full speed all the time, and people respect that.
I think he's really done a good job getting back healthy and playing well."
Hawthorne has also been pushing himself, and that self-scrutiny has shown up on the field. He knows the position he plays rarely gets the spotlight, but he also understands how much value there is in doing the dirty work right. For Iowa, that means holding gaps, clogging lanes and creating chances for teammates to finish plays.
"The consistency. Some games last year I had some good plays, and other games I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm getting whooped.
I need to fix that.' I think it comes down to my consistency and fundamentals," Hawthorne recently said.
"That's one thing I've really focused on this year. Making sure that my fundamentals are always on point, or trying to always be on point.
That will help me be consistent for my teammates."
"It's good to see your stats and it's always a good thing to look at. The main thing is definitely evaluating my fundamentals.
One thing we always talk about is honest self-evaluation. That's really important.
If you can look at yourself on this play even if you got a sack or made a tackle for loss-- and really check yourself. 'I could have been lower.
I could have done better at this thing.' It really elevates your whole game."
Iowa still wants more consistency from the defensive line as a group, but Hawthorne has become the anchor. Elon transfer Kahmari Brown has shown pass-rush ability, Iose Epenesa has made a handful of big plays, and Joseph Anderson has three sacks in limited snaps.
Because that front is still coming together, Parker has leaned more heavily on linebacker blitzes than he has in past years. Cam Buffington, Preston Ries and Jayden Montgomery all got sacks in Iowa’s latest win against Washington, and Hawthorne’s ability to absorb double-teams has helped create those openings.
For now, Hawthorne’s rise is giving Iowa something solid to build around in the middle. As the Hawkeyes keep searching for new ways to pressure offenses, the big-bodied transfer is becoming one of the most important pieces in another stout Parker defense.
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