The Northern Iowa Panthers aren’t walking into Kinnick Stadium just to go through the motions.
Yes, Iowa is the heavy favorite. But the Panthers are coming off a 56-14 win over the Drake Bulldogs, and the pieces they’ve put on tape through two games give them enough bite to make Saturday interesting if the Hawkeyes get sloppy.
The headliner is quarterback Jaxon Dailey, a native of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, who is settling in quickly in his first season as the full-time starter. Through two games, he’s completed 36 of 51 passes for 529 yards and three touchdowns while throwing just one interception.
He’s been efficient, aggressive and, when needed, dangerous with his legs. In the opener, Dailey ran for only 18 yards, but he still scored three times on the ground.
Last season, he added 239 rushing yards in limited work. His game has drawn a comparison to Jaylen Raynor, the Arkansas State transfer Iowa just faced, and Dailey has the tools to stress a defense in the same way.
Northern Iowa also has a weapon at tight end in Brady McCullough, and he’s been a major part of the offense so far. McCullough leads the Panthers in receiving with eight catches for 123 yards and three touchdowns, and his 15.4 yards per reception jumps off the page. At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, he brings the kind of size that can create problems for Iowa’s safeties Anthony Hawkins and Zach Lutmer if he gets loose in space.
Defensively, the Panthers have already shown they can tighten the screws. They were tagged for 34 points in Week 1, then responded by holding Drake to 14 last week.
The Bulldogs threw for 296 yards, but Northern Iowa’s run defense was the real separator. Drake managed just 29 yards on 27 carries.
That front and second level work has been driven by linebackers John Powers, Braden McShane and Kolben Miller, who are Northern Iowa’s top tacklers and each have at least 13 stops. After Iowa’s ground game was stalled last week, those three will need to be part of the blocking conversation again if the Hawkeyes want to avoid another frustrating day on the ground.
In Other News...
Iowa May Have Found A New Weapon In An Unlikely Place
Boston Everitt arrived in Iowa as something of a novelty, an Australian punter learning American football and college life at the same time, but the early returns suggest the Hawkeyes may have uncovered a useful piece. He earned the starting job and has settled in quickly, averaging 43.9 yards per punt in the opening games of the 2026 season while helping flip field position when Iowa needs it most.
What has stood out just as much as the leg is the adjustment behind it. Everitt has been getting steady support from teammates and coach Kirk Ferentz, who has praised his attitude and work ethic as he continues to adapt to life in Iowa. For a program that has long valued hidden edges, the possibility of finding one in an unlikely place is exactly the kind of development worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Making Another Early Push At A Recruit Fans Will Notice
Iowas recruiting momentum from the Cy-Hawk win carried right into the next day at Kinnick Stadium, where the Hawkeyes extended a scholarship offer to 2028 tight end Israel Johnigan during his game day visit. The Kansas City, Missouri, prospect is already drawing attention as one of the more highly regarded names in his class, and Iowa made sure he left campus with a clear sense of interest.
Johnigans junior season has helped fuel that early buzz, and the offer fits the way Iowa likes to get involved with tight ends before the market gets crowded. With multiple schools already in the mix, the Hawkeyes have put themselves in position early with a recruit fans will want to track, even if the real battle for him is only beginning. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa's Passing Game Has A New Problem After Tony Diaz's Breakout
Tony Diaz has given Iowas passing game a needed spark early in the 2026 season, but the bigger picture is still about how the Hawkeyes can keep defenses honest around him. The tight end group has long been one of the teams defining matchup pieces, and DJ Vonnahme has already started to show why, catching six passes for 67 yards in two games while offering another option in the middle of the field.
Vonnahme is likely to miss the upcoming game against Northern Iowa, which adds a new wrinkle to a passing attack that is still trying to find its most reliable secondary threat. For Iowa, the intrigue is less about replacing one player and more about which tight end steps forward next, because the offense could use that play-action balance to make Diaz even harder to contain. [Read more 🡒]