Iowa is getting early respect from CBS Sports, and the Hawkeyes landed at No. 21 in the outlet’s preseason 1-138 rankings released Wednesday morning.
That puts Iowa eighth among Big Ten teams in the list, behind Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, USC, Michigan, Penn State and Washington. The conference breakdown had the Buckeyes at No.
1, Oregon at No. 2, Indiana at No.
6, USC at No. 14, Michigan at No.
15, Penn State at No. 18, Washington at No. 19 and Iowa right behind at No.
The rest of the Big Ten followed with Illinois at No. 29, Nebraska at No.
33, Minnesota at No. 40, UCLA at No.
42, Northwestern at No. 48, Maryland at No.
52, Wisconsin at No. 60, Rutgers at No.
62, Michigan State at No. 66 and Purdue at No. 82.
For Iowa, the ranking comes with a difficult road ahead. The Hawkeyes are set to face No.
1, No. 15 and No. 19 in back-to-back-to-back weeks, a brutal stretch that will demand rapid growth during the season. This is a team that often finds its best form late, especially in November, but that kind of middle-season gauntlet will require steady improvement every week.
Kirk Ferentz has spent the offseason stressing the same point he always does: leadership matters. And from his view, this group has responded.
"Just happy to say the effort has been good. It's been a group that's really been attentive and they've been responsive," Ferentz stated.
"With every phase that we go through, I think we've seen growth in terms of the cohesiveness and our leadership base. Those are all key things if you're going to have a good certain.
Certainly so far so good."
Ferentz also pointed back to the way Iowa handles the full year, not just one practice or one camp session. The message is about staying locked in on every phase, and he said the players have handled that well to this point.
"Obviously our program, I think it's imperative, for us to be successful, we have to really do a good job of handling each phase," Ferentz added. "Our players hear that a lot from me. So far they've done a good job each step of the way."
There’s still work to do, though. Iowa is in the middle of a quarterback battle and sorting out several other spots as fall camp continues. Ferentz offered a little more during Big Ten Media Days, but with camp not yet underway at that point, nothing was going to be locked in.
The next chance to learn more comes Friday, when Iowa holds its local media day. That should bring plenty of answers and plenty of talking points.
In Other News...
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He has also been showing up in the areas that can separate a fringe roster hopeful from someone who sticks, including special teams work. There has been enough positive buzz around his camp performance to keep his name in the conversation, and a notable legal hit in practice only added to the attention. For Iowa fans tracking former players in the league, this is the kind of start that suggests Nwankpa is at least making the Chiefs think hard before they trim the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Still Needs One Receiver To Change Its Passing Game
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Vander Zee has flashed real ability when healthy, even if injuries have kept him from building much momentum, while James and Howard bring different kinds of experience and skill sets into the mix. The question for Iowa is whether one of those returners can become the veteran presence the offense has been missing, because until that happens, the Hawkeyes are still asking a lot from a receiver room that has yet to prove it can change the passing game on its own. [Read more 🡒]
Kade Pieper Just Raised The Stakes For Iowas 2026 Line
Kade Piepers move from right guard to center already made him one of the most important pieces on Iowas 2026 offensive line, and now he has a national spotlight to match it. The fourth-year lineman was named to On3s preseason first-team All-America team for next season, making him the only Hawkeye to land preseason All-America recognition from the outlet.
For Iowa, the timing matters as much as the honor. Pieper is being counted on to anchor a line in transition, and the praise from On3 reflects the combination of strength, athleticism and technique that has put him in position to take on a bigger role. With the move to center, the expectations around him are only growing, and so is the sense that the Hawkeyes have one of the more intriguing line storylines to watch heading into 2026. [Read more 🡒]