The Iowa Hawkeyes are stepping into the 2026 college football season with a fresh look and a familiar expectation: winning. After a 9-4 campaign in 2025, including a solid 6-3 mark in Big Ten play, Iowa finds itself ranked No. 16 in ESPN’s way-too-early top 25. And while the roster is undergoing a significant facelift, there’s a quiet confidence in Iowa City that this team can not only reload-but contend.
Let’s start with what’s leaving. The Hawkeyes are waving goodbye to a long list of key contributors on both sides of the ball.
Up front, the offensive line takes a hit with the departures of Gennings Dunker, Beau Stephens, and center Logan Jones-three starters from a unit that helped Iowa win the Joe Moore Award, given to the nation’s top offensive line. That’s no small loss.
Add to that the graduation of quarterback Mark Gronowski, wide receiver and return ace Kaden Wetjen, and a defensive exodus that includes Aaron Graves, Ethan Hurkett, Max Llewellyn, Karson Sharar, Jaden Harrell, and standout safeties Xavier Nwankpa and Koen Entringer.
That’s a lot of leadership and production walking out the door. But Iowa didn’t sit still.
Kirk Ferentz, now entering his 26th season at the helm and still going strong at 70, has embraced the transfer portal in a way we haven’t seen from him in years past. The Hawkeyes have added a wave of FCS talent with serious upside-players who aren’t just filling gaps, but who could become focal points.
Running back L.J. Phillips, who piled up 1,920 yards and 19 touchdowns last season at South Dakota, headlines the group.
He brings a downhill, workhorse style that fits Iowa’s offensive DNA. At wide receiver, Tony Diaz (Texas-Rio Grande Valley) and Evan James (Furman) provide much-needed explosiveness and route-running savvy to a room that’s looking for playmakers.
On the offensive line, guard Trent Wilson (James Madison) adds experience and physicality, while the return of Kade Pieper gives the unit a valuable anchor.
Defensively, the Hawkeyes are replacing a lot-but they’ve also restocked. Edge rushers Kahmari Brown (Elon) and Lance Ingold (Northern Illinois) are intriguing additions who’ll get a chance to contribute early.
And let’s not forget: as long as Phil Parker is calling the defense, Iowa is going to be tough, disciplined, and fundamentally sound. That’s been the bedrock of this program for years, and there’s no sign of that changing now.
The quarterback situation is still unsettled, and that’s the biggest question hanging over this team. Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown will battle it out for the starting job, and while neither has taken the reins just yet, the pieces around them should make the transition a little smoother.
With a strong run game, a retooled receiving corps, and a physical offensive line-even if it’s in transition-the Hawkeyes aren’t asking their quarterback to be Superman. Just manage the game, make smart throws, and let the system do the heavy lifting.
In many ways, this version of Iowa feels like a classic Ferentz team-gritty, balanced, and built from the trenches out. But there’s also a new wrinkle here: the Hawkeyes are tapping into the transfer portal with purpose, finding high-upside players from the FCS ranks who can contribute right away. That’s not something we’ve always seen from this program, but it might be the key to keeping Iowa in the Big Ten conversation in a rapidly evolving college football landscape.
There are plenty of unknowns heading into 2026, but one thing’s clear: Iowa isn’t rebuilding-they’re reloading. And if the new pieces come together the way the coaching staff hopes, the Hawkeyes could be a tough out for anyone on their schedule.