Iowa’s Week 2 depth chart didn’t deliver any major surprises, but it did clear up a few things as the Hawkeyes turn from a 40-0 win over Northern Illinois to Saturday’s Cy-Hawk showdown with Iowa State.
The biggest message from Monday’s release: the quarterback competition is still alive. Iowa kept the “OR” between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski, which points to the possibility that both could continue to see action the way they did in Week 1. Brown looked sharp against the Huskies and then spent the entire second half on the sideline with the game well in hand, but Kirk Ferentz made it clear that performance alone hasn’t settled the race.
There’s also no LJ Phillips Jr. on the depth chart. That lines up with the Monday morning injury update, and CBS Sports reported that Phillips has a high ankle sprain that will keep him out of the Iowa State game and several more after that.
With Phillips unavailable, Iowa will lean on Xavier Williams and Nathan McNeil behind Kamari Moulton. Both Williams and McNeil are listed as the backup running back with an “OR” designation.
Another name missing from the Week 2 chart is Tyler Brown, which suggests his Iowa debut will have to wait. Brown, a James Madison transfer, has been dealing with a soft tissue injury that sidelined him against Northern Illinois. Anthony Hawkins filled in there and remains the starting strong safety on the new depth chart, with Xavier Styles and Marcello Vitti listed behind him.
For an Iowa team heading into a sold-out Kinnick Stadium, the depth chart says the roster is in fairly good shape - but not quite settled yet.
In Other News...
Iowas Backfield Depth Is About To Face Its First Real Test
Iowas backfield is getting an early stress test, and it comes just one week into the season. Kirk Ferentz confirmed that running back L.J. Phillips will miss the Week 2 matchup against Iowa State because of a high ankle sprain, leaving the Hawkeyes to adjust after already opening the year without Tyler Brown.
The good news for Iowa is that the staff does not sound alarmed about the position groups overall outlook. Ferentz said the Hawkeyes have enough depth at running back and defensive back to handle the short-term absences, but the timing is still notable with a rivalry game next on the schedule. The bigger question now is how Iowa distributes the workload and whether the next man up can keep the offense on track until the injured players return. [Read more 🡒]
Jack Campbell Keeps Giving Iowa Fans Another Reason To Be Proud
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The Lions rewarded that production with a four-year, $81 million contract extension after declining his fifth-year option, a sign of how quickly he has become one of the faces of their defense. Campbell also won the Dick Butkus Award, earned All-Pro recognition and was named a team captain for the 2026-2027 season, which only adds to the feeling that Iowa has another former star making the most of his next level opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Community Is Rallying Around A Hawkeye Band Members Family
The Iowa football season has already been shadowed by a painful moment that reached far beyond the field, as the Hawkeye community rallied around Derek Phillips, a three-year member of the Hawkeye Marching Band who collapsed during the Week 1 game and later was taken off life support. Phillips was remembered by those close to him as a phenomenal musician, and the response from the program has reflected just how deeply he was woven into the game-day experience in Iowa City.
Tributes have come from the Hawkeye Marching Band and from marching programs around the country, with performances dedicated to Phillips and messages of support pouring in for his family. A GoFundMe has been established to help them, underscoring how quickly a university band members loss can become a broader community story, one that has left teammates, peers and strangers searching for ways to show up in the aftermath. [Read more 🡒]