Veteran linebacker Jayden Montgomery has already carved out a reputation as one of the voices on Iowa’s defense, and this offseason he’s making it clear that Bryce Hawthorne is turning heads in camp.
That matters because Iowa’s defensive line is staring at a major reset. All four starters from last season are gone: Aaron Graves is with the Baltimore Ravens, Ethan Hurkett is with the Kansas City Chiefs, Max Llewellyn is with the Miami Dolphins, and Brian Allen Jr. transferred. That leaves a lot of snaps and production to replace up front.
The Hawkeyes do bring back several contributors, including Iose Epenesa, Bryce Hawthorne, and Kenneth Merrieweather, but Hawthorne is the name Montgomery singled out when BTN stopped in Iowa City for its fall camp look.
“Bryce Hawthorne is a beast. He makes my job easy,” Jayden Montgomery said during BTN’s look into fall camp.
Montgomery also called Hawthorne a “beast” during BTN’s training camp tour, and the praise stands out even more because the defensive line situation is still very much in flux. Kirk Ferentz said the group could rotate as many as nine players, which tells you just how open things are for this unit. Even so, Montgomery’s comments suggest Hawthorne is already doing enough to separate himself.
Hawthorne arrived as an under-the-radar transfer portal addition from South Dakota State, following fellow Jackrabbit Mark Gronowski to Iowa City. He made an immediate impact last season despite the presence of a veteran defensive line, and he looks positioned to be one of the new starters on a thinner front.
For Montgomery, the endorsement carries weight. He’s been in the program for five years, he knows what success looks like in Phil Parker’s system, and he’s coming off a season in which he earned his own expanded role. After starting middle linebacker Jaden Harrell was slowed by injuries, Montgomery emerged as the starter in the middle, played in all 13 games, made seven starts, and finished with 44 total tackles, two quarterback pressures, and two pass breakups.
That kind of veteran perspective makes his words about Hawthorne hard to ignore. Iowa’s defense is built on the front four doing its part and keeping the rest of the structure intact.
If the line slips, everything behind it gets stressed. So when Montgomery says Hawthorne makes his job easier, that’s the kind of offseason update Hawkeye fans want to hear.
In Other News...
Tradon Bessinger Is Making Iowa's Quarterback Decision Much Harder
Iowas quarterback race still has no clear finish line, and the more camp rolls on, the more Tradon Bessinger keeps forcing his way into the conversation. The battle had already been down to Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski, but the highly rated recruit has drawn attention from coaches and media alike with the kind of talent that makes people look twice in fall camp.
Kirk Ferentz has a long track record of resisting the urge to start true freshmen, which is why Bessingers rise has become such a talking point around the program. He has not played much, but the buzz around him has been enough to stir debate among fans and analysts about what his future could look like and whether Iowas next quarterback answer might be closer than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Iowas 2026 Defense Has 3 Players Who Could Define It
Iowas defense is heading into 2026 with the familiar expectation that Phil Parker will find the right answers, even after another offseason of change. The early conversation centers on three players who could shape how that unit looks and functions: Zach Lutmer, who is positioned to remain the top defensive back, Iose Epenesa, whose role on the line could grow, and Tyler Brown, the James Madison transfer who brings starting potential to the back end.
For a program that has long relied on defensive consistency, those names matter because they represent both continuity and transition. Lutmer gives the Hawkeyes a known piece to build around, Epenesa offers the possibility of a larger impact up front, and Brown arrives with a chance to make the secondary more competitive right away. How those roles settle in will go a long way toward defining the season, even if the final shape of the defense is still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Fall Camp Just Changed Two Jobs Fans Are Watching
Iowas fall camp picture got a little sharper this week as Kirk Ferentz outlined a few of the battles Hawkeye fans have been tracking heading toward the 2026 season. Cael Winter appears set to take over at center, which gives the offense some much-needed clarity up front after a summer of sorting through options.
Special teams, though, is still very much up for grabs, with the kicker and punter jobs unresolved as camp rolls on. Ferentz also said defensive back Tyler Brown is unlikely to be ready for the season opener because of injury, while defensive lineman Kenneth Merrieweather is back at practice, giving Iowa at least one encouraging health update as the roster continues to settle in. [Read more 🡒]