Iowa’s defense has taken plenty of hits, but the secondary still looks equipped to keep the unit afloat.
With only a handful of returning starters, the Hawkeyes are searching for new answers across the board. The biggest turnover is up front, where all four starting defensive linemen are gone, along with two linebackers, a starting cornerback and both starting safeties.
That kind of reset would rattle most programs. Iowa, though, still has some proven pieces to lean on in the back end.
Two names stand out above the rest: Zach Lutmer and Xavier Styles.
Before the season, PFF College highlighted the pair among its highest-graded returning Big Ten cornerbacks, with Lutmer landing at No. 4 and Styles right behind him at No. 5.
Lutmer’s place on that list makes sense after his breakout 2025, and his role may be even more fluid than the ranking suggests. He is expected to work at either CASH or safety, and Phil Parker can move him around the secondary without much concern.
That kind of versatility gives Iowa a real weapon, and Lutmer looks set to be one of the leaders of the defense. He should also be in the mix for multiple postseason awards, and if he enters the NFL Draft, he would be one of the top defensive backs available next offseason.
Styles brings a different kind of intrigue. He transferred in from Robert Morris, so there is some uncertainty about how his production will carry over, but the numbers from last season are hard to ignore: 36 total tackles, one interception and six pass breakups. He should compete for cornerback snaps with Deshaun Lee, Rashad Godfrey, Jaylen Watson and Tyler Brown, and Cody Haddad, Jacob Wallace and Darion Jones also remain in the picture to make an impact.
The back end may need to carry even more weight early on, especially with the uncertainty along Iowa’s defensive line. Last season, the Hawkeyes’ pass defense was slightly better than the overall defense, and that could hold true again. If Lutmer keeps playing at a high level and Styles settles in quickly, Iowa’s secondary has a chance to be the strength of the unit.
In Other News...
Iowa Fans May Not Like Where Kinnick Changes Could Lead
The University of Iowa has taken another step toward a more commercial Kinnick Stadium, entering a sponsorship agreement with Progressive Insurance that puts the companys logo along the sidelines of Duke Slater Field. The branding will also show up throughout the stadium and on the video boards, a sign of how college athletics keeps inching deeper into the sponsorship space while trying to preserve the feel of one of the sports most recognizable venues.
For Iowa fans, the bigger concern may not stop at the sideline signage. The move naturally invites the question of how far this trend could go, especially with jersey advertising still largely off the table in college sports but increasingly part of the conversation around revenue and branding. No such deal has been announced for the Hawkeyes, but once a stadium starts opening the door to this kind of placement, it is hard not to wonder what the next change might look like. [Read more 🡒]
Former Hawkeye Drew Stevens Just Gave Iowa Fans A New NFL Reason To Watch
Drew Stevens has a new stage and, for Iowa fans, a familiar one. The former Hawkeye kicker, who signed with the Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent, has earned the starting job heading into the upcoming season after Washington moved on from Jake Moody. It is the kind of camp outcome that gives a college fan base an easy NFL team to track, especially when the player in question built his reputation in Iowa City by delivering again and again from deep.
Stevens left Iowa as the schools career leader in field goals made and 50-plus yard field goals, a rsum that made him one of the more reliable specialists in program history. Now he gets the chance to carry that consistency into the league, and his path to an opening-day role is exactly the sort of development Hawkeye supporters will be keeping an eye on as the NFL season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Tony Diaz Hype Has Iowa Fans Dreaming About A Different Passing Game
Tony Diaz has already given Iowa fans something they have not had much reason to expect entering the 2026 conversation: real optimism about the passing game. The transfer wide receiver has drawn strong praise from Kirk Ferentz, who singled him out in a way that suggests the Hawkeyes believe they have added a player who can matter right away, not just fill a roster spot. For a program where receiver production has often been tied as much to scheme as talent, that kind of buzz naturally stands out.
What makes Diaz so intriguing is that his impact could stretch beyond simple numbers, even if the projection is modest by wideout standards. Depending on how Iowas offense evolves and what the quarterback situation looks like, he could become the kind of reliable target this team has too often lacked, with enough volume to change how defenses approach the Hawkeyes. The hope in Iowa City is that the hype is not just about one player, but about what he might signal for a passing attack that has been waiting for a jolt. [Read more 🡒]