Iowa football will open the 2026 season ranked No. 22 in the preseason US LBM Coaches poll, which was released Aug. 4.
That slot puts the Hawkeyes in the national conversation before a season that already comes with some obvious pressure points. Kirk Ferentz is heading into his 28th year as Iowa’s head coach, and the biggest questions around the team sit at quarterback, defensive line and special teams.
The schedule does Iowa no favors early in Big Ten play. Three opponents on the Hawkeyes’ 2026 regular-season slate are also in the preseason top 25: Ohio State checks in at No.
1, Michigan at No. 16 and Washington at No. 19.
Those three games come one after another. Iowa opens with three non-conference games at Kinnick Stadium, then heads to Michigan on Sept. 26, hosts Ohio State on Oct. 3 and travels to Washington on Oct. 9.
It’s a brutal stretch on paper, and the rankings only sharpen that reality. Two of those matchups are on the road, and all three come against teams the coaches poll already views as among the nation’s best.
After that, the rest of the schedule looks more manageable, at least based on preseason expectations. But Iowa won’t get much breathing room before those first Big Ten tests arrive.
The full preseason coaches poll had Ohio State at No. 1, followed by Oregon, Georgia, Texas, Notre Dame, Indiana, Miami (Fla.), Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Mississippi. Michigan came in at No.
16, Washington at No. 19 and Iowa at No. 22.
Others receiving votes: Louisville (9-4) 153; Florida (4-8) 147; TCU (9-4) 63; Illinois (9-4) 62; Arizona (9-4) 50; South Carolina (4-8) 50; Virginia (11-3) 40; Vanderbilt (10-3) 37; Auburn (5-7) 29; Georgia Tech (9-4) 26; Boise State (9-5) 24; Oklahoma State (1-11) 22; UNLV (10-4) 17; Florida State (5-7) 13; North Carolina State (8-5) 13; Nebraska (7-6) 12; Virginia Tech (3-9) 12; Memphis (8-5) 9; Arizona State (8-5) 8; Duke (9-5) 6; James Madison (12-2) 6; New Mexico (9-4) 4; Pittsburgh (8-5) 4; Navy (11-2) 3; Western Michigan (10-4) 3; San Diego State (9-4) 2; California (7-6) 1; Hawaii (9-4) 1; Jacksonville State (9-5) 1; Kansas State (6-6) 1.
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Iowas Transfer Haul Is Reshaping The Hawkeyes Two-Deep Fast
Iowa spent the offseason attacking its roster holes in a way that should look familiar to anyone who watched the Hawkeyes search for answers in recent years. The staff brought in a sizable transfer group, adding seven defensive players, four offensive players and two special teamers to help stabilize a roster that is expected to look different on both sides of the ball. Even before the first depth chart is settled, it is clear the next version of Iowa football will have a different feel, and probably a different statistical profile, than the one fans have been used to.
What makes the turnover especially interesting is how quickly those newcomers can force their way into the two-deep. The standard here is not just who arrives with the most buzz, but who is actually positioned to earn meaningful snaps and claim a real role in the rotation. For Iowa, that means a close watch on which transfers are simply adding depth and which ones are already shaping the competition at starter level, because the answers there will tell the bigger story of how fast this roster is being reshaped. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa May Have Its Next Tight End Fans Need To Watch
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With a new quarterback in place, Vonnahme is positioned to matter quickly in a passing game that will lean on reliable targets. For a program that has watched George Kittle and T.J. Hockenson turn Iowa tight end play into a national talking point, the question now is whether Vonnahme can become the next in that line of steady, matchup-challenging options. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Football Pride Just Got Another Boost From Three In-State Stars
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DeJean checked in at No. 38, Wirfs at No. 52 and Campbell at No. 88, a strong showing for a trio that has already built a rsum full of Pro Bowl nods, All-Pro recognition and steady impact for their teams. For Iowa fans, it is the kind of validation that never really gets old: in-state talent not only making it to the next level, but getting noticed among the leagues best. [Read more 🡒]