Kade Pieper and Trevor Lauck are putting Iowa in position to chase something the program has never had: a Lombardi Award winner.
That’s notable on its own, but it carries even more weight in a place like Iowa, where offensive and defensive linemen have long been the calling card under Kirk Ferentz. The Hawkeyes have sent plenty of big bodies to the NFL, including a program-record seven players in the 2026 NFL Draft, and four of them were linemen: Logan Jones to the Chicago Bears, Gennings Dunker to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Beau Stephens to the Seattle Seahawks and Max Llewellyn to the Miami Dolphins. What Iowa has not done, though, is bring home the Lombardi Award.
Pieper and Lauck were added to the Lombardi Award midseason watch list, giving the Hawkeyes a real shot to change that. Iowa’s past finalists have included Tyler Linderbaum in 2021 and Adrian Clayborn in 2010, but the hardware has never made it to Iowa City.
Even after last season’s Joe Moore Award win for college football’s best offensive line unit, none of the five members of that group won the Lombardi. Now the two returners from that line are again in the spotlight.
Built in the trenches.
Kade Pieper and Trevor Lauck have been named to the @lombardi_award Midseason Watchlist 🏆 pic.twitter.com/vDsSEQBWCr
- Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) October 14, 2026
The award itself has been handed out every year since 1970 to the top lineman in college football, offense or defense, with performance, ability, character and discipline all part of the standard. Iowa is one of seven Big Ten programs with a player on the midseason watch list, and that’s a credit to how quickly Pieper and Lauck have held up their end after a heavy offseason reset.
The Hawkeyes had to replace seven starting linemen, including all four on defense, and the early returns on the season have been uneven. But the two veterans who entered the year as preseason All-Americans have delivered.
Pieper’s rise has been especially fast. He became an All-American last season as a first-year starter, taking every one of Iowa’s 13 games at right guard and drawing first-round NFL Draft buzz if he declared.
He said he never seriously weighed leaving early for the NFL, a major win for the program. During the offseason there were whispers that he might slide to center to cover for Logan Jones’ departure, and that was a real possibility.
In the end, Cael Winter claimed that job and Pieper stayed at guard, where he has opened all five games this season and helped drive the offense.
Lauck’s path has been similar in its own way. He emerged last season as a full-time starter and quickly became a steady fixture up front, turning himself from a relative unknown into a player regarded as a potential high NFL Draft pick when his time comes. This season, he has taken on even more responsibility and has been a key reason Iowa’s front remains one of the team’s strengths.
If Iowa is going to keep its offense rolling in the second half of the season, it needs both of them to stay at that level. The Hawkeyes are still chasing their first College Football Playoff berth, and that goal is there, even if it’s hardly simple.
For Iowa, the formula is the same as ever: when the offensive line controls the game, the offense has a chance. And with some inconsistency showing up around them, Pieper and Lauck matter more than ever.
In Other News...
Joel Klatt Just Raised The Stakes On Iowas Playoff Push
Joel Klatts latest take on Iowa has added a little extra heat to an already interesting stretch for the Hawkeyes. With a 5-1 record and a remaining schedule that looks manageable, the ESPN analyst argued that Iowa is in a position to stay in the College Football Playoff conversation, especially if the team keeps doing what it has done best under its own identity.
The bigger point, at least from Klatts view, is that Iowa does not need to be flashy to stay alive in the race. He downplayed the quarterback question because of how the Hawkeyes play, then floated the possibility of an 11-1 finish that could put them in the mix over teams such as Ole Miss. For Iowa, the path is clear enough - win the games in front of them and let the rest sort itself out, even if the final call still rests with the selection committee. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa's Secondary Faces A Stress Test At The Worst Time
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Defensive coordinator Phil Parker pointed to communication as the key area still coming together for the trio, which is hardly a surprise when new pieces are trying to get comfortable on the fly. Browns return remains up in the air, with the only real update being that it will be a while, leaving Iowa to keep sorting out its safety rotation while the rest of the schedule keeps moving. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa's QB Battle Just Became The Offense's Biggest Bye Week Issue
Iowas bye week arrived with the kind of question that can shape the next stretch of the season: who settles in at quarterback for the Hawkeyes? Head coach Kirk Ferentz and offensive coordinator Tim Lester have not named a definitive starter for the upcoming week, and the current plan points to both Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski seeing meaningful snaps as the staff continues to sort through the competition.
Brown has earned attention for his accuracy, poise and limited turnovers, while Hecklinski has flashed confidence and a willingness to challenge defenses vertically. For an offense still trying to find its footing, the debate is bigger than one lineup decision, because the bye week is now as much about identifying the right direction as it is about preparing for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]