Iowa’s 2026 season may not fit the usual college football script.
In a sport that now demands instant answers, the Hawkeyes might actually be staring at something closer to a patient build. That idea runs against the current mood around the game, where teams reload through the portal and expect results right away. But Iowa has a younger roster than it has had in years, and that changes the conversation.
The most obvious place to start is quarterback. Iowa heads into 2026 with an unknown there, with Jeremy Hecklinski or Hank Brown in line to get the job.
There’s also a real chance both see the field. That alone makes this a useful year for development.
If the Hawkeyes want to lean even harder into the youth movement, Tradon Bessinger, the four-star recruit, could also become the long-term answer and settle in as a player who might hold the job for three to four years.
The backfield could give Iowa something rare: continuity. There is a world where the Hawkeyes bring back their top four running backs next season.
Kamari Moulton could return. L.J.
Phillips Jr. could return. Xavier Williams will be back.
Nathan McNeil will be back. That only matters, of course, if Iowa can keep them out of the portal.
If that happens, the Hawkeyes would have three starting-caliber backs with plenty of experience in Tim Lester’s offense.
The receiving room has a similar kind of long view to it. Reece Vander Zee, Tony Diaz, Evan James, and DJ Vonnahme could all be back in 2027, giving Iowa a pass-catching group that would have another full offseason to grow with the quarterbacks. That’s where the bigger picture starts to come into focus.
And then there’s the defense, where the future could get even more interesting. At linebacker, Iowa could have Cam Buffington, Derek Weisskopf, Preston Ries, and several others still climbing the ladder.
In the secondary, Phil Parker could retain Anthony Hawkins and Tyler Brown, two safety additions who are expected to start this year. For anyone who has watched how Iowa develops multi-year defensive backs, that’s a promising path.
Still, this can’t turn into a lost season. Under Kirk Ferentz, Iowa is not going to punt on the year and call it a tank job, and that’s not how the program operates anyway.
Youth brings growing pains, but losing too much can teach the wrong lessons. Bad habits have a way of sticking.
So even if 2027 is the year that looks loaded, 2026 still has to produce. The Hawkeyes will need to win enough games, develop enough players, and get enough out of the roster to keep the standard intact.
Some of that will come from the schedule. Some of it will come from simply being Iowa against lower-tier Big Ten opponents.
The baseline for that kind of season feels clear enough: 7-5 or 8-4. Anything below that would be a step well under Iowa’s standard, and for a team trying to grow into something bigger, that kind of stumble could create more problems than answers by the time 2027 arrives.
In Other News...
Iowa Football Pride Just Got Another Boost From Three In-State Stars
Iowa football has a habit of turning in-state standouts into national names, and the latest NFL Top 100 list gives that pipeline another high-profile nod. Cooper DeJean, Tristan Wirfs and Jack Campbell all landed among the leagues best heading into the 2026 season, a reminder that some of the most recognizable pro talent with Iowa roots still traces back to the states high school fields.
DeJean checked in at No. 38 after a fast rise as a Pro Bowl and All-Pro talent, while Wirfs came in at No. 52 and Campbell at No. 88. For Iowa fans, it is another point of pride in a long-running trend that has helped the Hawkeyes claim a special place in the states football identity, and it also leaves the bigger question intact: just how much higher can that group climb from here? [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Secondary Earns Elite Hype With Plenty Left To Prove
CBS Sports gave Iowas secondary a strong early nod this week, slotting the Hawkeyes at No. 6 in its preseason ranking of the best defensive backfields for the 2026 college football season. The group drew praise for the blend of returning talent and new faces, with Zach Lutmer, Deshaun Lee and Jaylen Watson all drawing mention, along with recent transfers Tyler Brown and Anthony Hawkins as part of the mix that could shape the units look next fall.
Even so, the placement comes with some clear caveats, since the piece also pointed to uncertainty about how the pieces will fit and where some of the players ultimately line up. For Iowa, that makes the ranking feel more like an acknowledgment of upside than a finished verdict, with plenty still to sort out before anyone can say whether this group belongs in the top 10 for real rather than just on paper. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Just Landed In A Recruiting Fight Fans Need To Watch
Iowa has jumped into the mix for one of the nations top 2027 guards, with five-star Bremerton High School standout Jalen Davis drawing heavy attention from a list of programs that now includes the Hawkeyes. Davis has official visits lined up to several schools, Iowa among them, which puts this recruitment squarely on the radar for a staff that continues to build out its early board in the class.
The interest in Davis also comes as Iowa keeps working on other guards in the 2027 group, a sign that the Hawkeyes are clearly aiming to shape the backcourt well ahead of time. For now, they have one commitment in the class in forward Keller Daugherty, but landing a player with Davis profile would be a much bigger swing and one that could help define how this cycle develops. [Read more 🡒]