Special teams may be the “forgotten third of the game” for most programs, but at Iowa, it’s often the part everyone remembers. And with Week 1 drawing close, the Hawkeyes still have a couple of jobs to sort out before the opening whistle.
New special teams coordinator Chris Polizzi is in the middle of those decisions, with the punter and kicker spots still up for grabs. Both positions have long been strengths for Iowa, and the hope is that another reliable option rises out of fall camp.
Kirk Ferentz offered a revealing look at where things stand with the punter battle between Tanner Philpott and Boston Everitt.
"It kind of goes back and forth. At times it looks really good, and at other times, you are like, 'oh boy.'
But I would hate to say I am pleasantly surprised, but I'd say that about our punters. I thought that might be a real roller coaster.They're both doing a good job in practice and Boston, this is his first exposure to football, and he's handling it well.
And Tanner's done a good job. Maybe one guy goes the plus-50, and one does the other stuff," Ferentz said of Tanner Philpott and Boston Everitt in a position battle.
That quote tells you plenty about how Iowa is approaching the competition. It also suggests this may not be a simple winner-take-all situation. Instead, the Hawkeyes could lean into a split role, with each punter handling different types of field-position work.
Philpott brings the more established résumé. He has 90 punts as a member of Simpson College, and over the last two years he placed 31 of those kicks inside the 20-yard line. His numbers also show real growth: he averaged 37.5 yards per punt in 2024 before jumping to 43.9 yards per punt in 2025.
That kind of track record gives Iowa a steady option if the job ends up being defined by precision and placement. And in a program that has always understood the value of field position, that matters.
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