Iowa’s linebacker picture is starting to come into focus, but there’s still plenty left to sort out before fall camp gets rolling for the 2026 season.
Jayden Montgomery looks like the one fixed point in the room. Beyond him, the Hawkeyes have a real competition on their hands, and one spot in particular appears wide open depending on how Iowa wants to line up.
Cam Buffington seems to have the inside track at one of those jobs after the progress he showed in spring ball. That would leave one more linebacker spot for Iowa when it shifts into a traditional 4-3 look, as opposed to the 4-2-5 alignment it can use often.
At Big Ten Media Days, Montgomery pointed to three names in the mix: Preston Ries, Landyn Van Kekerix, and Derek Weisskopf.
"All of them can play. All of them could start.
And they may all play. I don't know how it's all going to shake out.
What I do know is that we've got a lot of great young guys in the linebacker room." I think they all have a good chance to play.
I don't know who it will be or if it will be multiple guys or how it's going to shake out, but I'm excited to see what they can do," Montgomery said of the trio.
Iowa also may not settle on just one answer. The Hawkeyes could mix and match depending on the offense, the flow of the game, and injuries elsewhere.
Still, each of the three has a different path to the job.
Van Kekerix brings the most experience. Entering his fifth year at Iowa, he has had the most time to absorb Phil Parker’s system, and that kind of familiarity matters in this defense.
Ries offers a different skill set. If Iowa runs into more athletic offenses and needs a linebacker who can move sideline to sideline, his smooth, fluid running could make him the best fit to chase down ball carriers.
Weisskopf brings size to the table. At 6-foot-3, he has the kind of length Iowa has used successfully before, and that frame can help him work free from blocks and shed linemen quickly.
In Other News...
Tavion Banks Just Put Iowas Frontcourt Situation Back In Play
A Colorado federal judges ruling this week has opened the door for a new round of roster math across college basketball, and Iowa is already feeling the ripple effects in its frontcourt. The injunction requires the NCAA to grant an extra year of eligibility to players from the 2022 high school class who finished their eligibility in the 2025-26 season, which puts Tavion Banks in position to come back for one more year after what had seemed like the end of his college run.
Banks has shown appreciation for Iowa and coach Ben McCollum, but his future now sits in a more complicated place than it did a few days ago. His recruitment is open, and the ruling has effectively put his next move back on the table, leaving the Hawkeyes with another roster decision to monitor as the offseason unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Curt Cignetti Just Framed Iowas 2025 Season In A Painful Way
Curt Cignetti did Iowa a favor and a disservice at the same time when he called the Hawkeyes one of the most underrated teams in the country last season. It was a compliment rooted in reality, because Iowa finished 9-4, picked up major individual recognition with Logan Jones making the All-Big Ten first team, and saw its offensive line take home the Joe Moore Award. It was also a reminder that this program spent much of the year living on the edge, with close losses to ranked opponents and the kind of uneven injury luck that can tilt a season.
Mark Gronowskis injury loomed over that run, and it is part of why the conversation around Iowa now feels a little uneasy despite the hardware and respect that came in 2025. The Hawkeyes head into 2026 with only 10 returning starters and a schedule that offers little margin for error, which makes Cignettis framing sting a bit more than it should. Iowa was better than many people realized last fall, but repeating that formula may be a much tougher ask. [Read more 🡒]