With Iowa sitting at 5-1 and the bye week here, it’s a good moment to sort through the Hawkeyes’ first six games and single out the players who have carried the load the most.
Some names have flashed in bursts, but a few guys have been steady from week to week, and that consistency has helped power this start.
Tony Diaz has made the wide receiver conversation pretty simple. He has looked like the No. 1 option Iowa hoped he would become, and he’s producing like one. Through six games, he leads the Hawkeyes with 28 catches and 329 receiving yards, and he’s on track to keep Iowa from going another season without a 500-yard receiver - a streak that has stood since 2019.
Braedan Jackson has been one of the most interesting breakout stories. Even though he’s technically a second-year player, he redshirted in 2025 and never appeared in a game, which makes this season feel like his real arrival.
He’s giving Iowa production in every phase: 170 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground, 75 receiving yards and another score, plus a kickoff-return touchdown. That kind of burst gives Iowa a different gear whenever the ball finds him.
Kamari Moulton has a strong case as Iowa’s best offensive player so far. His showing against Washington helped jump-start the run game and gave the offense a needed boost.
He looks like a different player this year, and Iowa has benefited in a big way. Moulton already has 519 rushing yards, putting him on pace for a 1,000-yard season, and he has four touchdowns - just one shy of matching the career high he set in 2025.
On the defensive side, Deshaun Lee has been one of those players whose impact goes beyond the stat sheet. He has 18 tackles and two interceptions, but the coverage work has been just as strong. He’s playing with the kind of poise Iowa has come to expect from veteran corners in Phil Parker’s defense, and he’s settling in nicely as the season moves along.
Special teams has also given Iowa valuable production. Kaden Buhr deserves a mention for how he has handled the kicking job in his first year - he has made 9 of 11 field goals, a strong response after a rough start in Week 1.
But Boston Everitt has probably been the bigger weapon. He has placed 17 of his 27 punts inside the 20-yard line, nearly 63 percent, giving Iowa’s defense prime field position to work with.
With colder weather on the way and tighter games likely ahead, that skill set matters even more.
And then there’s Cam Buffington, who has been a force in his first season as a starter. He leads Iowa with 52 tackles and has added five tackles for loss and two sacks.
Whether he’s closing laterally, attacking in the trenches, or lining up in the box or outside with his speed, Buffington has been everywhere. He’s been one of the biggest reasons Iowa’s defense has stayed on track, and that’s not likely to change anytime soon.
In Other News...
Iowas Playoff Push Now Rests On 5 Hawkeyes Fans Know Well
Iowas push toward the College Football Playoff has settled into a familiar kind of late-season pressure, the sort that often turns on a handful of trusted names rather than the entire roster. For the Hawkeyes, that means leaning on players fans already know well and have seen in big moments, from linebacker Cam Buffington setting the tone on defense to left tackle Trevor Lauck handling the most demanding protection assignments up front.
Zach Lutmers ability to finish plays and find the football gives the defense another edge, while DJ Vonnahme could add needed offense if he keeps trending back toward full strength. Caden Buhr also looms large in the kind of tight games Iowa expects to keep getting, where special teams can decide everything. If the Hawkeyes are going to keep this playoff chase alive, it may come down to those five players doing exactly what the staff has been counting on. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Is Back In The Top 25 With One Big Problem
Iowas win over Washington gave the Hawkeyes exactly the kind of lift they were looking for, and the reward showed up Monday in the AP Top 25, where they climbed to No. 17. The performance fit the formula this team has leaned on all season: sturdy defense, enough balance on offense to keep control of the game, and a record that now sits at 5-1.
Still, the ranking comes with a real test ahead. The remaining schedule is demanding, and if Iowa wants to stay in the College Football Playoff conversation, it will need more consistent offensive production and a more disruptive pass rush on defense. There is also no clean answer yet under center, with Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski still competing for the starting quarterback job after their recent showings. [Read more 🡒]
Ty'Reek Coleman Is Giving Iowa Fans A Reason To Believe In This Backcourt
TyReek Coleman has quickly become one of the more interesting newcomers around Iowa basketball, not just because he arrived from Illinois State, but because the Hawkeyes seem to have a real need for what he brings. Expected to handle lead-guard duties next season, Coleman is already drawing attention from Ben McCollum for the kind of defense and efficient scoring that can steady a backcourt while a new roster takes shape.
For Iowa, the appeal goes beyond one transfer filling a spot. Coleman is still getting comfortable in the system, but the early signs suggest he could be more than a stopgap and instead become a central piece of how the Hawkeyes want to play. If his progress keeps trending the way it has since he arrived in Iowa City, the backcourt may end up looking a lot more stable than it did a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]