As Iowa gets ready for its 2026 season, two familiar names on the offensive line are already earning national attention.
Fourth-year linemen Trevor Lauck and Kade Pieper have both landed on the 2026 Lombardi Award Watch List, putting the Hawkeyes’ front line in the early mix for one of college football’s top individual honors.
The Lombardi Award goes each year to the lineman or linebacker who best reflects the values and spirit of Vince Lombardi, with character, discipline, and excellence on and off the field at the center of the selection.
Pieper, a 6-foot-3, 298-pound native of Norfolk, Neb., is entering the year with plenty of preseason recognition. He has been named a 2026 Walter Camp, Sporting News, and Athlon preseason first-team All-American after starting all 13 games at right guard last fall. His 2025 season also brought first-team All-America honors from Pro Football Focus and third-team All-Big Ten recognition from the conference's media.
Lauck, who checks in at 6-foot-5 and 314 pounds and hails from Indianapolis, was just as steady on the other side of the line. He started all 13 games for Iowa at left tackle in 2025 and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from the league's coaches. Athlon Sports has him pegged as a preseason second-team All-American and a preseason first-team All-Big Ten pick.
The two linemen were central pieces of an Iowa offensive line that won the 2025 Joe Moore Award, given to the best unit in the country. The Hawkeyes outrushed their opponents in nine of 13 games, and their pass protection held up too, allowing an average time-to-pressure of 2.8 seconds, which ranked fifth nationally.
The Lombardi Award winner will be announced in December after a national selection committee votes.
Iowa opens its 2026 season on Sept. 5 against Northern Illinois at Kinnick Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:15 p.m. CT, and the game will air on the Big Ten Network.
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