Trevor Lauck spent his first two years at Iowa paying his dues. Now he’s the one set to benefit from the wait.
The offensive lineman heads into the season as one of the key returners up front, coming off a year in which he won a starting tackle job, refused to give it back, and started all 13 games at left tackle. That run earned him Third-Team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and an Honorable Mention nod from the media, and it has him entering 2026 with a preseason First-Team All-Big Ten selection and a spot on the Outland Trophy preseason watch list alongside fellow veteran lineman Kade Pieper.
Lauck said the offseason has left him feeling sharp on both sides of the ball.
"Just excited to get out there...it's been a long offseason getting better at the fundamentals and just working hard, so finally ready to show it off Saturday."
He added that he’s trying not to complicate anything as the opener approaches.
"I try to keep it the same honestly. Just prepare like it's my first time ever, you know?"
That approach has carried him through a long Iowa development path, and it’s still how he’s handling life as an established starter. Lauck said he keeps looking for weaknesses in his game, works on those areas, and leans heavily on film study to get ready.
Iowa’s offensive line is also entering the year with a different look. Beau Stephens, Gennings Dunker, and Logan Jones are off to the NFL, leaving Lauck and Pieper as the only returning starters. Lauck said the departures matter, but he also believes the next group is ready for the jump.
"Those guys were one of one players, and losing them definitely hurts...we're throwing in guys that have learned from the program and from out coaches and have been getting better behind the scenes."
He said the lessons from last season’s group should help this year’s unit, and he believes the line can match or even top what it did a year ago.
"The ability to learn from them last year I think is going to help us this year, and hopefully be just as good, if not better than last year."
That confidence matters because Iowa’s line is coming off a season good enough to win the Joe Moore Award, and Lauck expects the group to keep setting the tone for a deep offense that also features running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends. He said he’s ready to clear the way for the backs on the roster when the Hawkeyes open against Northern Illinois.
Lauck is also part of a new NIL push with Casey’s. The company’s new “Tailgate Tracker” says Iowa fans are No. 2 overall for the earliest-rising fans, and Casey’s is offering 40 percent off eligible pizzas with code TOUCHDOWN. Lauck’s go-to is the Barn Burner, and he also likes the new chicken, bacon, barbecue, and onion pizza.
In Other News...
Iowas Week 1 Opponent Just Became A Much Tougher Opener
Northern Illinois is heading into the 2026 season with a new face at the top, and the timing matters for Iowa fans watching the opener. Rob Harley was elevated to interim head coach after Thomas Hammock left for a coaching job with the Seattle Seahawks, giving the Huskies a new leader at the moment when roster stability can easily crack.
Harley has already spent extensive time meeting with players in an effort to keep most of the roster together after the transfer portal reopened, which makes the matchup feel a little sturdier than it looked a few days ago. His first game in charge will come against Iowa, turning a routine Week 1 assignment into one that now carries a bit more uncertainty than the Hawkeyes probably expected. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Still Has One Big Offensive Decision Before Northern Illinois
The work going into Iowas week of practice has not been limited to polishing the usual early-season details. Kirk Ferentz spent part of his conversation with Gary Dolphin on the Hawkeye Radio Network touching on the teams progress, the leadership being shown in the room and the way some of the younger pieces are settling in. He also offered thoughts on veteran linebackers, gave Northern Illinois its due ahead of the matchup and praised Mason Woods and Ryan Fitzgerald for choosing to stay with the program.
The biggest football question still hanging over the Hawkeyes is at quarterback, where Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski remain part of the discussion before Northern Illinois. Ferentz did not settle the issue in his remarks, which leaves Iowa with one of its more important decisions still to sort through as game week moves on. Outside the lines, the program also announced that Kinnick Stadiums broadcast booth will be named after Gary Dolphin, another sign of how deeply tied he has become to Hawkeye football. [Read more 🡒]
Gary Dolphin Reaches An Iowa Milestone Fans Will Feel This Fall
Gary Dolphin has spent three decades becoming part of the soundtrack of Iowa football and mens basketball, and the milestone lands at a moment when his voice still carries the same energy it did when he first took over in 1997. For generations of Hawkeye fans, the radio call has been more than background noise on fall Saturdays and winter nights, with Dolphins enthusiasm helping frame the moments that make up the programs identity.
Iowa Athletics is marking that legacy in a visible way this year by renaming the radio booth in his honor, a nod to how deeply he has been woven into the fan experience. It is the kind of recognition that feels especially fitting now, with another season about to begin and Dolphin still in place to bring every play, every swing of momentum and every big crowd reaction to listeners across the state. [Read more 🡒]