Iowa’s newest transfer addition, LJ Phillips, arrived in Iowa City with a résumé that already turns heads. The veteran running back was an All-American at the FCS level and put together a monster season at South Dakota in his third year of college football, piling up nearly 2,000 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns.
What helped push him toward Iowa wasn’t just the program itself. Phillips said the first real pull came from the fan base.
"They're so obsessed with Iowa football. I love that," the Wichita, Kan., native said with a smile at media availability on Wednesday. "Coming here, you know, everyone was like 'Come to Iowa, come to Iowa.'"
That energy mattered, but Phillips made clear the decision was about more than being wanted. He pointed to the people around the program and the way they carried themselves.
"It's the people in general. I'm big on people, you know?"
he added. "I think that's what made the decision easy was just people.
Having a coaching staff that cares about you more than just football -- you're only going to play football for so long. It's about the relationships you build."
Before he even got to campus, Phillips started building those connections. He reached out to Kamari Moulton and Nathan McNeil, and he said the call to Moulton helped make the transition smoother.
"Calling Kamari first really helped break the ice," Phillips said. "Bringing in a transfer -- it can be a little awkward sometimes. But, the guys, they're great."
He also mentioned spending time playing basketball with Brevin Doll, O'Lontae Dean and Xavier Williams, while making sure to include second-year walk-on Braeden Jackson in the mix.
"Can't forget Braeden, too. Braeden, I love you," he chuckled.
On the field, Phillips has already left a different kind of impression. He may come across as easygoing off it, but his running style is built to wear people down. Running backs coach Jay Norvell has been especially taken with that part of his game.
"He's like a bowling ball covered in butcher knives," Norvell said of Phillips this spring. "Nobody wants to tackle him."
McNeil has seen the same thing up close and said the room has given Phillips a fitting nickname.
"We call him 'Pit Bully' in the room," McNeil said in April. "He doesn't go down. If he gets hit hard, he's still up and just keeps moving."
Phillips said he likes the labels because they match the way he plays.
"It just shows that I run hard," he said. "I bring the intensity.
I think I bring the juice. My play style -- I want to go in there and set the tone immediately and let the defense know it's going to be a long day."
He also believes the jump to the Big Ten should be manageable because of where he came from. Phillips played in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, which he called the toughest league in FCS football.
"It's like the SEC of FCS in my opinion," he said." When you're in that conference, it's tough.
Every week, the demands on your body -- the process throughout the week that you have to go through. I know the Big Ten's tough, but I think the Missouri Valley has prepared me and the FCS has prepared me to step up to this level."
The stage will be bigger now. Phillips went from the DakotaDome, which holds 9,100, to Kinnick Stadium, where the crowd can swell to nearly 70,000 on Saturdays in the fall. That atmosphere is part of what excites him most.
"I've heard that Kinnick is electric," Phillips said. "All the guys talk about it, and it's something that I've got to experience.
I would love to score a touchdown and hear the crowd erupt. That would be the best moment for me."
In Other News...
Iowa QB Battle Just Took A Turn Fans Will Feel
Iowas quarterback picture for the 2026-27 season is still very much in flux, and the coaching staff is not giving away much as the program moves toward fall. Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown have emerged as the leading candidates, and both spent plenty of time with the first group during spring practices, giving the Hawkeyes a real two-man race at the most important spot on the field.
Tim Lesters offense only adds to the intrigue, because the system appears to line up well with Hecklinskis style. Even so, the competition remains open, and the next stretch of work will go a long way toward showing whether Iowa is leaning toward a cleaner fit or simply the quarterback who keeps making the strongest case. [Read more 🡒]
Hawkeyes Mourn A Beloved Name Behind The Program
Will Moon, a longtime donor whose name became part of the fabric of Iowa football, died July 16 at age 64, leaving behind a legacy that stretched well beyond the checkbook. Along with his wife, Renee, Moon was one of the programs most visible supporters, helping establish endowment funds and backing facility improvements that strengthened the Hawkeyes on and off the field.
For Iowa, the loss carries a personal and institutional weight because the Moon familys generosity helped secure the permanent Moon Family Head Football Coach designation, a rare marker of how deeply they invested in the program. Funeral services are scheduled for July 21 in Walcott, Iowa, as the Hawkeye community remembers a name that was attached not just to a title, but to years of support behind the scenes. [Read more 🡒]