The Athletic names favorite Iowa football offseason move
· Yahoo Sports
Things will look very different for the Iowa football team in 2026.
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It was a busy offseason for a Hawkeyes team looking to replace a ton of talent. They lost over ten starters to the NFL, and a few more to the transfer portal from the 2025 squad. Throw in longtime special teams coordinator LeVar Woods departing, and Kirk Ferentz had his work cut out for him.
That led to an offseason full of important decisions and moves. Iowa refilled the cupboard with talent at key positions. They attacked the transfer portal, eyeing immediate impact players with multiple years of eligibility. And they brought in a highly-touted high school recruiting class as well. But it wasn't a high school recruit or transfer portal addition that impressed The Athletic the most.
Manny Navarro of The Athletic wrote up a piece on his favorite offseason move for every Power 4 program. He talked about Iowa retaining a pair of key offensive linemen as his favorite move for Ferentz's team this offseason.
"Kirk Ferentz brought in some solid offensive skill pieces from the FCS level in running back L.J. Phillips (South Dakota) and receiver Tony Diaz (Texas-Rio Grande Valley). Iowa also signed a really good safety in Tyler Brown from James Madison. But the top move was retaining right guard Kade Pieper and left tackle Trevor Lauck, two key pieces of an offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award in 2025." -Manny Navarro, The Athletic
While transfer portal additions, like Phillips and Diaz, are flashier, everything starts up front for the Hawkeyes. That's why retaining Pieper and Lauck was massive. Both guys were big pieces of the Joe Moore Award-winning line last season and bring much-needed experience to the table. There's a good chance Pieper hears his name early at the 2027 NFL Draft. Lauck could join him at the next level.
Ferentz would probably agree with Navarro's assessment of Iowa's offseason. The transfer portal adds are great. Keeping elite talent in Iowa City is better. That's exactly what Iowa did. The 2026 team will be better off because of it.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: The Athletic names favorite Iowa football offseason move