Iowa Hawkeyes: Five to Watch in 2026 Season
By Peter Mann
On numerous occasions over the past quarter century, Iowa Hawkeyes Head Coach, 70-year-old Kirk Ferentz, has been considered for top jobs in the NFL, and on each occasion, the overtures have been rebuffed by both him and the Hawkeyes hierarchy.
Heading into what will be his twenty-eighth year at the helm of the Kinnick Stadium program, Ferentz has support both off and on the field and will look at 2026 as a harder push towards both a Big Ten championship and a first National Championship since 1960.
Under Ferentz, the Hawkeyes have claimed three West titles and two Big Ten titles, with the last of the latter being in 2004. The coach has also claimed numerous accolades of his own and boasts a winning record of 209-128 (221-149 overall following three seasons with the Maine Black Bears in the early nineties), with the last thirteen seasons being winning ones.
Going into 2026, however, starting with three home games against Northern Illinois, Iowa State Cyclones, and Northern Iowa Panthers, in early September, before finishing the regular season with the Heroes Game against visiting Nebraska Cornhuskers in late November, Ferentz has some talent in his arsenal on which to call upon.
We love a good tight end, and there’s plenty in the NFL, with George Kittle, Brock Bowers and Travis Kelce benchmarks; meanwhile, at Kinnick Stadium, Vonnahme rules the roost, having made four appearances in his first, redshirted season in Iowa.
That came following his commitment from Kuemper Catholic High, a Roman Catholic school in Carroll, Iowa, where he’d play across a number of positions that included both quarterback and safety, registering an impressive 53TDs overall, two of which were defensive scores.
With the Hawkeyes, his freshman campaign would see 434 yards, 3 TDs (receiving) from the dozen outings put together, with his first career TD coming in the narrow, 18-16 loss to the Oregon Ducks in early November, a three-yard catch from quarterback Mark Gronowski.
Hank Brown is next up, due to the aforementioned Gronowski having departed for pastures new (he was an undrafted, free agent claim by the Miami Dolphins). Brown will be quite green heading into 2026, having transferred from Auburn in December 2024.
He only made five appearances whilst with the Tigers, starting two, but still managed 403yds, 6TDs, whilst last time around, in Iowa, starting none of his three further appearances, added 107yds, 1TD (receiving), -3yds, 1TD (rushing), so his overall career statistics are actually decent – imagine what he can do with a full run under his belt.
Moulton is an exciting athlete for the Hawkeyes, having chosen his native Florida Atlantic University and the Owls over several offers from elsewhere, including Akron (Zips) and Central Michigan (Chippewas).
Standing at 5 ft 9 in, Moulton has racked up twenty-seven appearances over three seasons at the University of Iowa, with ten rushing scores to his name along the way, rushing for 96 yards and a TD score in the 2024 Music City Bowl reverse to the Missouri Tigers (lost 27-24).
Moulton’s best regular-season play in a Hawkeyes jersey to date was a 68-yard rushing score in the 29-13 success at the Maryland Terrapins on 23 November 2024.
Nebraska native Pieper comes in at 6 ft 4 in and 290lbs and played both offense and defense whilst at Norfolk Catholic; he also knows how to throw, winning a state title in the shot-put discipline.
Initially set for North Dakota State and the Bisons, Pieper flipped his commitment to neighbouring Iowa instead, slowly working his way into Hawkeyes’ starting contention over the last three seasons.
Redshirting in ’23, Pieper played eleven as backup the following year, before starting all thirteen in ’25, earning a spot in the All-Big Ten third team, and, as part of the Hawkeyes O-Line, claimed the Joe Moore Award, putting them on par with their 2016 honourees.
Iose Epenesa is, at just nineteen years old, the epitome of the phrase “one to watch,” coming into the Hawkeyes’ contention, having previously been named the 2025 Polynesian High School Football Player of the Year.
A multi-sport athlete in Illinois, Epenesa is credited with playing high school football, basketball, and track and field, impressing across the board and going as far as being selected for the 2025 All-American Bowl whilst being labelled a five-star prospect and ranked number sixteen overall in the nation.
Espenesa’s brother, Andrew ‘AJ’ Espenesa, is already in the NFL and plays defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles, following six seasons with the Buffalo Bills and three very impressive seasons with the Hawkeyes.
It’ll be interesting to see how many games the 6 ft 3 in, 260 lb Espenesa plays after four appearances in ’25, but his HC Ferentz certainly knows a thing or two about what’s needed to thrive at Kinnick Stadium.
Peter Mann
COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYST
PETER IS A LIFELONG SPORTS FAN, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR BASED IN COUNTY DURHAM. HE HAS FOLLOWED THE NFL AND THE RAIDERS SINCE THE 1980s, AND LOVES BOTH SPORTS AND FAMILY HISTORY. PETER HAS A DEGREE IN SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY, AND CAN BE FOUND ON TWITTER @petermannwriter.