The time for speculation is coming to a close as the first depth chart of the 2026 regular season has dropped!
Fall camp brought up multiple interesting storylines and last-second position battles that we might not have seen coming, but Kirk Ferentz and the coaching staff have finally made the depth chart official, with some surprising additions and subtractions.
The first depth chart of the 2026 regular season was released
After all the preseason projections and prognostications, we finally know who is slotting in where after an interesting offseason. The program returned just over a handful of starters on both sides of the ball, creating opportunities for multiple players to step into expanded roles. While most of the depth chart aligns with projections, there are still some very interesting storylines after its release.
Week 1 \\ Depth Chart \\ vs. Northern Illinois pic.twitter.com/UqbaYoWQGW
— HawkeyeFBNotes (@HawkeyeFBNotes) August 31, 2026
Some injuries on defense have forced some shuffling on the line and in the secondary, with transfer safety Anthony Hawkins starting at strong safety, moving Zach Lutmer to free safety, and Jacob Wallace to the CASH position. Veteran Will Hubert is also getting a chance on the defensive line, with four starters missing from last season. Those are just a few of the main storylines, but there are three important notes from the first depth chart that must be addressed.
The starting quarterback spot remains a mystery
The starting quarterback opening has been one of the biggest storylines all offseason, and it hasn't gotten any clearer as we approach game one. Ferentz continues to assert that both projected starters Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski are neck and neck, and the depth chart reflects that. The program didn't name an official starter, giving both quarterbacks an "OR" designation.
Ferentz recently said he wants to decide by Wednesday at the earliest and Friday at the latest, but each player will likely get a certain number of reps during the game. Even when a starter is announced, they might get only a few series before the next guy comes in, which could hinder any early offensive production. It remains to be seen who will take the first snaps against Northern Illinois, and everyone is waiting on pins and needles for the program to officially announce it.
Cael Winter is officially the starting center, sliding Kade Pieper back to guard
There was a vast amount of speculation that All-American guard Kade Pieper was shifting to center to make up for the loss of Logan Jones, but that isn't the case. At least for game one, veteran Cael Winter is listed as the starting center, with Michael Myslinski as the backup, and Pieper is listed as the starting right guard. As fall camp progressed, Ferentz floated the idea of Winter earning the starting center spot, and now we have confirmation that it will happen.
With Pieper moving back to right guard, Kirk Ferentz and the program are showing complete faith in Winter at center, and moving Pieper back to guard does not necessarily mean he wasn't an option at center. He took reps at center for a reason, but Winter played well enough to earn the job, pushing him back to his more natural position. Ferentz and OL coach George Barnett are very adept at finding the best offensive line combinations, and it was clear that Winter deserved the first look at starting center, which gives the Hawkeyes more depth.
The Iowa special teams is starting two new players at kicker/punter
The Iowa special teams unit will look vastly different this season, with Chris Polizzi taking over for LeVar Woods, starting kicker Drew Stevens in the NFL, and starting punter Rhys Dakin transferring to Michigan State. The program takes a lot of pride in special teams, and while it will look different, there is still plenty of confidence in the unit. We still don't know who will line up to return punts and kicks, although the expectation is that Zach Lutmer will be the primary returner. After the official depth chart for week one was released, it shows two new faces taking kicks and punts in game one.
Second-year kicker and Bettendorf, Iowa native Caden Buhr beat out North Dakota State transfer Eli Ozick, and Australian punter Boston Everitt beat out Simpson College transfer Tanner Philpott for the starting punter job. Buhr winning the job is surprising, giving Ozick's experience and selection to the Lou Groza Award watch list, but Buhr is a former two-time First-Team All-State honoree. All four players are extremely talented, and we could easily see a mix of all four this season, but for game one, Everitt will be the starting punter and Buhr will be the starting kicker.
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