A handful of Hawkeyes are next in line to continue Iowa's legacy at the Senior Bowl

We haven't even reached the first week of college football, but the Senior Bowl rankings have already been released.

For nearly 150 seniors, the Senior Bowl is a golden opportunity to showcase their skills one final time before the NFL Draft, hoping to catch the attention of multiple scouts and NFL organizations. Last season, the Hawkeyes had five seniors make the roster, with Gennings Dunker and Mark Gronowski showing out. Dunker became a viral sensation, while Gronowski was named the game's offensive MVP, proving how important the game can be. A year later, more Hawkeyes are on the initial list with a chance to prove why they belong at the next level.

5 Hawkeyes were named to the Senior Bowl Top 300 list

The Senior Bowl has been one of the premier senior showcase events for over 70 years, but it could look a little different this season with the NCAA's new five-for-five eligibility rules. With five years now available to all college athletes, it will be interesting to see whether the Senior Bowl changes to only fifth-year players and players who have declared for the draft, or whether it continues to include fourth-year players as "traditional" seniors. Regardless, five Hawkeyes have been named to the Senior Bowl Top 300 list before the start of the 2026-2027 season.

A trio of offensive linemen, including Jack Dotzler, Kade Pieper, and Trevor Lauck, has made the list, alongside defensive backs Deshaun Lee and Zach Lutmer. Of the five players selected, only Deshaun Lee and Jack Dotzler are fifth-year players, so there is the potential that Kade Pieper, Trevor Lauck, and Zach Lutmer all return to Iowa next season. All three fourth-year players on the list are extremely talented and could easily declare for the NFL Draft a year early, but if they stick around, the Hawkeyes will be even better in 2027.

Iowa's trio of offensive linemen making the list shows that they could easily be in play for the Joe Moore Award once again, and while they are missing multiple key contributors from last season, George Barnett has proven he can get the most out of the players he has.

The two guarantees to play in the Senior Bowl if they have solid seasons are Dotzler and Lee, and both are projected to play expanded roles this season. After narrowly losing out to Lauck last season, Dotzler has waited his turn and is projected as one of Iowa's starting offensive tackles. With Pieper, Lauck, and Dotzler returning, the Hawkeyes have a solid front three, with two other positions still up for grabs. Even though Dotzler did not start, he played in all 13 games, making his experience heading into this season invaluable.

Lee is the other potential guarantee to play if he has a good season, and after shaking off some of the inconsistencies he suffered early in his career last year, he is poised to have a solid season in the Iowa secondary. Lee is likely Iowa's CB1, with Rashad Godfrey, Jaylen Watson, Tyler Brown, and others vying for backup snaps. After years of inconsistency, it is Lee's time, and hopefully, he takes full advantage.

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