The Iowa Football program is continuing its preparation for the 2025-2026 season. Spring practices are drawing to a close, and Iowa has an open practice scheduled for April 26. The open practice allows Hawkeye fans to see some of the roster before it is finalized.
During the offseason, Iowa added five mid-year transfers and 10 freshmen. Multiple position groups have holes to fill, including on the defensive end. The Hawkeyes received news on Wednesday that their defensive back's room was losing depth.
Officially in the portal with 3 years of eligibility. Thank you @HawkeyeFootball ! pic.twitter.com/PsnjQtN02L
— Kahlil Tate ✞ (@TateKahlil) April 17, 2025
Sophomore defensive back Kahlil Tate informed the program that he is entering the transfer portal. Spent spent two years with the Hawkeyes, but did not see any game action.
During the recruitment process, Tate only took three official college visits, but had offers from multiple programs. Those programs included Arkansas, Boston College, Minnesota, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, and Tennessee.
Before committing to Iowa, Tate was a star for Kenwood Academy in Chicago. As a senior, he tallied 67 tackles, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles. During his junior season, Tate was a two-way star.
He had 63 tackles, five interceptions, two forced fumbles on defense, 451 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns as a wide receiver, leading his team to a city championship.
Tate was a highly-coveted prospect in the 2023 recruiting class and ultimately chose the Hawkeyes.
After losing Tate to the portal, Iowa's defensive back depth chart is getting thin. Only junior Deshaun Lee and senior TJ Hall have played meaningful snaps at defensive back for the Hawkeyes.