Iowa Football Head Coach Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes continue preparation for the 2025-2026 season. During the April 26 open practice, Iowa fans glimpsed some of the roster makeup for the upcoming season.
A group that will be vastly different from last season is he defensive backs.
The Hawkeyes lost defensive backs John Nestor (transferred to Minnesota), Kahlil Tate (transfer portal), Jermari Harris (Tennessee Titans), Sebastian Castro (Pittsburgh Steelers), and Quinn Schulte (graduation) during the offseason.
Iowa returns starting safety Xavier Nwankpa, starting cornerback Deshaun Lee and key contributors, defensive backs TJ Hall, Koen Entringer, and Zach Lutmer. The Hawkeyes also added transfer defensive back Shahid Barros from the transfer portal.
On April 29, the Hawkeyes' defensive back room added a transfer defensive back from Big Ten Rival Purdue.
Freshman transfer defensive back Ty Hudkins announced he is transferring from Purdue to Iowa after spending one season with the Boilermakers. On3 Sports ranked Hudkins a three-star transfer and the No. 175 safety (No. 1,730 overall) in the portal.
Before committing to Purdue, Hudkins had offers from Air Force, Minnesota, Tulane, and Northwestern. He originally committed to Northwestern, but reopened his commitment in September 2023 and committed to the Boilermakers shortly after.
During his freshman season (2024-2025), Hudkins played in 12 games for the Boilermakers, mostly on special teams. After Purdue fired Head Coach Ryan Walters last December, Hudkins entered the spring transfer portal in April.
After receiving limited defensive snaps at Purdue, Hudkins looks to carve out an expanded role in the Iowa secondary. He may not be an immediate contributor, but he has the skills (98 tackles and five interceptions as a high school senior) to help Iowa in the future.
After adding Barros in late April, Hudkins is the second defensive back to commit to Iowa during the spring transfer portal window.