On March 26, Iowa football kicked off its first of fifteen spring practices. Spring practices are a time for players and coaches to get acclimated or re-acclimated to the program without discussing strategy.
In his media availability after Iowa's first spring practice, Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz noted that he loves this time of year because the coaches just spend time with players.
Each season brings a new team and Ferentz was adamant that everyone must adjust. The Hawkeyes added five mid-year transfers and 10 incoming freshmen to the squad for 2025. On Thursday, Iowa lost a top recruit to the transfer portal.
Thank you Iowa, pic.twitter.com/zF670fX2iq
— Joey VanWetzinga (@JVanwetzinga) April 10, 2025
Early enrollee Joey VanWetzinga announced he is entering the transfer portal. VanWetzinga decided to transfer after his older brother Rusy VanWetzinga transferred following the 2024 season.
Before becoming an early enrollee at the University of Iowa, Joey VanWetzinga was one of Iowa's first recruits in the 2025 class. He was also one of only two offensive line recruits in the class.
Before joining the Hawkeyes, VanWetzinga was a two-way star for Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf, Iowa. He guided the Spartans to a 33-9 overall record and four playoff appearances n his high school career.
During his senior year (2024-2025), VanWetzinga tallied 34.5 tackles (26 solo), 11 tackles for loss, and five sacks. He was ranked as a three-star prospect and No. 5 Iowa prospect for the 2025 recruiting class.
VanWetzinga was slated to play offensive line at Iowa for the 2025-2026 season. After losing Connor Colby and Mason Richman, the Hawkeyes had holes to fill on the offensive line. VanWetzinga was projected to compete for starting snaps right away.
After entering the transfer portal, VanWetzinga has four years of remaining eligibility.