As of 12:01 a.m. on Friday, January 2, the chaos of the transfer portal officially began.
By the middle of the day following the opening of the transfer portal, over 4,500 hundred Division I athletes jumped into the portal looking for new opportunities elsewhere.
Some big names have entered the portal, and the Iowa program has already had multiple players enter.
Quarterback Jackson Stratton, running back Terrell Washington Jr., defensive back Kael Kolarik, and punter Rhys Dakin have all entered the portal.
On Friday, the Hawkeyes lost more running back depth, as another one of the four contributors in the backfield this season announced he is entering the portal.
— Jaz 🧎🏾➡️ (@J4thegreat2) January 3, 2026
Junior running back Jaziun Patterson announced he is entering the portal after spending three seasons with the program.
Patterson dealt with multiple injuries this season, but appeared in nine games with one start in Iowa's victory over Rutgers.
Injuries, as well as the emergence of freshmen running backs Xavier Williams and Nathan McNeil, pushed Patterson down the depth chart.
Patterson tallied 299 yards on 57 carries this season.
During his three years in Iowa City, Patterson compiled 858 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 195 carries.
Losing Patterson hurts Iowa's depth, but with Williams, McNeil, Kamari Moulton, and Brevin Doll returning, Patterson must have seen the writing on the wall and is now looking for a new opportunity.
There have been no indications that Iowa will dip into the portal to replace Patterson or Terrell Washington Jr. Still, if more running backs decide to transfer, we could see Iowa bring in a veteran presence for the room.
Kamari Moulton has the inside track to be RB1 again next season, with Williams and McNeil getting carries in reserve.
After entering the portal, Patterson will have one year of remaining eligibility.