If there is one thing Kirk Ferentz takes pride in, it's special teams.
Iowa has consistently had elite special teams units that changed games, and that trend continued last season. Dynamic returner Kaden Wetjen set a new Iowa program record for career return touchdowns, while kicker Drew Stevens set a new program record for career made field goals. That is just par for the course for the Iowa special teams unit under Ferentz, but it could look drastically different next season. With ace special teams coordinator LeVar Woods and punter Rhys Dakin now at Michigan State and Stevens and Wetjen in the NFL, there are concerns about how well the group will perform.
New placekicker Eli Ozick is trying to stop those rumors before they begin.
Transfer kicker Eli Ozick was named to the Lou Groza Award Watch List
While the slogan "punting is winning" has become synonymous with the Hawkeyes, the program also places a heavy importance on kicking. Iowa's well-documented offensive struggles often put the squad in a position to rely on kickers to score a ton of points, and Ferentz's more conservative offensive style speaks to that. Even though "new Kirk" has been more aggressive on fourth down in recent seasons, he would still prefer to take the easy points and kick field goals.
Without a reliable kicker, that complicates things, but the Hawkeyes added a solid transfer placekicker to replace Stevens, and he is already earning some respect before his first season in Division I football.
New Hawk on the block 🙌@eli_ozick ➡️ @LouGrozaAward Watch List 🏆 pic.twitter.com/CRYFhYtHQV
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) August 7, 2026
North Dakota State transfer Eli Ozick was added to the Lou Groza Award Watch List. The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the best placekicker in college football, and it speaks volumes of the Iowa program that a first-year starter and FCS transfer was added to the list. Ozick brings a wealth of experience to the program, making 19 of 23 field goal attempts over three seasons with the Bison, including a 54-yard field goal. The Hawkeyes are lucky they picked him up in the portal, and no one is happier than new special teams coordinator Chris Polizzi.
Polizzi was promoted internally after Woods left the program, and he already has multiple key pieces in place to begin his tenure. While the kick and punt returners are still up in the air, Iowa has a solid kicking option in Ozick and two solid punting options with transfers Boston Everitt (Australia) and Tanner Philpott (Simpson College). Ozick is the projected starter, and if he solidifies Iowa's kicking game, the special teams unit won't skip a beat.
Despite Iowa having to replace every starting special-teams player, the unit is in good shape with talented options across the board, headlined by transfers. Ozick has a big leg and the potential to make an immediate impact, and it would not be surprising if he were the best placekicker in the Big Ten based on percentage, propped up by Iowa's heavy reliance on kicking field goals. Stevens made a career-high 22 field goals last season, and with his championship experience, Ozick could easily surpass that next season.
Prediction: 24/28 FG (86 percent), long of 51 yards, 39/40 EXP, team-leader in total points
Add us as a preferred source on Google