It's not every day that you get excited about a long snapper, but when you are in Iowa City, it's what we do.
The Hawkeyes have bolstered the special teams unit frequently this week by promoting their new special teams coordinator and signing their new starting punter.
Long-time assistant coach turned defensive analyst Chris Polizzi was promoted this week to special teams coordinator, and the program also added punter Tanner Philpott from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.
At the end of last week, the special teams unit got a late addition in the 2026 recruiting class from a long snapper from Missouri.
Long-snapper Matty McLaughlin will join Iowa as a preferred walk-on
Unranked 2026 prospect Matty McLaughlin has accepted a preferred walk-on deal with the Hawkeyes and will join the program next season.
After a great visit to Iowa City I am ecstatic to announce my commitment to the university of Iowa. Thank you @chris_polizzi, @CoachSMcIlravy, and @coachbsherm for this AMAZING opportunity. Let’s work. GO HAWKS! @HawkeyeFootball @JHMerrittJr @CoachPoe1914 @willstraka_… pic.twitter.com/OpB3wkIMyx
— Matty McLaughlin (@matty_mac42) January 17, 2026
McLaughlin, a Creve Couer, Missouri native, went unranked by all three major ranking services and is purely a specialist.
The special teams unit will look drastically different this year without All-American returner Kaden Wetjen, star kicker Drew Stevens, and new punter Tanner Philpott, and McLaughlin adds more depth to a growing unit.
The Iowa program has traditionally been very strong on special teams under Kirk Ferentz, and that continued last season.
Largely thanks to Wetjen, the special teams ranked No. 1 in college football in average punt return yards per game (27.7) and No. 19 in average kick return yards per game (24.4).
Stevens also nailed 78.6 percent of his field goal attempts (22 of 28), including a long of 58 yards.
Good long-snappers are hard to come by and hopefully for the Hawkeyes, McLaughlin becomes a solid addition to the special teams unit.