Iowa's loss to Ohio State still stings, and it recently got worse after Kirk Ferentz's injury update.
The Hawkeyes lost multiple players in the week-five game due to injuries, including Hank Brown, Deshaun Lee, and Zach Lutmer. Lee and Lutmer are trending toward playing against Washington on October 9 after a short week of preparation, but the good news stops there. Iowa could be without two starters, forcing other players to step up in Seattle to start the weekend.
Multiple Hawkeyes could miss Friday's game with injuries
Ferentz's initial diagnosis was positive, saying that he didn't think Brown's injury was too concerning and that it was just cramps for Lee and Lutmer. Ferentz was wrong on Lee, who announced that he tweaked his hip against Ohio State, but he has been practicing and looks good to go for Friday. Ferentz was also wrong about Brown's injury, which is looking a lot worse than initially thought. With starting safety Tyler Brown also set to miss more time after tweaking his hamstring in week four, the Hawkeyes could be down multiple key players against Washington.
Hank Brown's status is not looking good for the Washington game
Brown was injured late in the third quarter when an aggressive out-of-bounds tackle caused him to hit the ground hard. Ferentz initially wasn't worried, but Brown later said he sprained his AC joint, and he isn't guaranteed to play Friday. As the week progresses, it is looking less likely that Brown will play. Ferentz's most recent injury update also isn't promising.
Kirk Ferentz on the possibility of Hank Brown starting on Friday:
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) October 6, 2026
"We can't count on it, for sure. That's be short-sighted."
Also praised Jeremy Hecklinski for his preparation and how he played against Ohio State: "I think we have two good quarterbacks."
Ferentz said they "can't count on" Brown starting on Friday, and that it would be "short-sighted" to do so. He is confident in Hecklinski if he has to start against the Huskies, but that still isn't good news about Brown's status. We aren't sure how severe Brown's injury is, but if he doesn't let it fully heal and it worsens, he could miss a significant amount of time. If Brown can't play, Hecklinski will be the guy, and hopefully he can build on his solid performance against Ohio State.
Tyler Brown will be out 'a while' after re-aggrevating his injured hamstring
The injury bug has bitten transfer safety Tyler Brown hard during his short time in Iowa City. Brown suffered a hamstring injury in spring ball and didn't return to game action until week four against Michigan. Brown played most of the game before tweaking his hamstring, and it is now a lot worse than we thought.
Iowa will be without S Tyler Brown for a while, Ferentz said.
— Chad Leistikow🆑 (@ChadLeistikow) October 6, 2026
Zach Lutmer will be available at Washington.
Ferentz recently said Brown will be out "a while" and did not give a timetable for his return. The Hawkeyes have played most of the season with Brown on the sideline, with Zach Lutmer and Anthony Hawkins handling snaps at safety, with Jacob Wallace at CASH. Brown's injury thins Iowa's safety depth, and it could have long-term effects. Iowa has a bye week in week seven after hitting the road to Seattle in week six, but losing a starter is never easy. Luckily for Phil Parker and the defense, Hawkins, Lutmer, and Wallace, and Washington's offense has been struggling.
Iowa can only wait until after the bye week to see how Brown's hamstring responds to rehab, and we should receive more information after Iowa's brief one-game road trip.
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