The vibes are sky-high in Iowa City before a massive game against No. 5 Ohio State at Kinnick Stadium.
The Hawkeyes are coming off a big win over No. 18 Michigan, vaulting them into the top 14 and setting up an even bigger game against Ohio State in week five. Before the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes take the field this Saturday, ESPN took over the University of Iowa campus as both "The Pat McAfee Show" and "College GameDay" are in town, and Ferentz made a simple revelation about why the Iowa program has been so adept at producing NFL-caliber players.
Ferentz told Pat McAfee that they tend to do well with a certain type of player
The Hawkeyes had a program-record seven players drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, continuing to showcase the program's solid development. Over 100 players have been drafted under Ferentz, with many more signing with NFL organizations, and Iowa's elite development has opened some eyes. Pat McAfee said that he was fortunate to play with multiple former Hawkeyes throughout his NFL career, including Bob Sanders, Pat Angerer, A.J. Edds, Dallas Clark, and Mitch King, but every team has Iowa guys. When he asked Ferentz why Iowa has become an NFL factory, he provided a very Ferentz-like response.
"We do well with guys that like football and don't mind working hard..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 2, 2026
I don't know if we've had a more dynamic player and a player that impacted our program in a more dynamic way than Bob Sanders" ~ Kirk Ferentz#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/AbN4oQmsU1
In a simple, straightforward response, Ferentz said the program does well with guys who like football and don't mind working hard. That might sound cliché, but those are the players Iowa recruits, and they turn into solid NFL players. People often say that Iowa "does more with less," but that discredits how good its player development is. Ferentz and the program don't always get five-star recruits or have a top recruiting class in the nation, and they rely on their elite development to get the job done. Ferentz couldn't care less about Iowa's win-loss record, as long as he did his best to make his players better players and even better people.
Iowa has proven time and again that it can compete with the top teams in the Big Ten and nationally through how well it coaches and develops players, and that is a big reason so many Hawkeyes are in the NFL. That isn't saying that Iowa wouldn't like more top recruits, but the program knows the type of players it needs to succeed, and it rarely deviates from that recruiting strategy. Program success is subjective, and although the Hawkeyes don't compete for National Championships every year, you'd be hard-pressed to find a program that is as elite at player development.
It might not be the easy way, but it's Kirk Ferentz's way
People often think that "winning" in recruiting means signing a bunch of top-100 or five-star prospects, but it means something completely different to Ferentz and the Iowa program. Iowa has faith in its system, recruiting players who work hard and are great people, and lets the talent fall into place. The results speak for themselves: the Iowa program has been successful and has produced hundreds of talented NFL players. There is a reason multiple Hawkeyes get drafted every year, and that won't change any time soon with Ferentz at the helm.
Pick any NFL organization, and it likely has a Hawkeye making an impact. That is a testament not only to Kirk Ferentz but also to how the program develops players. Iowa has become an NFL factory, and Ferentz and his staff deserve all the credit for doing it their way. If you are a prospect with NFL aspirations, you must check out the Iowa program because you are guaranteed to get top-flight development as a person and as a player.
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