If you haven't figured it out by now, the Iowa Football program is among the elites in developing talent.
Kirk Ferentz and his staff have a stellar track record of discovering underappreciated talent and developing them into future NFL stars.
Since taking over the program, Ferentz and the program have had 94 players drafted to the NFL, with more coming in the future.
This season, Iowa was on the cusp of making its first ever appearence in the College Football Playoff, falling just short down the stretch.
If Iowa had held on to beat one of Iowa State, Indiana, Oregon, or USC, we would be having a completely different conversation right now, but that does not mean the program was void of talent.
Iowa's nine Combine invites ranks second in the Big Ten
The Hawkeyes finished No. 6 in the Big Ten standings last season, but are ranked near the top in NFL Combine invitations.
2026 NFL Combine Invites by Big Ten Schools pic.twitter.com/PqLiUdMffa
— The Big Ten Huddle 🎙️ (@TheBigTenHuddle) February 15, 2026
The Hawkeyes are ahead of multiple powerhouse college football programs on this list, further showing how close Iowa came to greatness this season.
Iowa never lacks talent and gets everyone to buy into the system. When players sign or transfer to the program, they rarely leave, which is a testament to how well the program is run.
Recently, former Hawkeye and native Iowan Cooper DeJean said that the Iowa program is "run like an NFL organization," and everyone is starting to see why.
If it weren't for a couple of broken coverages, a Mark Gronowski injury, and the defense not being able to hold on, Iowa could have easily made the CFP field this season.
As it stands, nine players will represent the Hawkeyes in Indianapolis, and it could have easily been more.