Before his 28th season at the helm of the Iowa football program, Kirk Ferentz got his chance to speak on Iowa's behalf during the 2026 Big Ten Media Days.
There have been multiple items on everyone's mind after the program wrapped up spring ball and headed into summer workouts, and that was very clear during Ferentz's time at the podium. He was asked about everything from completely replacing his special teams unit to adding legendary coach Tom Moore to the staff, and we have the three biggest takeaways from one of the last in-depth looks at the team before the start of the 2026-2027 season.
Ferentz still hasn't given any clue as to who could be the starting QB
Ferentz has traditionally been tight-lipped about the depth chart in the summer, especially the starting quarterback. Whether there is a clear QB1 or not, Ferentz does not often let it slip, and for good reason. He has been very adamant about keeping those important decisions in-house, and that didn't change during the Big Ten Football Media Days. When he was asked about who the starting quarterback will be, he gave a simple but very telling answer: "We don't know who our starter is."
Whether the program actually has no idea or are playing a little bit of chess with everyone is unclear, but it isn't too surprising that Ferentz wouldn't commit to naming a starter. If the staff truly doesn't know who it will be, that is a concerning revelation because the squad is under 40 days from a week one matchup against the Northern Illinois Huskies. The decision could easily linger well into August and up until week one, and while Ferentz didn't ease anyone's concerns surrounding the issue, it isn't a surprise.
The defensive line depth chart is still very up in the air
One of our biggest concerns after spring practice and into the early summer was what the defensive line would look like next season, and Ferentz failed to give a concrete answer. The unit lost multiple key contributors, including all four starters, which has created a lot of openings. Everyone has a theory about who might slot in where, but Ferentz gave a generic answer when asked. Ferentz claims they do not know who will be the starting four up front for the defense, and admitted they could go very deep.
He stated they could easily rotate nine guys throughout the season, and didn't commit to naming a starting four. In another instance of Ferentz keeping something close to the vest, he didn't divulge much information on the defensive line unit, something that could derail a traditionally stout Iowa defense. No one ever doubts Phil Parker and the Iowa defense, but Ferentz didn't ease any doubts with his responses to who will start on the line.
Ferentz is in favor of a 24-team College Football Playoff expansion
After a controversial decision to expand the College Football Playoff to 16 teams starting after the 2026 regular season, Ferentz gave his stance on expanding it even further. Ferentz has consistently supported further expansion, and he continued that stance when he was asked about the potential for the committee to expand the field to 24 teams in the future. Ferentz stayed true to what he has said, reiterating his support for a 24-team format.
He claims he is always in favor of giving more programs more opportunities for postseason play, and while he didn't speficially mention his squad, that could easily be a part of it. Iowa has yet to make the CFP, despite an impressive streak of 13 winning seasons, and there path to make the field would get much easier with an expanded field. It will be another uphill climb for the Hawkeyes to make their first CFP this season, and by throwing his support behind a 24-team field, Ferentz could be admitting he wants a clear path.
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