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The Hawkeyes will lean on their defense and special teams again this year

The Hawkeyes are projected to have one of the best defensive lines and special teams units
ByJordan Underwood|
Aug 9, 2025; Iowa’s Rhys Dakin, center, holds his hand up while huddling with special teams teammates during the Hawkeyes Kids Day NCAA football open practice at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Cress for the Des Moines Register
Aug 9, 2025; Iowa’s Rhys Dakin, center, holds his hand up while huddling with special teams teammates during the Hawkeyes Kids Day NCAA football open practice at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Cress for the Des Moines Register | Joseph Cress/For the Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa Football program has been a pillar of consistency during the Kirk Ferentz era.

After serving as an assistant coach under legendary former coach Hayden Fry and a brief stint in the NFL, Ferentz took over in 1999 and returned the Hawkeyes to their former glory.

Fry was a staple at Iowa from the time he took over (1979) until he stepped down (1998), but the Hawkeyes struggled with consistency during his final few seasons at the helm.

During the last two seasons under Fry's leadership, the Hawkeyes went 10-13 with one Bowl appearance, a 17-7 loss to Arizona State in the 1997 Sun Bowl.

After taking over, Ferentz leveraged his NFL experience to transform the Iowa program into an NFL pipeline. During Ferentz's 20-plus seasons at the helm, over 90 Hawkeyes have been drafted, most of them coming from their defensive side of the ball.

Another area where the Iowa program excels every season is on special teams. Ferentz has not been shy about the importance of the Iowa special team in the past, and the Hawkeyes are projected to have another solid unit this season.

"The Big Ten Huddle" released their rankings of the best special teams units ahead of the 2025-2026 season, ranking Iowa as the No. 2 overall unit behind Michigan.

Iowa hopes its revamped quarterback room, led by projected starter Mark Gronowski, will improve the Iowa offense so that they do not have to rely on special teams as frequently this season. Still, the unit will be solid if called upon.

The special teams group is led by kicker Drew Stevens (Lou Groza Award watchlist), punter Rhys Dakin (Ray Guy Award watchlist), and return specialist Kaden Wetjen (Jet Award watchlist)

Stevens and Dakin are rated among the most accurate kickers in college football, and Wetjen looks to replicate or improve his 1,055 return yard performance (No. 1 in Big Ten and nationally) last season.

The special teams unit is deep and guided by veteran players who know what it takes to succeed in college football.

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