300-Pound DL Linked To Iowa In Transfer Portal

Standing 6'3'' 300-pounds, this is the type of player that was built to be an Iowa Hawkeye. Not only is Joe Hjelle the size and stature of what head coach Kirk Ferentz is looking for, but he's also an Iowa native.

Hjelle grew up in Decorah, IA, as he decided that his collegiate career would be best at Tulsa. After spending two years with the Golden Hurricanes, the defensive lineman put his name in the transfer portal.

With Iowa having great success in the portal in years past, this would be the perfect name to bring in. Iowa is losing a ton of defensive playmakers, so it's a no-brainer to at least give Hjelle a look.

Iowa Hawkeyes Must Consider Adding Joe Hjelle

Tulsa standout defensive lineman Joe Hjelle is entering the transfer portal, per @mzenitz.

The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder produced 46 tackles and 2.5 sacks this season. Expected to garner Power Four interest. pic.twitter.com/fX7Pezv5SF
— 247Sports Transfer Portal (@247SportsPortal) December 17, 2025

The modern era of college football is crazy, and that may be an understatement. Between NIL deals and players transferring left and right, there's seemingly no loyalty anymore. It's incredibly hard to keep players for all four years, but time and time again Ferentz has been able to do so.

After announcing he'd be returning for his 27th year as head coach, Ferentz said this team is going to be extremely active in the portal. 247Sports believes Hjelle will garner Power Four interest, so look no further than the Hawkeyes.

Hjelle is coming off a stellar season with 46 total tackles. Only 10 of those were solo, but it's important to note he recorded the first 2.5 sacks of his career. Depending on where he goes and how they decide to use him, that's a number that could hit double digits by the end of his career.

Iowa's Key Defensive Graduates

JOEEEEEEE pic.twitter.com/gBtWqdjQn9
— Tulsa Football (@TulsaFootball) November 29, 2025

When looking at the Hawkeyes roster, there are so many defensive superstars on their way out. Karson Sharar, who led the team with 78 total tackles, will be graduating. Iowa is hopeful they'll be able to keep Koen Entringer around, but if not both he and Xavier Nwankpa will be on their way out. Those two are tied for second with 69 tackles each.

Both Max Llewellyn and Ethan Hurkett, who had six sacks a piece, will be graduating. The number of seniors is alarming, to say the least. For a team who prides themselves on their defense, Iowa will have to hope their reinforcements are good enough to get the job done.

Adding a player like Hjelle will be no easy feat, but doing so could help change Iowa's 2026 and beyond. They'll likely have to outbid players via NIL, but at this point they need to do whatever it takes to help build this defense back up.

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