Iowa Football: Bold Defensive Predictions for the 2026 Hawkeyes

More than ever, Iowa needs its defense to do its thing, but could that be asking too much?

Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker talks into his headset during a NCAA Big Ten Conference football game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Purdue, Saturday, Oct., 19, 2019, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. 191019 Purdue Iowa Fb 040 Jpg | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Bold is a funny word to use alongside the Iowa Hawkeyes' defense.

It isn't necessarily a "bold" unit, but rather a steady force that is always going to be a top 10-15 unit in college football. We looked at offensive predictions for Iowa, and now it's time to dig into the defense.

What magic does Phil Parker have in store?

Getting bold would be more along the lines of claiming Phil Parker's defense is going to stink. That's more than bold; that's tempting fate. Iowa defenses don't "stink."

They do have areas of question marks, though, that can cause some stress elsewhere. Fortunately, there are answers to that in the form of a few predictions for how this unit performs in 2026.

Iowa brings in 15+ interceptions

Last year was an uncharacteristically low interception output for Iowa, with just 11 interceptions. That number spikes this year with the secondary talent.

Zach Lutmer is ready to round into form and break out on the national stage. Toss in Deshaun Lee's experience with two talented transfer portal safety additions in Anthony Hawkins and Tyler Brown, and Iowa has the talent to be ballhawks this year.

In 2024, Iowa had 16 interceptions, 10 in 2023, 15 in 2022, and 25 in 2021. If history tells me anything, it's that Iowa's defense will return to its aggressive, turnover-happy self.

Iowa's streak of sub-4.0 yards per carry will be tested

3.4
3.7
3.1
2.8
3.2
2.8
3.5

Those are the yards per carry Iowa has held teams back to in each season, dating back to 2019. It's astounding how consistently dominant the run defense has been under Phil Parker.

Admittedly, I have concerns about this number creeping up in 2026. Iowa lost three defensive line starters and a starting linebacker. That's a lot of production and experience to replace in the middle of the defense.

Keeping this number low sets Iowa up to get creative and send pressure on passing downs, which is where this defense makes teams pay. It is crucial that Iowa holds against the run game.

Iowa's sack numbers will be good and bad

This prediction is twofold. I think the sack numbers are going to be a bit down this year overall, but up for a few individuals, which will lead to timely sack production versus overall sack production.

Kenneth Merrieweather, Iose Epenesa, and Kahmari Brown have the chance to combine for at least 15 sacks this year, which I think they do as a rotational trio of defensive ends. Brown and Epenesa could become Iowa's pass rushing duo when they need to heat up quarterbacks.

The overall number dipping is what I also could see happening. Last year, Iowa had 26 sacks, 29 sacks in 2024, 33 in 2023, and 35 in 2022.

While Iowa's depth chart is strong up top, the depth is a concern of mine, which caps this number due to the question of where else production can come from. Iowa could settle into the 24-26 sacks range this year.