Iowa Football Depth Chart: Projecting the Hawkeyes' Week 1 Starting Defense

Iowa has plenty of proven talent returning on defense, but there are still several position battles that need to be sorted out. Here's our first call on what the Hawkeye defense will look like.

Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker watches a play during a NCAA non-conference football game against Kent State, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. 210918 Kent St Iowa Fb 019 Jpg | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen via Imagn Content Services, LLC

What magic does Phil Parker have up his sleeve in 2026?

That is the question that looms for the defensive coordinator of the Iowa Hawkeyes. Manning the position since 2012, he has been fully entrusted by head coach Kirk Ferentz with the defense.

It's like clockwork that Iowa has one of the nation's top 10 defenses each year, but the 2026 unit will be replenishing plenty of production from last year.

Which Position Battles Matter Most On the Iowa Defense Depth Chart?

Even with the new faces, it's still Phil Parker.

The man knows defense. It's in his blood. And his starting lineup in Week 1 is going to hit the ground running, if I had to bet on it.

For the sake of projecting, we're going to imagine Iowa comes out with a very vanilla base defense with a standard 4-2-5 of four linemen, two linebackers, and five defensive backs, with one being the hybrid CASH position.

Defensive Line

Oct 11, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive lineman Bryce Hawthorne (96) celebrates with teammates after intercepting a pass against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ross Harried-Imagn Images | Ross Harried-Imagn Images

LE: Kenneth Merrieweather
DT: Brice Stevenson
DT: Bryce Hawthorne
RE: Kahmari Brown

This is a unit that is going to have to find out who the pass-rushing specialist can be. Ethan Hurkett and Max Llewellyn departed after last season, which has created a gap. The interior saw Iowa bring in Brive Stevenson via the portal to fortify the unit.

Kahmari Brown is a transfer portal addition from Elon with a high motor and a ton of athleticism to fit in this unit very well.

Will Merrieweather or Brown take the crown at Iowa's top dog on the defensive line? A group of rotational names to look out for are defensive ends Lance Ingold and Iose Epenesa and defensive tackle Emmanuel Olagbaju.

Linebackers

Teammates congratulate Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Cam Buffington (33) after he intercepted a pass during a game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers Oct. 25, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MIKE: Jayden Montgomery
WILL: Cam Buffington


This group is an easy one to project. Jayden Montgomery played in 13 games last year, registering 44 tackles. And he is a senior in Phil Parker's defense. Plug him into the middle and trust it.

Alongside him will be Cam Buffington, the sophomore linebacker rapidly ascending with the potential to be a future star for the Hawkeyes.

Secondary

Nov 22, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Zach Lutmer (6) reacts after making an interception against the Michigan State Spartans during the second quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

CB: Deshaun Lee
FS: Tyler Brown
SS: Anthony Hawkins
CB: Jaylen Watson
CASH: Zach Lutmer

Let's start with Zach Lutmer. He is locked into the CASH, although he may see snaps at all five positions here. The other lock to start is Deshaun Lee, the veteran cornerback. Parker trusts him and can rely on him.

Opposite Lee is Jaylen Watson for now. It wouldn't shock me to see Rashad Godfrey Jr. or Jacob Wallace rotate in early in the year to see if someone has the hot hand, but Watson gets the nod early.

As for the safeties, this is where things get curious. Iowa saw both safeties depart after last year. They went out and added Tyler Brown and Anthony Hawkins from the transfer portal.

I would be a bit stunned if Brown, a former starter at James Madison, isn't out there in Week 1. Anthony Hawkins gets the nod from me, but don't overlook Robert Morris transfer Xavier Styles pushing for reps.