Iowa Football Has Three Stars, But One Could Change The Season's Trajectory

For a program that has been built on putting the focus on the team first, the Iowa Hawkeyes have quite a way of churning out stars each year.

Not just stars on their teams or in the Big Ten, but stars across the college football landscape, and oftentimes, the NFL. The 2026 team, while it has a lot of new players getting time as the roster turned over, is resting in the solid hands of three stars.

One of them, who does a lot of the unsung, dirty work, could change this team's trajectory.

Iowa has three of the top players in college football

It isn't often that a team picked to finish in the middle of their conference carries the star power that Iowa does. ESPN's ranking of the top 100 college football players of 2026 puts trust in a trio of Hawkeyes.

The first Hawkeye on the list is the versatile defensive back Zach Lutmer, coming in at No. 72. He can cover, run, and help in the run game. He does it all.

Sandwiched in between sits Trevor Lauck, Iowa's senior offensive tackle, who is back for another year after starting in 2025. He was outstanding in pass protection last year, which is even more important as Iowa welcomes in a new quarterback.

Sitting highest on the list for Iowa is Kade Pieper, who is expected to start on the interior for Iowa's offensive line. His experience and leadership are invaluable for Iowa in the trenches.

Kade Pieper can dictate a lot of Iowa's success

Zach Lutmer may play the flashy position, and he is going to help Iowa win games, but what Kade Pieper brings to the table is unsung, yet can change this offense.

In the interior, he isn't only going to be run- and pass-blocking, which he is among the best in the country at. He is going to play a part in setting up pass protection with other linemen and communicating with the quarterback.

That's where Pieper is going to be able to dictate Iowa's offensive success. We know the defense is going to be good, or at least above average, but the offense has always been the question mark for this team.

Pieper's knowledge of Tim Lester's system can help get the run scheme into full speed very quickly with his experience. That's an enormous asset to the three new linemen starting on the offensive line.

Where Kade Pieper needs to be recognized more is for the impact he will have on the pass-blocking decisions. The interior offensive line has to be in lockstep with the quarterback to set up pass protection, but Kade Pieper has the ability to lead the way for Jeremy Hecklinski or Hank Brown, alleviating some pressure.

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