On SI Exclusive: Iowa LT Trevor Lauck Talks Week 1, QB Competition, Expectations

Week 1 is just around the corner for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and much of their success in 2026 will hinge on the play of the offensive line.

It's been a strength of Iowa for the last few seasons, as evidenced by winning the Joe Moore Award in 2026 as college football's best offensive line.

This year, there are some new faces across the board, but Trevor Lauck is back and anchoring a group Iowa will lean on this year. He details Iowa's expectations in Week 1 versus Northern Illinois and beyond.

Expectations for the offensive line with the new starters

Iowa saw three starters from last year's offensive line head to the NFL. Anchored by Trevor Lauck and Kade Pieper, this group will lean on offensive line coach George Barnett to mold this unit together.

"Coach Brett is obviously the best. He's the best offensive line coach in the country, and I'm super lucky to get to play for him. The expectations are high.

"We're putting in three guys who have all been here for four years or more, so it's not like we're putting in true freshmen. We're putting in guys who have been developed here for four years now, and who have been waiting their turn eagerly," Lauck said of the new offensive linemen this year for Iowa.

There may be growing pains. There are things to work through. That's all normal, but that doesn't change the expectations being held to a higher standard, not just for the offensive line, but for the offense as a whole.

"As an offensive line, we know it might not be perfect, but as long as we're on the same page and playing together, playing hard, and playing physical, that's the most we can do. We know it's a long season; we just want to keep getting better and better as the weeks go on, and that's kind of the same as an offense.

"Obviously, we're striving to be perfect, but we know it probably isn't going to happen. I hope it does, but it probably won't be perfect. We know we have to give it our all, trust our coaches, trust what we've been coached on, trust our fundamentals, and go out there on Saturday and give it all we've got, and then learn from it, and then move on and get better as the weeks go on," Lauck added about the expectations in Week 1.

Preparing for Northern Illinois

Northern Illinois has upset teams before. The Huskies won't come in afraid, and Trevor Lauck isn't taking it lightly. The Huskies provide a great Week 1 test and have the ability to wreak some havoc on the interior.

"They have got a really good defense this year, with their defense coordinator being elevated to head coach. We know he's going to have them ready to go. They're super talented, run a four-man front, but they can mix up their fronts, so you never really know what you're going to be going up against.

"They have had really big upsets in the past, even just two years ago, beating Notre Dame, so we know that they're a unit that can come in here and beat us if we're not up to our, up to our level, so we have to come in ready to go," Lauck said of how Iowa is preparing for Northern Illinois.

Iowa's quarterback competition

The quarterback situation at Iowa is going to continue into Week 1, but Trevor Lauck and the offensive line have seen Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown all fall camp. He's been impressed by both of them and is ready to protect both come Saturday.

"I feel like they've handled it really, really well. I feel like it could be an awkward situation where they're beefing or not with each other, but it's really been the exact opposite. There's no bad blood at all. They're both going out there every day and giving it their best.

"They're staying positive throughout the whole thing, being really good teammates through it all, and they're both confident in themselves, confident in our team, and I think that really carries along well throughout the squad," Trevor Lauck said of Iowa's quarterback competition.

Lauck has a partnership near and dear to Iowa fans

Trevor Lauck, Iowa Hawkeyes - Casey's | Casey's

Casey's Pizza and tailgating Iowa Hawkeyes' games outside Kinnick Stadium are meant to go together. For Trevor Lauck, the partnership makes sense. He is partnering with Casey's this year, where fans can get 40% off eligible pizzas every Saturday during college football season with the code "TOUCHDOWN." Talking about the partnership, Lauck explained why it makes so much sense.

"I signed the NIL with Casey's. I was super excited to do it. Obviously, they have really strong Iowa ties, but Midwest ties as well. I'm from Indianapolis, so I've had Casey's pretty much my whole life around, and then when I came to Iowa, it was more extreme.

"People here love Casey's, and for a good reason, so when they reached out to me, it was pretty much a no-brainer that I wanted to work with them," Lauck said of his new NIL deal with Casey's.

The truth about offensive line play

Iowa is deeper at its skill positions than in many years prior, with a loaded running back room, upgraded wide receivers, and a budding star at tight end. Still, there is more than enough to be excited about with the offensive line.

"We've got good skill players around us, and it's fun watching them make plays in practice, and it's going to be fun watching them make plays on Saturdays, too, but as an offensive line, we're a really good group, disciplined; we work hard, we all have a growth mindset, just trying to get better every single day. On Saturdays, we want to play physical, be relentless, be finishers," Lauck said about his offensive line comrades.

Trevor Lauck's dream play

Lauck is Iowa's left tackle and will have plenty to do in pass protection, but his dream play that he described is a classic, vintage offensive line play that encapsulates who he is perfectly.

"My perfect rep would probably be at left tackle. I'll probably run wide zone to the right, so I'm on the back side of the play, and I know it's either a toss or a handoff, but we're running out wide to the right. So, I know I have to get that backside 3-technique cut off.

"My perfect play would be able to get him well on the line of scrimmage and then just run them.

Run them, and then probably bury them into the other team's sideline. I think that'd be cool.

"Take him 20 yards in a direction he doesn't want to go, and finishing them is the perfect play," Lauck detailed.

Add us as a preferred source on Google