Inside The Hawkeyes

Iowa Kick Returner Receives Big Ten Honor After Historic Week

The Iowa Hawkeyes' record-setting receiver and kick returner continues to make history as the season comes to a close.
Lane Mills|
Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Kaden Wetjen (21)
Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Kaden Wetjen (21) | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa Hawkeyes-related headlines have been dominated in days past by the team’s near-disastrous meeting with the Michigan State Spartans at home on Senior Day. Their last game in front of the black and gold faithful of the season appeared, for most of the matchup’s middle portion, to be doomed for an upset loss against one of the worst teams in the Big Ten conference.

A Number of Major Headlines

A few solid offensive drives, staunch defensive stops and a heroic field goal later, and Iowa survived in unlikely fashion. The win alone was enough to drive coverage in the media for at least the next few weeks, but the Hawkeyes' higher number on the scoreboard wasn't the only defining piece of news to come out of the win.

Kaden Wetjen, Iowa's senior wide receiver and premier return man, made history with yet another score in the latter regard, picking up some national recognition in the process.

Two days following the duel, Wetjen was awarded the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week. The Hawkeye Football account on X made a post commemorating the receiver's latest in a line of numerous accomplishments:

Wetjen's history-making specifically was also called to attention in a popular post online after the game, with a clip of what was perhaps his most important score of the season attached:

Historic Hawkeye

Ben Stevens, of College Football Today, detailed a laundry list of Wetjen's impressive statistics on X. Having leveled impressive return touchdown stats, three from punts and one from a kick, Stevens noted that Wetjen is now the first player in Big Ten history to record those statistics in unison with one another in a single season.

"Historic Hawkeye," Stevens dutifully dubbed Wetjen at the end of the post.

On top of receiving Special Teams Player of the Week honors, Wetjen also secured a spot as a finalist for the 2025 Jet Award. Given to the most outstanding return specialist in the country on a yearly basis, Iowa's superstar at the position was a no-brainer for the list.

Hawkeyes Football posted about this recognition, too, essentially lending their social media presence to Wetjen's accomplishments in the wake of their most recent home win.

At 7-4 on the outside looking into both conference competition and the College Football Playoff, the Hawkeyes are nearing a bittersweet end to their 2025-26 season. All the same, standout specialists like Wetjen can help define a team for the better, even when their overall record isn't going completely as planned.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!

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Lane Mills
LANE MILLS

An aspiring writer covering Titans Football and Kentucky Athletics. Also a current student at Asbury University. Longtime sports fanatic and recent baby blue jersey aficionado

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