Iowa Hawkeyes, Kirk Ferentz Suffer Disappointing Transfer Portal News on Friday

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz had made it clear that he doesn't like utilizing the transfer portal, but that won't stop his own players from taking advantage of it.

Iowa has lost yet another player to the portal this month, as it has lost lineman Joey VanWetzinga—an early enrollee for 2025—has decided to enter it.

VanWetzinga made the announcement on social media.

Thank you Iowa, pic.twitter.com/zF670fX2iq
— Joey VanWetzinga (@JVanwetzinga) April 10, 2025

The Hawkeyes were hoping that VanWetzinga—a three-star prospect who played defensive line in high school—would actually play center for them.

VanWetzinga's older brother, Rusty, also transferred out of Iowa following the 2024 campaign and took his talents to Central Michigan. Joey specifically cited his brother's departure as a reason why he has decided to look elsewhere.

The Hawkeyes landed just two offensive line commits in the class of 2025, with VanWetzinga being one of them. Now, with the Bettendorf, Ia. native transferring, that leaves Lucas Allgeyer as Iowa's only 2025 scholarship offensive lineman.

In the case of Ferentz, fans have become understandably frustrated due to his refusal to dig too deep into the transfer portal. Yes, he did land quarterback Mark Gronowski this offseason, but he has kept himself from aggressively pursuing other prospects that could have significantly helped Iowa.

The Hawkeyes had a pretty disappointing 2024 season, going 8-5 and losing to the Missouri Tigers in the Music City Bowl.

There is some reason to be excited for Iowa in 2025, as Gronowski is definitely a terrific addition and the offense should be more fun to watch as a result. However, the more stubborn Ferentz remains when it comes to the portal, the more the Hawkeyes will continue to fall behind the other national powers.

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