Iowa Linebacker Shows Out at NFL Combine

This Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker made quite a name for himself.

Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Iowa linebacker Karson Sharar (LB23) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Four-year Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Karson Sharar has made quite a name for himself at the NFL combine.

The Iowa native, who recorded 104 career tackles, just secured the second-highest vertical jump by a linebacker at 40''.

That's quite an impressive feat for the 6-foot-2, 235-pound LB who, like many, is hoping to hear his name called during the NFL draft in April.

The NFL combine gives athletes like Sharar a chance to show out. He was already able to increase his draft stock significantly after a stellar senior season, but now he's making a ton of noise with the draft seemingly right around the corner.

Karson Sharar's 40'' Vertical

Cleared for takeoff 😳@karson_sharar with the 2nd highest vertical jump by a linebacker at 40”!

📺 #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/SOEgpIp4gt

— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) February 27, 2026

Even though he didn't seem impressed with himself, Iowa football was all over his accomplishment. In the moment, it's hard to tell just how impressive the jump truly was, and it's not like Sharar had every other linebacker's vertical jump memorized.

Sharar took the wait and see approach with the Hawkeyes football program and it paid off big time. He had just one assisted tackle in his freshman season, but turned that into eight total tackles the next year. In 2024, he secured 12 total tackles, which was three more than he had in his first two years combined.

The 2025 season was an incredible one for Sharar as he racked up 82 total tackles. The linebacker was incredibly balanced with 42 solo tackles and 41 assists. Not only did he have those numbers, but he secured the first pass deflection of his career, forced a fumble and added four sacks.

Sharar's NFL Aspirations

Apr 26, 2025; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa linebacker Karson Sharar (43) talks with teammates during a spring NCAA football open practice at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Cress/For the Register | Joseph Cress/For the Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

247Sports' Sean Brock posted a terrific article looking at the nine Hawkeyes who were invited to the NFL combine. Sharar had a section from NFL.com included in the article, though it's not a reach to say he likely will go as an undrafted free agent.

"Sharar is a one-year starter whose production masks inconsistencies in the box," NFL.com wrote. "For having so few starts, he's rarely fooled by misdirection and scrambles to recover when it gets the best of him. He lacks size/strength to play effectively through contact and hasn't learned to slip blocks often enough. He's a willing chance taker, but subpar pursuit speed and tackle-finishing shrink his margin for error. Sharar's best chance of making a roster will be as a special-teams star, but he'll need to prove he's trustworthy as a functional backup."

Iowa already has a few special teams stars in the mix with kicker Drew Stevens and kick returner Kaden Wetjen. It's not like Sharar won't get any looks, but it was incredibly intriguing to see him make the combine over quarterback Mark Gronowski or defensive lineman Aaron Graves.

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