Iowa Prioritizing Underclassmen in Transfer Portal

The Iowa Hawkeyes have made a ton of moves in the transfer portal so far, and they have a clear plan of attack.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz has been working with his coordinators to find the best all-around players to fill every hole this team has to fill.

From defensive players to wide receivers to a kicker, there aren't many holes left to fill. That said, this team is far from done with their portal additions.

One of the main signs of them having a clear plan is the fact that Ferentz and company are going for the underclassman. While there are no guarantees they stay for their entire time, Iowa is bringing in a ton of players that have two to three years of eligibility remaining.

Iowa Building a Dynasty

Iowa Portal Commits w remaining yrs

WR Tony Diaz UTRGV 3yr
OL Trent Wilson James Madison 3yr
DL Lance Ingold Northern Illinois 3yr
DL Brice Stevenson Holy Cross 1yr
DL Kahmari Brown Elon 2yr
DB Anthony Hawkins Villanova 3yr
DB Tyler Brown James Madison 2yr
K Eli Ozick NDSU 2yr
— FullbackU (@u_fullback) January 10, 2026

Between just the players listed above, there are four with three years of eligiblity remaining. If Ferentz and company are able to keep half of them around for the full three years, that would be a huge success. It's not like players have much loyalty these days due to NIL and everything that's been going on, but something is different in Iowa.

Tony Diaz, Trent Wilson, Lance Ingold, and Anthony Hawkins could all be around for the next three years. Iowa has brought in numerous players for two years: Kahmari Brown, Tyler Brown, and Eli Ozick, along with Brice Stevenson who will be a one-and-done type player.

There's nothing wrong with being one-and-done, but when only relying on those guys it's hard to build a dynasty. Iowa has a clear plan of attack, and that centers around bringing in guys they can have learn the system and continue to develop for the long haul.

Iowa Continues Winning in the Portal

Iowa football has landed a commitment from UTRGV transfer Tony Diaz. The wide receiver hauled in 68 receptions for 875 yards and 11 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman last season: https://t.co/8eXcqp2ScV pic.twitter.com/3VcHXP8Smg
— Tyler Tachman (@Tyler_T15) January 9, 2026

One could argue losing Koen Entringer could've been the death of this team, but somehow it turned into a blessing in disguise. While they never wanted to, or anticipated on replacing him, Iowa now knows they can look towards other players to make an impact who won't be around for just one final season.

James Madison safety Tyler Brown is one of those players, and Ferentz will be looking to get the full two years out of a guy fresh off a College Football Playoff berth. There's nothing wrong with Iowa bringing in seniors, but their focus on players with multiple years of eligibility remaining is one that should pay off in the long run.

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