Inside The Hawkeyes

Iowa Receives Positive News Ahead of ReliaQuest Bowl

Despite not being listed on the original depth chart, this Iowa Hawkeyes cornerback was spotted at practice.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Sep 6, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back TJ Hall (2) breaks up a pass intended for Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver Brett Eskildsen (9) during the first quarter at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
Sep 6, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back TJ Hall (2) breaks up a pass intended for Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver Brett Eskildsen (9) during the first quarter at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

Being spotted at practice is one thing, but wearing a uniform and practicing is another. Thankfully for the Iowa Hawkeyes, cornerback TJ Hall is set to practice on December 27.

The Hawkeyes arrived in Florida shortly after Christmas as they're just a few days away from the ReliaQuest Bowl. On New Years Eve, Iowa will have a chance for their first Top 25 win of the season as they take on Vanderbilt.

With Hall back in the equation, things get extremely interesting. The Commodores already lost their All-American tight end as he decided to opt-out, but Iowa could now have their entire team in-tact.

Hall's situation will be closely monitored these next few days, but seeing him get ready to practice is a great sign for the Hawkeyes and their secondary.

Iowa Would Love To Have TJ Hall Back

There are still no guarantees Hall will be good to go on December 31, but all signs are pointing towards him being available. After being left off the original depth chart, fans were worried, and rightfully so, that Hall was set to miss another game.

He hasn't played since the team's trip to Los Angeles against USC on November 15. Come New Years Eve, it'll be over a month and a half since he last took the field. After going down against the No. 17 Trojans, Hall was forced to miss the team's games against Michigan State and Nebraska.

The team would've loved to have Hall in those games, but they took care of business regardless. Against Vanderbilt, it won't be that easy. Hall's presence is much-needed against Heisman finalist QB Diego Pavia and his dual-threat abilities.

Hall Will Try To Shut Down Pavia

If Hall is indeed good to go, it'll be interesting to see if he's on any sort of snap count. The senior doesn't want to ruin his chances of continuing to play football at the next level, but he'll want to make up for lost time and be as dominant as possible.

Making Pavia look like a bad quarterback is much easier said than done. Hall will need to be on his A-Game, and that's questionable as he's been out for quite some time.

No one can take away what Hall did this season, and he'll do anything to end his year on a high note. He already has more total tackles than he had in his first three seasons combined, so just returning to the field at Raymond James Stadium will be the cherry on top of his stellar senior campaign.

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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