Iowa Special Teams Coordinator Praises Underrated WR

Entering the 2025-26 CFB year, Iowa Hawkeyes' redshirt freshman and wide receiver KJ parker was poised to be a breakout star.

According to special teams coordinator LeVar Woods, he's lived up to the hype. In 2025, Parker played in all seven games caught recorded his first career touchdown in 47-7 win over UMass. So far this year, he's also received for 18 total yards and tallied another touchdown.

In the midst of their bye week, all of Iowa's offensive coordinators met with the media to discuss the state of their program.

Iowa Special Teams Coordinator LeVar Woods Urges CFB World to Not Underestimate KJ Parker

Parker came up, with only positive things ringing out about the Illinois native.

Iowa football’s special teams coordinator LeVar Woods speaks to the media Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Woods said both himself and Parker have worked hard to continue his development.

"We saw some of his athleticism and play making last year as a freshman on the scout team," Woods said. "That sounds good when someone is showing you a card and here, run this line, do this, do that, that's easy to do. It's easy to see those things. But then when a kid has to put in — he gets put in the game, he has to make his own decisions, see his own reads, it's a much different deal."

"KJ has been a work in progress over fall camp and into this season and he's done a really good job. He'll be the first to tell you I gave him a tongue lashing like nobody's business last week in practice, but he took it and he made the corrections and he improved and he goes out in the game and does it and does it well and makes two huge plays, almost blocks a punt, guy shanks it off 13 yards, sets up a score for us, and then the other one was a huge block for Kaden's touchdown."

Being penned as an up-and-coming wide receiver for a Big Ten football team is no easy accomplishment. It had also been said that Parker has been one of the most impressive wide receivers in the room because of his playmaking ability, shiftiness, and ability to create separation at the line of scrimmage with his quickness.

Parker's 18 total yards have been recorded across two receptions against Mass. which also resulted in a touchdown, and one six-yard reception most recently against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

"You can coach kids and you can try to put them in the best position, you can teach them and show them, but at some point they've got to go out and make the play, and I think KJ did that," Woods said. "He took the coaching and he's improved. He's a great kid, great energy. The sky's the limit for this kid not only on special teams but also on offense, and if he ever wanted to play defense, I think he could do that, too. Special teams is sort of a mix of that for him. But he has a bright future."

Overall, Parker is pretty slippery as a wide receiver and is seeing plenty of potential being invested in him as the Hawkeyes' continue their season.

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