Iowa Hawkeyes Star Defender Receives Promising Outlook Before 2025 Season

As Iowa Hawkeyes' head coach Kirk Ferentz prepares the program for the 2025 college football season, one veteran defender is beginning to stick out as a potential difference maker at the next level.

The Athletic's Dane Brugler recently released his preseason rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft EDGE class, with Iowa's senior pass rusher Max Llewellyn being the No. 9-ranked senior ahead of the 2025 season.

Despite seeing limited playing time last season, the 6-foot-5, 258 lbs. defender had many glimpses of becoming a real threat for the Hawkeyes in 2025. Llewellyn finished his junior campaign with 35 tackles, 23 quarterback hurries and six sacks on just 290 total snaps. His impressive run landed him a pash rush grade of 90.2 and a defensive grade of 89.9, according to PFF.

Iowa pass rusher Max Llewellyn has the explosiveness to threaten the edge and a lethal spin to counter off that

6'5 258 lbs with 6 sacks and a 25.9 pass rush win rate in 2024 on only 203 pass rush snaps. Excited to see him an expanded role in 2025 pic.twitter.com/kRQo6F6p4p
— Steve Letizia (Formerly CFCBears) (@CFCBears) May 10, 2025

Llewellyn, a former four-star recruit in the 2021 class, drew comparisons to NFL EDGE rusher Sam Hubbard as a high school prospect. The in-state talent would quickly rise up the depth chart as a redshirt sophomore, finishing his 2023 season with 13 tackles and 2.5 sacks in his limited amount of playing time.

With Ferentz's defense suffering multiple losses to the NFL and graduation heading into this season, Llewellyn is now primed for a much larger role for Iowa heading into his senior season. He joins a core group of returning veterans on the defensive line in Ethan Hurkett and Aaron Graves as the key playmakers up front for the Hawkeyes this season.

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