Jayden Montgomery's Journey to Starting for Iowa Football Began Long Ago

It's no surprise the Iowa Hawkeyes do an incredible job of recruiting legacy talents. The Hawkeyes have a rare ability to keep family names within the program with great success.

Iowa's starting linebacker this year, Jayden Montgomery, is a perfect example of Iowa roots getting a hold of someone early on and not letting go. His journey to this moment began long ago.

Jayden Montgomery has Iowa in his DNA

Jayden Montgomery, who is entering his fifth season with Iowa, has long had the Hawkeyes rooted in his DNA. The product of Suamico, Wisconsin, was destined to be a Hawkeye, with his parents both being Iowa athletes.

Now that Montgomery is in line to start for Iowa this year, he detailed what that means to him.

"My dad played football there, and my mom played volleyball, so for me growing up, I have always been a huge Iowa fan. I remember going to games as a kid, throwing the football around as a kid, and we've got pictures in our basement of all of us with jerseys on.

"When they offered me, it was a no-brainer. I didn't need to hear from anywhere else. Iowa is home for me. It's where I wanted to be," Montgomery said about his Iowa background beginning at a young age.

✔️ Dad played football at Iowa
✔️ Mom played volleyball at Iowa@HawkeyeFootball's Jayden Montgomery was born to be a Hawkeye 🫶 pic.twitter.com/Pneb9ZM4sg
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) July 29, 2026

Iowa is counting on Jayden Montgomery in 2026

The expectations for Iowa starting linebackers are lofty. The recent names, which include Jack Campbell, Jay Higgins, and Karson Sharar, have set the bar high for Jayden Montgomery in 2026.

Montgomery saw extended action last season, tallying 44 total tackles, while appearing in all 13 games and earning seven starts. He is in line to be a big piece of Phil Parker's defense this year as a key starter in the front seven.

That is where Iowa needs Jayden Montgomery to step up and be that force. Iowa is replacing nearly all of its production from the 2025 front seven and has to find key contributors in 2026.

Jayden Montgomery, who does have the game experience from last year, also brings in a ton of experience learning the ins and outs of Phil Parker's scheme, which is equally as important, considering he will be alongside new faces at linebacker.

Iowa will be working through Montgomery's linebacker partners during fall camp, which figures to be a combination of Cam Buffington, Preston Ries, and Landyn Van Kekerix, all of whom will be seeing extended action for the first time in their careers.

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