Inside The Hawkeyes

Ranking Iowa's Top Transfer Portal Acquisitions

A closer look at the Iowa Hawkeyes' most impactful portal additions before the transfer window closes.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz watches a replay during a game against the Michigan State Spartans Nov. 22, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz watches a replay during a game against the Michigan State Spartans Nov. 22, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

The Iowa Hawkeyes have one final chance to bring in players via the transfer portal.

January 16 marks the final day players can decide which team they will be playing for in the 2026 season. After another wild transfer portal window, head coach Kirk Ferentz knows his team has done a stellar job bringing in the best possible talent.

Losing team captain Koen Entringer stung quite a bit, but Iowa brought in someone that fill that void in no time. While replacing him is much easier said than done, one of the players on this list is absolutely Entringer's replacement.

Iowa made sure to bulk up with talent on both sides of the ball, something that was needed after learning just how shallow they were going to be at a few positions.

No. 5: EDGE Lance Ingold

When Ingold committed to Iowa on January 8th, it marked the fourth Huskies player to join a team in the Power Four. Clearly, they have the talent and it's just a matter of getting them to their full potential.

Ingold could be a Max Llewellyn style replacement as he stands 6'5'' 258-pounds and is a Midwest guy at heart. The Illinois native picked up 17 total tackles with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble as a redshirt freshman.

No. 4: RB L.J. Phillips Jr.

Iowa lost a pair of running backs to the portal, so it made sense to bring someone in as Kamari Moulton's backup. Moulton is a stellar player by himself, but this Iowa offense thrives with more than one running back.

Phillips was PFF's highest graded FCS RB last season (92.8) as he posted career numbers before entering the portal. The All-American was 80 yards shy of 2,000 last year as he finished with 19 touchdowns. Clearly, this is a guy worth keeping an eye on.

No. 3: OL Trent Wilson

This choice was either going to Wilson or a wide receiver, but it's hard not to get excited about this acquisition. Wilson is coming off a CFP campaign with James Madison and still has three years of eligibility.

Iowa prides themselves no their offensive line, and the 6'4'' 299-pound Texas native has a chance to etch his name in history with some of the best to ever play in the trenches for the Hawkeyes.

No. 2: DB Xavier Styles

The final two players on this list both have a chance to make an immediate impact on defense. First, it's the Robert Morris transfer.

Styles is another Midwestern guy as he heads to Iowa coming off a stellar season. That can be said about basically everyone on this list, but Styles had an 89.1 PFF coverage grade which was 11th among qualified safeties. He finished with 36 total tackles, a pair of forced fumbles, and an interception.

No. 1: S Tyler Brown

No offense to Entringer, but there's a real chance Brown ends up being better than him. This kid had offers on the table from the likes of LSU and Florida State, but he ended up choosing the Hawkeyes.

Brown has the chance to stick around for a few years as he played at James Madison for two years. His progression from year one to year two was eye-opening, to say the least. Coming off a year with 80 total tackles, a sack, and an interception, Brown is clearly going to be a top player on Phil Parker's defense.

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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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