Inside The Hawkeyes

Second Iowa OL Accepts Panini Senior Bowl Invite

Not one, but two Iowa Hawkeyes offensive lineman are heading to the Panini Senior Bowl.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Oct 11, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Xavier Williams (26) celebrates a touchdown with teammate offensive lineman Gennings Dunker (67) during the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ross Harried-Imagn Images
Oct 11, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Xavier Williams (26) celebrates a touchdown with teammate offensive lineman Gennings Dunker (67) during the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ross Harried-Imagn Images | Ross Harried-Imagn Images

In this story:

Iowa Hawkeyes

Gennings Dunker not only becomes the second offensive lineman representing the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Panini Senior Bowl, but he's the fifth overall player.

Dunker joins fellow offensive lineman Beau Stephens along with defensive end Max Llewellyn, cornerback TJ Hall, and kicker Drew Stevens.

Taking place on January 31, Dunker will be one of the five Hawkeyes who have accepted an invite so far. His invitation came far later than the other four, but that doesn't mean he's any less important.

The NFL Network will broadcast this game at 2:30 p.m. EST live from Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. It's the perfect chance for Dunker to take the field with some of his teammates one final time as they all look to take their career to the next level.

Gennings Dunker In The Panini Senior Bowl

Offensive lineman are football players too, and Iowa proved that as they took home the Joe Moore Award this season. Having the best offensive line in the nation doesn't come easy, but a guy like Dunker sure made the team not have to think twice about protecting their quarterback.

Alongside the likes of Rimington Trophy winner Logan Jones and Beau Stephens, Dunker has flown a bit under the radar. That said, he still was named First-team All Big-Ten this season, coming off a Second-team performance last year.

Dunker, 22, stands 6'5'' 316-pounds. In a world where the Hawkeyes rely on their run-game as much as they do, Dunker proved to be one of the most stable and reliable players on this entire team. Sometimes he doesn't get the credit he deserves, but capping off his career in the newly rebranded Panini Senior Bowl sure is the cherry on top of his stellar senior season.

Iowa's Senior Bowl Representation

With five players in the Panini Senior Bowl, that's just scratching the surface of what Iowa has on the horizon. Coming off their fantastic ReliaQuest Bowl performance vs. No. 14 Vanderbilt, Iowa has continued to make sure everyone ends their season on a high note.

Other than the four players joining Dunker in this game, Iowa has a slew of other players set for the American Bowl, Hula Bowl, and East-West Shrine Bowl. Hawkeyes fans have quite a few more opportunities to see some of their favorite players in action before they officially graduate and potentially pursue the NFL draft. After watching what he did these last two years in particular, any NFL team would be lucky to add Dunker.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!

Published
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.

Home/Football