Zach Lutmer's Versatility Creates Unique Opportunities for Iowa Football

Zach Lutmer can move all around Phil Parker's defense, which creates a chance for this unit to get creative.

Jul 28, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa student-athlete Zach Lutmer speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Get ready to hear a lot more about Zach Lutmer as the 2026 college football season draws closer and gets underway. He is set to be Iowa's next big thing in the secondary and has the skills to do it.

The Iowa Hawkeyes produce secondary talent with the best of them, and Lutmer's treasure trove of skills and versatility makes him even more enticing to watch this year.

Zach Lutmer can play multiple positions on defense

At Big Ten Media Days, which Zach Lutmer attended as a representative for Iowa, he was asked about Iowa's secondary depth and what to expect from him this year, given his ability to play cornerback or the hybrid CASH position.

Lutmer went into depth about Tyler Brown and Anthony Hawkins, two transfer portal safeties who have joined Iowa, and how quickly they are adapting, which frees him up to play all over.

"I've been doing a bit of both throughout the spring just to stay ready. If there are injuries and I have to go back out and play corner, I'll do that.

"I would say I am pretty comfortable at CASH. I'm actually really comfortable at safety since I played there predominantly during my first two to three years," Lutmer said about his confidence level on defense.

How Iowa can use Zach Lutmer's versatility

Iowa has the safeties; they have Deshaun Lee, and they are working on finding the other cornerback, but they have the depth there, as Lutmer stated.

Put all of that together, and Zach Lutmer gets to be a bit of a wild card on this defense who can play freely with his instincts, an intangible that has already flashed in making him so good.

Lutmer is a natural with the ball in his hands and is unafraid to go after the ball when it's in the air. If he can float around the defense playing CASH, while the front holds up, Phil Parker essentially gets a mix of a run-fitting safety and a ball-hawking cornerback all in one.

It allows Parker to take chances with blitzes and stunts up front, knowing a talent like Lutmer is on the back end to clean up the mess if things don't get home in time.

His versatility allows the Hawkeyes to disguise looks pre-snap and either drop Lutmer into coverage or send another rusher from somewhere unexpected that the offensive line hasn't accounted for.