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2025 BIG TEN RODGERS-DWIGHT RETURN SPECIALIST OF THE YEAR: Kaden Wetjen, Iowa,...Wetjen, who is a Jet Award finalist, leads the nation with 965 combined kick return yards (by 260 yards), while also ranking first in punt return yards (28.3). The native of Williamsburg, Iowa, native was a three-time Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week in 2025. He is the only Big Ten player to record at least three punt returns and one kickoff return for a score in the same season. Wetjen returned a 100-yard kickoff for a touchdown at Rutgers, and had punt return scores of 95 yards (UMass), 62 yards (Michigan State) and 50 yards (Minnesota) this season. His 28.3 punt return average is currently tops in Big Ten history and the three punt return scores are tied for third-most in a single season in league annals. - Iowa Football

(DS#23 WR) rSr/2026

WR Kaden Wetjen, Iowa
News Source: Iowa Football
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11/28/25 - Mark Gronowski, rSr/2026, Iowa, 6-2, 233 (DS#11 QB) + More +

Mark Gronowski rushed for two touchdowns and passed for a third, Kamari Moulton ran for 93 yards and two scores, and Iowa spoiled Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson's career game with a 40-16 victory Friday. The Hawkeyes (8-4, 6-3 Big Ten) broke open what was a one-point game late in the second quarter with three touchdowns and a safety and they shut out the Cornhuskers in the second half. They took home the Heroes Trophy after their 10th win in 11 meetings with their border rival. Johnson had 177 of his career-high 217 yards for Nebraska (7-5, 4-5) in the first half, and he matched his career high with 29 carries. It was Johnson's eighth 100-yard game of the season and fifth straight. He broke a career-long 70-yard run on the Huskers' first possession. Johnson, who averaged 9.3 yards per carry in the first half, was limited to 40 yards on 10 carries in the second.

The temperature was 26 degrees at kickoff, and intermittent light snow fell in the first half. Iowa started taking control when Gronowski scored from the 1 in the final minute of the half. The Hawkeyes recorded a safety early in the third quarter when Jacory Barney muffed a punt and the Huskers' Jamir Conn recovered it in the end zone. TD runs of 6 yards by Gronowski and 1 yard by Moulton made it a 34-point game and sent many of the fans home early in the fourth quarter. Gronowski was 9 of 16 for 166 yards and he carried 13 times for 64. Nebraska freshman TJ Lateef, making his third start in place of the injured Dylan Raiola and first at Memorial Stadium, played most of the game with a tight hamstring and was just 9 of 24 for 69 yards. - Iowa/AP College Football

(DS#11 QB) rSr/2026

QB Mark Gronowski, Iowa
News Source: Iowa/AP College Football
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11/26/25 - Tony Diaz, rFr/2029, Iowa, 5-11, 176 (DS#49 WR) + More +

2025 SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR (COACHES): Tony Diaz, UTRGV,...Freshman Tony Diaz became one of the top young receivers in the nation, recording 875 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Both marks ranked among the top FCS freshmen nationally, and his 11 receiving scores placed him fourth in the entire country. Diaz's explosiveness, polished routes, and strong hands made him a matchup problem from day one. He quickly emerged as the top target in one of the most prolific passing attacks in the country and delivered one of the most productive freshman seasons in the Southland. - Southland Football

(DS#49 WR) rFr/2029

WR Tony Diaz, Iowa
News Source: Southland Football
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11/25/25 - Tony Diaz, rFr/2029, Iowa, 5-11, 176 (DS#49 WR) + More +

WEEK 12 SOUTHLAND OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Tony Diaz, UTRGV - WR - R-Fr. - San Marcos, Texas (San Marcos HS),...Diaz hauled in his first-career multi-TD game with a career-high three touchdown catches against McNeese. For Diaz, it is his fourth 100+ yard receiving game with 134 yards on seven receptions, an average of over 19 yards per reception. His first score gave UTRGV the lead for good at 14-10 and he added a 75-yard TD pass on second play of 4th quarter to extend the lead. He added one more to put the game on ice late in the fourth. - Southland Football

(DS#49 WR) rFr/2029

WR Tony Diaz, Iowa
News Source: Southland Football
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11/24/25 - Kahmari Brown, So/2028, Iowa, 6-2, 220 (DS#25 OLB) + More +

WEEK 13 CAA FOOTBALL CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Kahmari Brown, So., DE, Elon (Jacksonville, N.C./White Oak),...Brown recorded eight tackles, 3.0 TFL's, 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in Elon's win over North Carolina A&T. The sophomore set an Elon season record with 12.0 sacks, which leads the CAA and ranks fourth in FCS, and he also set the Phoenix career sacks mark with 16.5 in just 23 career games. - CAA Football

(DS#25 OLB) So/2028

OLB Kahmari Brown, Iowa
News Source: CAA Football
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11/24/25 - Kaden Wetjen, rSr/2026, Iowa, 5-09, 195 (DS#23 WR) + More +

WEEK 13 BIG TEN SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Kaden Wetjen, Iowa, KR/WR - Gr. - Williamsburg, Iowa - Williamsburg,...Recorded a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown in Iowa's 20-17 win against Michigan State, his third punt return touchdown this season...His three punt return touchdowns are tied for the third-most in Big Ten history and it is his sixth career return touchdown, the most in Iowa history...Finished the game with 165 combined return yards, his sixth career game with 100+ yards, including a 40-yard return to set up Iowa's game-tying touchdown...Wetjen is the first player in Big Ten history with three punt return touchdowns and a kick return touchdown in a single season...Last Iowa Special Teams Player of the Week honoree: Kaden Wetjen (Sept. 15, 2025). - Big Ten Football

(DS#23 WR) rSr/2026

WR Kaden Wetjen, Iowa
News Source: Big Ten Football
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11/22/25 - Drew Stevens, Sr/2026, Iowa, 6-1, 211 (DS#1 K) + More +

Drew Stevens kicked a 44-yard field goal as time expired to give Iowa a 20-17 win over Michigan State on Saturday. The kick capped a 13-point fourth-quarter comeback for the Hawkeyes (7-4, 5-3 Big Ten), who snapped a two-game losing streak. The win brought some emotions from Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz after the game. Stevens, a senior playing his final home game, said after the game he had been thinking about his senior day in high school. Stevens had missed a 53-yard field goal at the end of the first half, but Ferentz knew what he had in his kicker at the end of the game.

Iowa trailed 17-7 after Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic threw two third-quarter touchdown passes to Chrishon McCray. But the Hawkeyes held the Spartans (3-8, 0-8) to just 26 yards on four possessions in the fourth quarter, sending Michigan State to its eighth consecutive loss and extending the Spartans' Big Ten losing streak to nine games. The Hawkeyes got to within 17-10 on Stevens' 26-yard field goal with 11:27 left in the fourth quarter, then tied the game when Gronowski threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Gill with 1:29 to play. That drive was set up by a 40-yard punt return by Kaden Wetjen, who had returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter for Iowa's first score and becoming the program's all-time leader in returns for touchdowns. Iowa got the ball back on its own 21-yard line and drove 53 yards in five plays, setting up Stevens for his game winner. - AP College Football

(DS#1 K) Sr/2026

K Drew Stevens, Iowa
News Source: AP College Football
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11/08/25 - L.J. Phillips Jr., rSo/2028, Iowa, 5-09, 225 (DS#35 RB) + More +

L.J. Phillips Jr. had a long touchdown run to cap the scoring early in the third quarter and South Dakota held South Dakota State scoreless in the second half to finish off a 24-17 upset victory between ranked FCS teams on Saturday. Phillips piled up 168 yards on 27 carries for South Dakota (7-4, 5-2 Missouri Valley Football Conference), ranked No. 25 in the latest FCS coaches poll while the Jackrabbits entered at No. 9. Phillips had the only score in the second half on a 32-yard run 3:36 into the third quarter.

South Dakota State (7-3, 3-3) jumped on top on the first play from scrimmage - a 75-yard touchdown run by Jack Smith for a 7-0 lead. Phillips tied it on a 10-yard touchdown run before Eli Stader kicked a 40-yard field goal to put South Dakota State up 10-7 after one quarter. Will Leyland tied it on a 34-yard field goal with 4:14 left in the second quarter and Aidan Bouman passed 19 yards to Larenzo Fenner for a touchdown and the Coyotes led 17-10 lead with 63 seconds left. That was enough time for Jack Henry to throw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Alex Bullock seven plays later to knot the score at halftime. Bouman completed 14 of 21 passes for 158 yards for South Dakota. Henry totaled 139 yards on 13-for-24 passing with an interception for South Dakota State. Smith led the Jackrabbits with 82 yards on three carries. - AP College Football

(DS#35 RB) rSo/2028

RB L.J. Phillips Jr., Iowa
News Source: AP College Football
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11/01/25 - L.J. Phillips Jr., rSo/2028, Iowa, 5-09, 225 (DS#35 RB) + More +

L.J. Phillips Jr. rushed for 106 yards and added a touchdown, and Dejuan Lewis returned a fumble for a touchdown to lead South Dakota to a 26-21 victory over North Dakota on Saturday. South Dakota (6-4, 4-2 Missouri Valley Football Conference) forced a safety to open the scoring and Phillips added a rushing touchdown early in the second quarter. The Coyotes then turned two Fighting Hawks turnovers into touchdowns.

Jerry Kaminski threw two interceptions in the first half. His second set up a 43-yard touchdown pass from Aidan Bouman to Larenzo Fenner with 45 seconds left for a 16-7 halftime lead. The Coyotes added a field goal, then turned a Sawyer Seidl fumble into a touchdown. Chris Dixon forced the fumble at South Dakota's 21-yard line, then Lewis scooped it and returned it 80 yards to make it 17 unanswered points. Kaminski was 16-of-30 passing for 177 yards with a rushing score. Seidl rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns, making it his fourth consecutive game with more than 100 yards rushing. It's the first MVFC loss of the season for the FCS coaches poll No. 10 Fighting Hawks (6-3, 4-1), after early season losses to Kansas State and Montana. - AP College Football

(DS#35 RB) rSo/2028

RB L.J. Phillips Jr., Iowa
News Source: AP College Football
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10/25/25 - Mark Gronowski, rSr/2026, Iowa, 6-2, 233 (DS#11 QB) + More +

Mark Gronowski ran for a touchdown and threw for another as Iowa defeated Minnesota 41-3 on Saturday. It was the third consecutive win for the Hawkeyes (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten), who became bowl eligible. Iowa had rushing, passing, defensive and special teams touchdowns in the first half, building a 31-0 halftime lead. "We really wanted to get after them," Gronowski said. "That's just great complementary football." Said Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz: "All three phases really did a great job, especially in that first half, playing off each other and doing a great job," Gronowski had a 2-yard touchdown run on the opening possession of the game; his 11th of the season. Drew Stevens had a 34-yard field goal to increase Iowa's lead to 10-0, then Zach Lutmer returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown to give the Hawkeyes a 17-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Gronowski, who threw for 135 yards, threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Reece Vander Zee early in the second quarter, then Kaden Wetjen scored on a 50-yard punt return two minutes later. "We were getting the ball to our playmakers," Gronowski said. "I really liked the rhythm we had in the first half." "Defense, offense, special teams - everybody was moving today," Wetjen said. It was the first time since the 2019 Holiday Bowl - a 49-24 win over USC - that Iowa had touchdowns in all three phases of the game. "The same outcome is pretty good," a smiling Ferentz said. Stevens' 46-yard field goal in the third quarter gave Iowa a 34-0 lead. Iowa backup quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski had a 6-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to close the scoring. Minnesota (5-3, 3-2), which came in having won three of its last four games, had just 133 yards against the Hawkeyes, who rank eighth nationally in total defense. The Gophers' only points came on a 34-yard field goal from Brady Denaburg in the third quarter. Minnesota redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey threw three interceptions. Those turnovers, along with the punt return by Wetjen, bothered Gophers coach PJ Fleck. - Iowa/AP College Football

(DS#11 QB) rSr/2026

QB Mark Gronowski, Iowa
News Source: Iowa/AP College Football
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10/21/25 - Kahmari Brown, So/2028, Iowa, 6-2, 220 (DS#25 OLB) + More +

WEEK 8 CAA FOOTBALL CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Kahmari Brown, So., DE, Elon (Jacksonvillle, N.C./White Oak),...Brown set career highs with 13 tackles, 3.5 TFL's and 3.0 sacks in Elon's 26-21 setback at William & Mary. The defensive end made two sacks on a big fourth-quarter stop as they held W&M to 319 yards on the day. Brown has a team-high 6.0 sacks and 9.5 TFL's for the season. - CAA Football

(DS#25 OLB) So/2028

OLB Kahmari Brown, Iowa
News Source: CAA Football
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10/21/25 - Xavier Nwankpa, Sr/2026, Iowa, 6-2, 212 (DS#11 SS) + More +

WEEK 8 BIG TEN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Xavier Nwankpa, Iowa, DB – Sr. – Pleasant Hill, Iowa – Southeast Polk,...Recorded 10 tackles (seven solo) with an interception and a forced fumble to help the Hawkeyes defeat Penn State...Had an interception in the second quarter and returned it 28 yards to the 1, marking his first pick since the 2023 season and the third of his career...With 1:20 on the game clock, Nwankpa came on a delayed blitz, flushing the quarterback from the pocket toward other Hawkeye defenders, forcing an incomplete pass to secure the victory...Last Iowa Defensive Player of the Week honoree: Aaron Graves (Oct. 14, 2024). - Big Ten Football

(DS#11 SS) Sr/2026

SS Xavier Nwankpa, Iowa
News Source: Big Ten Football
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10/19/25 - Mark Gronowski, rSr/2026, Iowa, 6-2, 233 (DS#11 QB) + More +

Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski rushed for a career-high 130 yards and two touchdowns, and Kaden Wetjen scored the go-ahead touchdown on an 8-yard run with 3:54 to play, as the Hawkeyes defeated Penn State 25-24 on Saturday night. The Hawkeyes (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) trailed 24-19 with 4:56 to play after Penn State's Ryan Barker kicked a 32-yard field goal, but Gronowski ran 67 yards on the first play after the ensuing kickoff, setting up Wetjen's run one play later. Gronowski missed on the two-point conversion pass, giving the Nittany Lions a chance to take the lead. Iowa's defense then stopped Penn State near midfield, blitzing Ethan Grunkemeyer on fourth down at the Penn State 49 and forcing an incomplete pass.

Gronowski then clinched the win with a 14-yard run on third down that allowed the Hawkeyes to run out the clock. Gronowski had a 1-yard touchdown run late in the first half, then added a 4-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that got the Hawkeyes to within 21-16. It was the fourth consecutive loss for the Nittany Lions (3-4, 0-4), playing their first game for interim coach Terry Smith six days after the firing of James Franklin. Kaytron Allen rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns for Penn State. The Nittany Lions led 14-10 at halftime after Iowa kicker Drew Stevens had his 66-yard field-goal attempt with six seconds left blocked by Xavier Gilliam. Elliot Washington II picked up the loose ball and ran 35 yards for the touchdown. - Iowa/AP College Football

(DS#11 QB) rSr/2026

QB Mark Gronowski, Iowa
News Source: Iowa/AP College Football
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10/11/25 - Mark Gronowski, rSr/2026, Iowa, 6-2, 233 (DS#11 QB) + More +

Xavier Williams rushed for two touchdowns and Mark Gronowski ran for another to help Iowa clobber Wisconsin 37-0 on Saturday night. Kamari Moulton added 96 yards rushing on 15 carries and a touchdown for the Hawkeyes (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten), who retained possession of the Heartland Trophy and have won four straight against Wisconsin (2-4, 0-3). The Hawkeyes rushed for a season-high 210 yards on 36 carries. Iowa recorded 17 first-half points off three Badgers turnovers as Wisconsin dropped to 15-17 in Luke Fickell's coaching tenure. Williams had a 29-yard touchdown run to push Iowa's lead to 30-0 with 10:30 left in the third quarter. He added a 19-yard run in the fourth and finished with 55 yards rushing on seven carries.

Gronowski, who transferred from South Dakota State after winning two FCS national championships, was a game-time decision. He injured his knee on a fourth-quarter run in Iowa's 20-15 loss to then-No. 11 Indiana on Sept. 25. He was 17-of-24 passing for 107 yards with one interception and had a 1-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter. Drew Stevens kicked field goals of 49, 32 and 25 yards for the Hawkeyes. Hunter Simmons, in his second start at quarterback for Wisconsin, went 8 of 21 for 82 yards passing with two interceptions and a fumble. Wisconsin leads the series 49-48-2. - Iowa/AP College Football

(DS#11 QB) rSr/2026

QB Mark Gronowski, Iowa
News Source: Iowa/AP College Football
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10/11/25 - L.J. Phillips Jr., rSo/2028, Iowa, 5-09, 225 (DS#35 RB) + More +

L.J. Phillips Jr. ran for 187 yards, Will Leyland kicked four field goals, and South Dakota defeated Indiana State 19-14 on Saturday. Phillips, the FCS leader in rushing yards, is closing in on 1,000 yards for the season. He has 986 yards on the ground, 913 coming in the last five games. Phillips carried 23 times for 123 yards in the first half and his 1-yard touchdown run helped lead the Coyotes to a 13-7 lead at the break.

Leyland made one field goal in each quarter, the longest coming from 42 yards for a 19-7 lead in the fourth quarter. Brock Riddle's short touchdown pass to Nick Osho with 4 1/2 minutes remaining made it 19-14 but the Sycamores turned the ball over on downs near midfield on their only remaining possession. Aidan Bouman completed 16 of 25 passes for 186 yards and the Coyotes (4-3, 2-1 Missouri Valley Football Conference) had 376 yards of total offense. Riddle had 125 yards passing and Indiana State (2-4, 0-2) was held to 210 total yards. - AP College Football

(DS#35 RB) rSo/2028

RB L.J. Phillips Jr., Iowa
News Source: AP College Football
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