The college football world has changed. True freshmen used to be practice dummies and hoped to sniff a travel squad.
Today’s game is different. True freshmen are better than ever before and are starting to force teams to play them from the jump of their careers.
The Iowa Hawkeyes don’t often play freshmen, but there are a handful of talents from the 2026 recruiting class who may force their way onto the field.
Boston Everitt, Punter
Would it be Iowa without mentioning a punter? A bit of a unique one here, as Everitt is a freshman but is also coming to Iowa from Australia.
Iowa has had a run of Australian punters, with the last two being the legendary Tory Taylor and Rhys Dakin, who has since departed via the transfer portal for Michigan State.
Everitt will enter camp in a battle against transfer Tanner Philpott for the starting punter duties.
Julian Manson, Linebacker
A local product of Iowa City West, Julian Manson does have a path to the field as a freshman. The four-star linebacker and top-ranked player in Iowa chose the Hawkeyes, which could prove fruitful.
Cam Buffington and Jayden Montgomery figure to man two of the spots, but Manson could be closer to the top of the depth chart when Iowa brings in a third linebacker for a more traditional look.
Landing him was a massive win for Iowa, and getting him experience early could be another one.
Darion Jones, Cornerback
You have Deshaun Lee and you have Zach Lutmer. Lee will be a starting cornerback, while Lutmer will move around at times. When he does, someone has to step into the other cornerback spot.
Darion Jones, a four-star and No. 2 prospect Iowa poached from Nebraska, could be the answer. At 6-foot-1, he has the size Phil Parker likes in cornerbacks.
Jones will have to surpass Jaylen Watson, Rashad Godfrey Jr., and others, but the talent is there for Darion Jones to slide into a dime or nickel look when Iowa goes heavy on defensive backs in passing situations.
Tradon Bessinger, Quarterback
Maybe “force” is the wrong word for Tradon Bessinger. Perhaps “eagerly ready” could be a better way to describe things. Not just for him, but Iowa fans as well.
Quarterback is a glaring question mark for Iowa this year, and with so much inexperience at the position, is it as far-fetched as in prior years that Kirk Ferentz could look to a true freshman to lead the offense while gaining experience for 2027?
In all likelihood, injuries, which are a bigger issue, are Bessinger’s path to the starting lineup this year, but if he slots into the backup position from the third-string, where he is likely to start this year, Iowa fans could quickly start calling his name.
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