Five breakout candidates for Iowa football in 2026

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The Iowa football team has its fair share of star players entering the 2026 season.

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Kade Pieper, Zach Lutmer, Trevor Lauck, and DJ Vonnahme all made a name for themselves last season. Now they all have NFL draft buzz after breakout campaigns. That could be a similar story for a lot of guys this fall as the Hawkeyes look to compete in a tough Big Ten Conference.

Kirk Ferentz and his coaching staff have done a great job recruiting and building this roster. They've assembled the high-end talent that will lead the way. But they've also put together a strong supporting cast filled with players who could become the next breakout stars. Here's a look at five Hawkeyes who could be breakout candidates next season.

WR Dayton Howard

Dayton Howard has had a few moments in his Iowa career, but 2026 could represent a true breakout for him. The 6-foot-5, fourth-year player has 12 career receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns. He's made some contested grabs and flashed the skills of a high-end wide receiver.

He's set to start this season alongside Reece Vander Zee and will be asked to make some plays for a young, inexperienced quarterback. He has the raw skill set to do just that. Now the key will be consistency. If he breaks out in 2026, Iowa's offense could take another step forward in its third year under Tim Lester.

OL Lucas Allgeyer

Iowa's offensive line won the Joe Moore Award last year. George Barnett's unit is looking to regroup and win it again this year. It'll be tough after losing three starters to the NFL, but Lucas Allgeyer could be a big piece of the puzzle. He's set to battle with James Madison transfer Trent Wilson for one of the guard positions. The second-year player from St. Louis is in a good spot to win the job.

Allgeyer appeared in a couple of games last season, mostly late in blowout wins. He's been impressive throughout the spring, according to reports, and the Hawkeyes were very high on him coming out of high school. Allgeyer is a relatively unknown player right now. That could easily change in 2026. It wouldn't be surprising to see his name on some all-conference teams in a few years.

DE Chima Chineke

The Hawkeyes lost four starters on the defensive line this offseason. Aaron Graves, Jonah Pace, Max Llewellyn, and Ethan Hurkett were multi-year starters who made crucial plays in Iowa City over their careers. Phil Parker is going to turn to some inexperienced players to replace that production this season. Chima Chineke could be one of those guys.

The 6-foot-4, third-year player hasn't seen much game action yet. He's going to compete with Iose Epenesa, Joseph Anderson and a few others for snaps. Don't rule out his ability to win some snaps and make big plays. Llewellyn talked about Chineke very fondly during his pre-draft interviews. Iowa may have its next defensive line stars on the roster already.

LB Cam Buffington

Cam Buffington is one of the most popular breakout picks this season for a reason. His ceiling is one of the highest of any player on the entire roster. The 6-foot-3, third-year linebacker made an impact in limited snaps last year, including an interception against Minnesota. He was also named to the 2026 player council, which shows how much his teammates believe in him already.

Iowa's linebackers were hit-and-miss last season. Buffington could provide stability at that position that fans got used to with Jay Higgins and Jack Campbell. He's set to be the starter from day one and will be one of the leaders of the defense. The sky is the limit for Buffington in Iowa City.

DB Rashad Godfrey Jr.

Iowa is known for churning out strong defensive backs in the Parker era. Rashad Godfrey Jr. could be the next guy to break out in that room. The Hawkeyes are replacing TJ Hall, who's now in the NFL. Deshaun Lee will start on one side, while Godfrey will battle to start on the other.

He had a really strong game against Nebraska last season when Hall was injured. The 6-foot-1 third-year corner made his hay on special teams and stepped up when his name was called on defense. Iowa's defensive backs are set to be the strongest part of their defense next season. A breakout from Godfrey would increase the odds of that being the case.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Five breakout candidates for Iowa football in 2026

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