The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 125 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE When Kyle Whittingham and Kirk Fe- rentz open the Big Ten season Sept. 26 at Michigan Stadium, it'll be a battle of two of the most experienced coaches in the college game. The 66-year-old Whit- tingham has been a head coach since 2005 (except for a couple weeks last De- cember), while the 70-year-old Ferentz's run at Iowa began in 1999. Both coaches know how to engineer good football teams, even in today's era. Utah won 11 games in Whittingham's last season, while Iowa posted a 9-4 mark. Iowa's four losses came by a combined 15 points — 3 to Iowa State, 5 to Indiana, 2 to Oregon and 5 to USC. The Hawkeyes' signature victories were a 40-16 blow- out of rival Nebraska and 34-27 win over then-No. 14 Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Iowa finished 17th in the final edi- tion of both major national polls. There's a lot of excitement about the offense heading into the 2026 campaign. Perhaps even more than for the defense, even if that's hard to believe with how elite coordinator Phil Parker's units have been over the years, including winding up top 10 in both points ( 1 6. 1 ) a n d y a r d s (280.4) allowed per contest a year ago. T h e H a w k e y e s were efficient run- ning the football last s ea s o n , ave ra g i n g 176.9 yards per out- ing, and that looks like a strength again. The offensive line will reload after los- ing three NFL Draft picks, and junior left tackle Trevor Lauck — a 6-foot-5, 310-pounder out of In- dianapolis — looks like the best of the bunch. He opened all 13 games last sea- son, recording an elite 84.8 overall PFF grade. Iowa has some skill position players that are proven producers. Both leading rusher Kamari Moulton, a junior run- ning back, and receiver DJ Vonnahme, a sophomore tight end, are back in 2026. Moulton netted 878 yards and 5 scores on the ground, while Vonnahme broke out with 29 catches for 434 yards and 3 touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Reece Vander Zee is also set to take a jump in his development, following a 15-reception, 219-yard, 2-touchdown season. The big question is who starts at quar- terback, with junior Hank Brown and sophomore Jeremy Hecklinski in a battle that will go into fall camp. The 6-foot- 4, 215-pound Brown was higher on the d e p t h c h a r t b e - hind starter Mark G r o n o w s k i ( u n - drafted free agent, M i a m i D o l p h i n s ) l a s t yea r, a n d h e started two games at Auburn in 2024. He plays much more s i m i l a rly to Iowa quarterbacks of the past, while Heck- linski is more of a gunslinger with bet- ter mobility. Higher risk, but more up- side? This is a big decision for Ferentz and offensive coordinator Tim Lester. The defense is almost always near the top of the Big Ten under Parker, but there are legitimate concerns about the personnel, especially in the front seven. The defensive line lost six of its top eight players from the 2025 season and didn't bring in high-profile replacements. There are four transfer newcomers on the defensive line, but how well they'll step in is unknown. There's a lot to like about junior nickel back Zach Lutmer, who might be the best player on the entire team. He's the team's leading returner in tackles (71), intercep- tions (3) and sacks (1), collecting second- team All-Big Ten honors. Iowa isn't just losing its kicker, Drew Stevens, punter, Rhys Dakin, and almost all of its return men, but coordinator LeVar Woods departed to join the new staff at Michigan State after 18 years in Iowa City. Chris Polizzi was promoted from analyst to coordinator, but Woods is regarded as one of the best in the sport, a big reason why the third phase of the game has long been special for the Hawk- eyes. ❑ Iowa Has QB Battle, Questions On Defense And Changes On Special Teams Junior defensive back Zach Lutmer was named Iowa's most valuable defensive player in 2025. PHOTO COURTESY IOWA ATHLETICS 2026 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2025 Result Sept. 5 NORTHERN ILLINOIS — Sept. 12 IOWA STATE L, 16-13 Sept. 19 NORTHERN IOWA — Sept. 26 at Michigan — Oct. 3 OHIO STATE — Oct. 9 at Washington — Oct. 24 at Minnesota W, 41-3 Oct. 31 WISCONSIN W, 37-0 Nov. 7 at Northwestern — Nov. 14 PURDUE — Nov. 21 at Illinois — Nov. 27 NEBRASKA W, 40-16 REASONS FOR OPTIMISM • Run game • Solid receiving corps • DB Zach Lutmer is back Lutmer looks like the next great Iowa de- fensive back. It's nice to have a star on the back end, and the run game should provide for a solid floor on offense. REASONS FOR CONCERN • Stopping the run • New special teams • Not much returning production on de- fense Iowa's defense is rarely a concern, but the group has a lot to prove in 2026. GAME 4 • IOWA HAWKEYES • SEPT. 26 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Michigan leads 45-15-4 First Meeting: Iowa 28, U-M 5 (Nov. 10, 1900, in Detroit) Last Meeting: U-M 26, Iowa 0 (Dec. 2, 2023, in Indianapolis) Head Coach: Kirk Ferentz, 213-128 at Iowa (28th year), 225-149 overall (31st year) 2025 In Review: 9-4 overall, 6-3 Big Ten Final 2025 Ranking: No. 17 AP, No. 17 coaches Returning Starters: 7 (4 offense, 3 de- fense, 0 specialists) Last Bowl Appearance: 2025 (ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Vanderbilt, W 34-27) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: Hank Brown (107 yards, 1 TD) Rushing: Kamari Moulton (878 yards, 5 TD) Receiving: DJ Vonnahme (434 yards, 3 TD) Tackles: Zach Lutmer (71) Sacks: Zach Lutmer (1) Interceptions: Zach Lutmer (3)