Now that the 2025 regular season is well behind us, the focus is on bowl season and the College Football Playoff, where many college careers are coming to an end and the stakes are high.
The Hawkeyes’ season is far from over, even though Iowa was not one of the final 12 teams chosen for the CFP. Rather, they will travel south to Tampa, Florida, where they will play Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl. This postseason game has more significance for an experienced Iowa team. Notably, none of the more than twenty seniors and graduates who may be playing for the last time have chosen not to participate in the bowl game. That choice says a lot about the program’s culture and the relationships this group has developed over the years.
On the postseason showcase circuit, that senior class has already begun to garner national attention. Beau Stephens, Drew Stevens, and TJ Hall are three Hawkeyes who have previously accepted invitations to the Panini Senior Bowl, one of the top all-star competitions before the NFL Draft. Their choices demonstrated the breadth of NFL-caliber players on Iowa’s roster and established the program’s successful postseason performance.
Another Hawkeye joined the growing list of Iowa players receiving postseason recognition shortly after Stephens’ Senior Bowl announcement. On December 15, the event announced that senior defensive lineman Max Llewellyn had formally accepted an invitation to the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl. For a player who gradually established himself as a key member of one of the best defenses in the country, this is a well-earned opportunity.
Held every year since 1925, the East-West Shrine Bowl is one of the oldest all-star college football competitions. The game has a deeper purpose, supporting pediatric specialty care and helping Shriners Children’s, in addition to being a testing ground for NFL prospects. Before the draft process intensifies, players like Llewellyn have one last opportunity to showcase their abilities in front of NFL scouts, coaches, and executives.
Following his most successful and reliable season in an Iowa uniform, Llewellyn received an invitation. Since joining the program in 2021, he has been a rotational contributor. However, in 2025, he made significant progress by starting at defensive end full-time. He produced consistently throughout the season and started all 12 of the Hawkeyes’ games.
Llewellyn filled the box score in a number of ways, according to statistics. Thirteen solo stops and nine assisted tackles were among his 22 total tackles at the end of the regular season. His influence was particularly noticeable behind the line of scrimmage, where he regularly disrupted opposing offenses with nine tackles for loss and six sacks. Additionally, he demonstrated his adaptability and awareness by stopping five passes, which is a noteworthy accomplishment for a defensive lineman.
Only a portion of the story is revealed by those figures. Once again, Iowa’s defense was among the best in the country thanks in large part to Llewellyn’s presence on the edge. At just 158.2 passing yards per game, the Hawkeyes finished the regular season ranked seventh in the country. Additionally, they ranked eighth in both total defense (giving up 270.6 yards per game) and scoring defense (giving up just 14.7 points per game). Llewellyn contributed significantly to upholding the standard of defensive discipline and consistency during a year that was characterized by these qualities.
Llewellyn and his fellow seniors are juggling the feelings that accompany the conclusion of a protracted college career as Iowa gets ready for its bowl game against Vanderbilt. Many see the ReliaQuest Bowl as a final opportunity to compete with teammates who have grown to be family. For some, it serves as a last audition before they take the stage professionally. The East-West Shrine Bowl, where Llewellyn will compete against elite players from across the nation, is now part of his future. For a player who earned his chance through perseverance, growth, and steady play, it’s an appropriate next step. Max Llewellyn is at the center of Iowa’s senior class’s ongoing impact as bowl season progresses and draft preparations get underway.
