This time, Kaden Wetjen is the main attraction as Iowa football’s outstanding special teams performance continues to garner national attention. In an already incredible journey, the Hawkeyes’ All-American return specialist has formally accepted an invitation to the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl. In the prestigious postseason all-star showcase, which offers elite college football players an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities in front of NFL scouts, coaches, and executives from all 32 teams, Wetjen joins fellow Iowa teammate Max Llewellyn.
Wetjen views the invitation as validation rather than merely an honor. His journey to this point hasn’t been typical. Wetjen, a former walk-on who attended junior college before coming to Iowa City, has steadily established one of the most successful and noteworthy special teams careers in Hawkeye history. With one more collegiate game remaining, he will soon have the chance to showcase his skill set on one of the nation’s largest pre-draft stages.
With an 8-4 overall record and a 6-3 Big Ten record, Iowa is ranked No. 23 in the country going into the bowl season. When the Hawkeyes play No. 14 Vanderbilt (10–2, 6–2 SEC) in the ReliaQuest Bowl on December 31 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, Wetjen will make his final appearance in black and gold. Wetjen’s resume is already finished, win or lose. He has had a huge statistical impact. Wetjen has accumulated 1,489 kick return yards, 929 punt return yards, and six total return touchdowns during his time at Iowa. A portion of the story is revealed by those figures alone. The greater picture is how frequently he swung momentum and flipped field position—the kind of hidden-yardage contributions that NFL evaluators and coaches praise.
Wetjen further cemented his place in the program’s annals this season. As a result of his exceptional versatility and all-around athleticism, he became the first Hawkeye to score touchdowns on kickoff returns, punt returns, rushing, and receiving in a career. Particularly from the special teams unit, very few players in the nation can claim that kind of multifaceted scoring profile.
In Iowa folklore, one play in particular will endure. There was more to Wetjen’s 62-yard punt return touchdown against Michigan State. It was a historic event. Wetjen now holds the school record with six punt return touchdowns, surpassing Hawkeye legend Tim Dwight in the process. That’s no small accomplishment in a program that takes great pride in its special teams performance.
Additionally, a peculiar statistic highlights how much magic appears to occur at Kinnick Stadium when Michigan State is playing. Iowa has now scored on a punt return at home against the Spartans three times in a row thanks to Wetjen’s touchdown. He follows Charlie Jones (2020) and Cooper DeJean (2023) in that peculiarly particular, yet undeniably entertaining, trend. Wetjen will have another opportunity to demonstrate that his success is not restricted to a single system or role at the East-West Shrine Bowl. At least 70 players, including ten from the Big Ten, had accepted invitations to the game as of the morning of December 29. Overlooked prospects, standout special teams players, and late risers hoping to increase their NFL Draft stock have long used the event as a testing ground.
The Dallas Cowboys’ elite practice facility, Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, will host the 101st East-West Shrine Bowl on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 6 p.m. CT. It’s the ideal setting for players like Wetjen: intense competition, ongoing assessment, and lots of one-on-one chances to leave an impression. Wetjen’s invitation seems appropriate to Iowa supporters. His narrative reflects many of the program’s core values, including perseverance, toughness, growth, and output when it counts most. His ascent has been anything but typical, from walk-on beginnings to All-American recognition and now an NFL audition.
There is still one game in an Iowa uniform. Wetjen’s attention will then entirely turn to the upcoming chapter. However, his legacy in Iowa City is already assured, regardless of what transpires in Tampa or Texas later this winter.
