Monitoring Iowa Football’s 2026 Transfer Portal Movement: Who’s In and Who’s Out Iowa football’s 2025 season is hardly over, but preparations for 2026 are already well under way. After defeating No. 14 Vanderbilt 34–27 in the ReliaQuest Bowl, the No. 23 Hawkeyes have formally entered roster management mode. In addition to capping an outstanding year in Tampa, that bowl win signaled the beginning of Iowa’s most crucial offseason phase: navigating the NCAA transfer portal.
With over 25 seniors and graduate players leaving the program, Iowa has a crucial few weeks ahead of it that will determine the makeup of the team for the upcoming campaign. The Hawkeyes’ current situation as the 2026 transfer portal window develops is detailed below.
Transfer Portal Timeline Explained
Officially launched on January 2 at 12:01 a.m., the NCAA transfer portal will be accessible until January 16. Teams no longer have to deal with separate winter and spring periods because this offseason has only one portal window, unlike previous years. But there is one significant exception. Players are given an extra five days to access the portal if their teams play in postseason games after January 12. In the days ahead, Iowa or its rivals may still be affected by that caveat.
Iowa Football Transfer Portal Targets
A number of names have already surfaced as possible additions as Iowa’s coaching staff assesses roster needs. As visits and choices are made, these goals will be updated.
Current targets include:
DB Anthony Hawkins (Villanova)
DB Parker Knutson (Southwest Minnesota State)
EDGE Kahmari Brown (Elon)
WR Tony Diaz (University of Texas–Rio Grande Valley)
The list highlights Iowa’s focus on strengthening defense depth and experience while simultaneously filling a critical gap at wide receiver.
Hawkeyes Entering the Transfer Portal
Iowa has seen comparatively little outbound movement early in the January window, despite the portal’s ability to quickly reshape a roster.
Players currently in the portal:
QB Jackson Stratton
RB Terrell Washington Jr.
P Rhys Dakin
DB Kael Kolarik
Dakin, Iowa’s starting punter, is the most notable departure; his departure creates a big void on special teams. Other than that, the Hawkeyes have mostly avoided losing important players, which is encouraging at this early stage.
Transfer Portal Commitments
Iowa has not yet received any commitments from transfer portals. That’s not out of the ordinary at this point, particularly since evaluations and visits are still being planned. As the window expands, this section will continue to be flexible and is anticipated to change rapidly.
Where Iowa Needs Help Most
Despite limited portal losses so far, Iowa still faces several key roster challenges heading into 2026.
Primary areas of need include:
Wide receiver
Defensive line
EDGE
Punter
Strong safety
Free safety
The defensive line is the area of greatest concern. A number of important contributors, such as Max Llewellyn, Aaron Graves, and Ethan Hurkett, have graduated, leaving Iowa in need of both depth and demonstrated output up front.
Wide receiver is another area that demands immediate attention.
For a large portion of the 2025 season, Iowa’s passing game struggled, and the offense will require more dependable targets on the outside regardless of who starts at quarterback come fall. The obvious WR1 going into the offseason is Reece Vander Zee, but there isn’t much experience behind him. In addition, the Hawkeyes lost Sam Phillips, Jacob Gill, and Seth Anderson to graduation, which further reduced the number of players who could return to the position. In 2026, adding one or more transfer receivers could mean the difference between a gradual improvement and a significant offensive breakthrough.
Early Takeaway
With the exception of Dakin’s passing, Iowa has been able to hold onto the majority of its young talent during the portal’s early phases. Although that stability offers a strong base, it also puts pressure on the coaching staff to find the right additions instead of just focusing on numbers. The next two weeks will be crucial. The Hawkeyes will be in a position to build on their bowl momentum in 2026 rather than just relive it if Iowa can strengthen the defensive front and add experience to the wide receiver room. The door to the portal is open. It now depends on who passes through it.
