The Hawkeyes received some unexpected news just one day after Iowa football concluded its 2025 campaign with a ranked victory over Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Iowa discovered that sophomore punter Rhys Dakin planned to use the NCAA transfer portal and leave the program while the thrill of the bowl victory was still fresh.
Although players are allowed to make their intentions known in advance, the transfer portal formally opens on Friday. Iowa has already seen activity. Terrell Washington Jr., a sophomore running back, announced plans to use the portal earlier this week, which wasn’t totally unexpected. There is a lot of talent in Iowa’s backfield, and Washington Jr. seemed like a player who would benefit from a new beginning and more chances elsewhere. However, Dakin’s announcement was received quite differently. When the Australian gambler announced his choice on social media on Thursday, both fans and analysts took notice right away. Given Dakin’s consistent role and apparent improvement over the previous two years, many anticipated that he would return to Iowa City for his junior season in 2026.
Dakin had a strong season in 2025. He managed 42 punts, with a long of 65 yards and an average of 43.6 yards per attempt. Even though his average decreased marginally from his rookie season, it’s important to keep in mind how outstanding his first season was. For a first-year player acclimating to college football and American regulations, Dakin’s 2024 All-Big Ten third-team selection by the media and second-team selection by the league’s coaches is no small accomplishment.
From the beginning, Dakin was held to high standards. He came to Iowa after Tory Taylor, a future NFL player and one of the most successful punters in program history, left. Dakin demonstrated early on that he was capable of continuing Iowa’s long history of excellent special teams play, but filling those shoes was never going to be simple.
Dakin actually seemed to be wrapping up the season on a positive note. He had one of his best games of the year against Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl, averaging an amazing 49 yards per kick while making three punts. His decision to look for opportunities elsewhere was even more unexpected after that performance. Dakin’s departure exacerbates Iowa’s special teams unit’s impending transitional offseason. The Hawkeyes are already getting ready to lose return specialist Kaden Wetjen and kicker Drew Stevens, both of whom are scheduled to graduate. Furthermore, longtime special teams coordinator LeVar Woods has agreed to join Pat Fitzgerald’s coaching staff at Michigan State in East Lansing.
When combined, those losses account for a sizable portion of experience and output, leaving one of head coach Kirk Ferentz’s most dependable teams. It also prompts questions about the roster. There isn’t currently a punter on Iowa’s roster who is still eligible for the 2026 campaign.
Because of this fact, it is highly likely that the Hawkeyes will use the transfer portal to identify their next choice for the position. Although it hurts to lose a proven contributor like Dakin, Iowa supporters can have faith in the process. The program has a history of finding and training specialists who meet its standards and system, and Ferentz has long stressed the value of special teams.
Dakin’s choice is definitely a setback, and it comes at a time when Iowa is already dealing with a number of offseason adjustments. However, the general consensus surrounding the program is that the coaching staff will react in the same manner as it has in the past: by recruiting, adapting, and identifying the necessary players to maintain the Hawkeyes’ competitiveness. For the time being, Iowa moves on and starts looking for its next punter, understanding that special teams excellence is still an essential component of its identity.
