As Special Teams Start to Rebuild, the Hawkeyes Get Their Future Kicker Special teams are crucial for a program like Iowa, where games are frequently decided by inches, field position, and clutch kicks. The past few weeks in Iowa City have been unsettling because of this. The Hawkeyes’ special teams unit’s foundations started to crumble one by one, raising serious concerns about what the future might hold.
But over the weekend, Iowa finally caught a break.
The Hawkeyes found their future kicker through the transfer portal after suffering several special teams defeats. Eli Ozick, a former standout from North Dakota State and an FCS champion with two years left in his eligibility, is a proven and tested player. Although the move offers stability at one of the most important positions in Kirk Ferentz’s program, it does not lessen the pain of recent departures.
Shortly after the season ended, longtime special teams coordinator LeVar Woods left Iowa to assume the same position at Michigan State under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald, along with assistant head coach responsibilities. This was the beginning of the trouble. Woods was more than just an assistant. He was one of the nation’s top special teams talent developers, a former Hawkeye, and a well-liked mentor.
His exit alone was significant. What followed made it worse.
Rhys Dakin, the starting punter for Iowa, accessed the transfer portal shortly after Woods arrived in East Lansing on January 2. Dakin, who Woods had initially recruited, soon followed his former coach to Michigan State, leaving Iowa suddenly short on punters. Kicker Drew Stevens used up his last year of eligibility at the same time. Stevens finished his final season with a 78.6 percent success rate, converting 41 of 42 extra points and 22 of 28 field goal attempts. Stevens had been remarkably consistent during his time in Iowa City.
With Woods, Dakin, and Stevens no longer eligible, Iowa was left without two starters on special teams as well as the coach who had shaped them. The situation was alarming for a program that takes pride in its consistency in the kicking game.
That’s why Ozick’s commitment matters so much.
The former North Dakota State kicker made his decision after spending the weekend in Iowa City, coinciding with the exciting victory of Iowa men’s basketball over UCLA. Ozick made his decision without the need for a drawn-out hiring procedure or several trips. Actually, after he entered the portal, the only program he visited was Iowa.
Sometimes, the fit is just obvious.
One of the most prestigious FCS football programs, North Dakota State, is where Ozick played for three seasons. He made 19 of 23 field goals during that time, including a career-long 54-yard attempt. Iowa supporters who recognize the importance of long-range dependability will notice this statistic right away.
As a member of NDSU’s 2024 FCS National Championship squad, he also gained experience in high-stress situations where every kick and possession counted. In the Big Ten, where close, physical games are the rule rather than the exception, that kind of background fits in nicely.
Every indication suggests that Ozick is impressed by the culture as well as the facilities and opportunity. Seeing Iowa City up close, taking in the atmosphere of a big college basketball victory, and going to a crowded Carver-Hawkeye Arena probably sealed the deal.
With two years left in his eligibility, Ozick provides Iowa with much-needed continuity at a position that has long been a program strength as well as a reliable option at kicker. Given what Iowa just lost, it makes sense that special teams assistance is urgently needed.
In addition to Stevens, Iowa bid farewell to Kaden Wetjen, another product of Woods’ development and a top return specialist. Wetjen scored four touchdowns overall, three on punt returns and one on a kickoff, to cap off his final season with an outstanding 1,039 total return yards, which he split almost evenly between punts and kickoffs.
The most recent instances of Iowa’s capacity to transform special teams into a weapon rather than merely a necessity were Wetjen and Stevens. Woods was a major contributor to the development of that reputation, which didn’t just happen.
Dakin left Iowa’s special teams room, which was an uncommon move. During his tenure with the Hawkeyes, the Australian punter showed promise, averaging a 40.8-yard net and finishing the season with 43 punts for 1,862 yards.
Even so, he had trouble being consistent and never quite reached the unachievable bar set by his illustrious predecessor, Tory Taylor, who delighted Iowa supporters with his exceptional output. Dakin might benefit greatly from a fresh start at Michigan State, and he will have two more years of eligibility to develop into the position Woods always thought he was capable of.
For Iowa, though, the focus now shifts forward.
Ozick’s arrival doesn’t instantly make everything better. The Hawkeyes still have to deal with the punting issue and keep getting used to Woods’ absence. However, securing a proven, championship-tested kicker is a significant step in the right direction for a program where kicking can swing seasons. That in and of itself provides much-needed comfort to Iowa supporters.
