Like every other sport, college football is a team game. You could argue that more than any other sport, college football requires an entire team to contribute to succeed.
And that’s most definitely the case for the Iowa football team entering the 2025 season.
The Hawkeyes have many well-known and established stars on their 2025 roster. From preseason All-Americans like Logan Jones and Gennings Dunker to fan-favorites like Kaden Wetjen and Rhys Dakin. All of those players will be critical to Iowa’s success this season. But, they can’t do it alone. They’ll need the rest of the roster to step up and match their level.
This includes players who may be flying under the radar right now, just waiting to break out. Who exactly are those players for the Hawkeyes in 2025?
Let’s take a look at three breakout candidates for Iowa football this season.
Reece Vander Zee
Iowa fans have been waiting a long time for a star wide receiver to break out. The last wide receiver to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in a season was Marvin McNutt back in 2011. The Hawkeyes have had great receivers like Matt VandeBerg, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, and Brandon Smith since then, but none of them have passed that 1,000-yard mark. I think Vander Zee could do that at some point during his Iowa career.
The 6-foot-4, 207-pound sophomore made some splash plays as a true freshman last season, catching 14 balls for 176 yards and three touchdowns. He only played in nine games due to injury and played with a rotating carousel of middling quarterbacks. Vander Zee has the size and speed to be a matchup nightmare on the outside, and another year in Tim Lester’s West Coast system should help.
Add in some better and more consistent quarterback play, and I think Vander Zee could be in for a huge 2025 season. Maybe not 1,000 receiving yards this season, but I think he’ll…
Source link : https://hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/hawkeyes/football/2025/08/06/iowa-football-three-breakout-candidates/85524831007/
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Publish date : 2025-08-06 10:45:00
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