Iowa Football: Five Hawkeyes To Watch For In Cy-Hawk Game
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The 2026 Cy-Hawk football game is just three days away.
That may seem like a long time for eager Iowa and Iowa State fans, but it really isn't.
The NFL will occupy your nights on Wednesday and Thursday, and once Friday rolls around, the pre-tailgate grocery shopping and other preparations should help you pass the time before Saturday's primetime clash at Kinnick Stadium (6:30 p.m., NBC) rolls around.
Besides watching any football games that precede this game, another way to help you pass the time is to read HawkeyeRoundtable.com's preview of the matchup, which is beginning to heat up.
You've already read about some Iowa State players to watch, so now it's time to flip it to the Iowa side. The Hawkeyes look to secure their first win in this series since 2023, and there's a lot of players that could help them do so on Saturday.
We've narrowed the list down to five. Here it is.
RB Kamari Moulton
Getting good quarterback play from Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski (it looks like both will play) will still be of keen interest to Hawkeye fans, but if there's an offensive player to produce big yards, it's probably running back Kamari Moulton.
It's not a stretch to say Moulton's performance against Northern Illinois was his best as a Hawkeye. He tallied a career-best 184 yards and a pair of long touchdown runs against the Huskies. While NIU is a bad team, the explosiveness Moulton hoped to display in 2026 was very present.
Gaining 184 yards against a pesky Iowa State defense isn't going to be easy, but if Iowa's offensive line continues to create massive holes, then Moulton may just have another big day ahead of him.
WR Reece Vander Zee
With Tony Diaz (or Nate Diaz according to Jimmy Rogers) almost guaranteed to be the primary focus of the Cyclones' defensive game plan on Saturday, the Hawkeyes will have to turn their attention to the rest of their receiving room to make plays.
There's a lot of good options here (DJ Vonnahme was almost considered), but a big name to watch is Reece Vander Zee. The third-year registered 32 yards on two receptions against Northern Illinois, but if Diaz is indeed double-covered, look out for Vander Zee to produce. He's very difficult to cover at 6-foot-4 and didn't get a chance to play Iowa State last season because of his foot injury.
DL Bryce Hawthorne
Iowa's young defensive line was better than expected last weekend, recording six sacks and consistently wreaking havoc for whoever Northern Illinois had under center. At the center of this disruption was Bryce Hawthorne, who chipped in four tackles and 0.5 sacks.
Iowa State's offensive line will certainly be better than NIU's, but it doesn't have a lot of experience playing together. That's where Hawthorne and the Hawkeyes could have a chance to pounce early and make things difficult for quarterback Jaylen Raynor.
DB Zach Lutmer
If Hawthorne and the defensive line gets home, the opportunities will be there for a talented secondary. There's no better name to point out in this unit than Zach Lutmer, though.
Lutmer's minor injury prevented him from returning punts last Saturday, and though Evan James took one to the house, Kirk Ferentz said that all options remain open. The raucous environment inside Kinnick Stadium could force Raynor to force throws, and if the throws are in Lutmer's direction, it's likely he could record his first interception of the season.
Besides his role as a safety, it wouldn't be surprising to see Lutmer back deep returning punts as well. Anyone who has seen him in the secondary knows he is a gifted athlete capable of making plays in the open field, so that's another thing to watch for on Saturday.
K Caden Buhr
Caden Buhr will probably be the first person to tell you he was disappointed with his debut as Iowa's new starting kicker. The second-year missed an extra point and a field goal against Northern Illinois, and though he did bounce back with two field goals later in the game, his inexperience is something to monitor.
The Cy-Hawk rivalry has been decided by one score or less in the last four meetings, and the Hawkeyes are going to need a reliable kicker if the game should come down to it. The resilience he showed last weekend was a very positive sign, though.
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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at bradschultz@roundtable.io
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