Iowa football headlines All-Big Ten special teams roster

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Under Kirk Ferentz, one of the areas that Iowa football has prided itself on the most is its special teams.

Ferentz understands the importance of field position and taking the points in football games, and that’s led to the Hawkeyes having consistently great special teams for the majority of his tenure in Iowa City. And that was no different in 2025.

While the special teams had some ups and downs under longtime coordinator LeVar Woods this season, the positives outweighed the negatives for that unit. That group got the respect and recognition it deserved on Wednesday with the reveal of the 2025 All-Big Ten team.

The coaches and media both voted on their all-conference teams, and almost all of Iowa’s specialists were present and accounted for.

The headliner is Kaden Wetjen, who racked up the awards on Wednesday. He was named the Big Ten return specialist of the year for the second consecutive year, the only player in the history of the Big Ten conference to achieve this distinction. He was also named to the All-Big Ten first team by both the coaches and media, to no one’s surprise.

The senior returnman was excellent this season in both the kick and punt return game. Wetjen had 14 kick returns for 427 yards and a touchdown this season. He really shone in the punt return game, with 19 punt returns for 538 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged an astounding 28.3 yards per punt return, which led the entire nation. He also led the country in punt return yards and tied for the nationwide lead in punt return touchdowns. This was a fantastic senior season for one of the best return men in the history of the Big Ten conference.

Drew Stevens was named to the All-Big Ten third team by the media and was an all-conference honorable mention from the coaches. The senior kicker was 37-38 on extra point attempts and 20-26 on field goal attempts in 2025. He made four kicks from 50+ yards this season, including a career-long 58-yarder in the pouring rain against Oregon.

Stevens became the all-time leader in field goals made at Iowa this season, with 74 career field goals before the bowl game. Stevens was a third-team All-Big Ten player last season as well, giving him back-to-back great seasons in the black and gold following a rocky sophomore season. Stevens has been a steady presence for the Hawkeyes over the last two years and will be missed.

Rhys Dakin was named an all-conference honorable mention by the media. The sophomore punter from Melbourne, Australia, wasn’t as great as he was during his freshman campaign, but still put together a solid season. He had 39 punts for 1,686 yards, averaging 43.2 yards per punt. That’s down from his 44.1 yards per punt last season, but he punted 64 times in 2024, giving him more opportunities to add to that total.

Dakin being on the field less is a good thing, as it signals Iowa’s offense took steps forward in 2025. Fans shouldn’t be alarmed by Dakin’s 2025 numbers; he’s still young and put together a solid season. Expectations are sky high for Iowa punters following Tory Taylor’s time in Iowa City, but fans need to be realistic with Dakin. He’s not Tory Taylor, and that’s alright. He’s shown signs of being an excellent punter and should only get better in 2026.

Woods and the Hawkeyes will have to replace a lot on the special teams unit next season, but anyone doubting their ability to do so is foolish. Expect 2026 to be another strong season for the special teams unit, even with some new faces.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football headlines All-Big Ten special teams roster

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