Iowa football sees surprise transfer portal entry

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Just one day after Iowa beat Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl, the program received some unexpected news.

The NCAA transfer portal officially opens on Friday, but players can announce their intention to enter the portal now. The Hawkeyes have seen a couple of current players do just that, most notably sophomore running back Terrell Washington Jr. That was an expected move, as Iowa possesses a logjam of talent in the backfield, and Washington Jr. could easily get more playing time elsewhere.

Iowa saw another player announce their intentions to enter the transfer portal on Thursday, but this one caught many people by surprise. Sophomore punter Rhys Dakin took to X on Thursday with a statement announcing that he’s planning to enter the transfer portal and to depart the program.

This was a shocking announcement from Dakin, who many expected to return to Iowa City for his junior season in 2026. The sophomore had 42 punts in 2025, averaging 43.6 yards per punt with a long of 65 yards. That average was slightly down from his freshman year, when he was an All-Big Ten third-team selection by the media and second-team by the coaches.

Dakin had big shoes to fill, coming in immediately after Tory Taylor went to the NFL, and the young Aussie showed a lot of promise. He was coming off one of his best games of the season in the ReliaQuest Bowl, where he punted three times with a 49-yard average per punt. And now he’s set to look for opportunities elsewhere.

Dakin’s departure adds to the losses for the Iowa special teams unit heading into next season. Kicker Drew Stevens and return specialist Kaden Wetjen are set to graduate and move on, while special teams coordinator LeVar Woods is off to East Lansing to join Pat Fitzgerald’s coaching staff. The Hawkeyes are going to have a lot of work to do in the portal and recruiting this offseason to replace the production walking out the door.

Iowa doesn’t have another punter on the roster currently with eligibility for 2026, so Kirk Ferentz and company will look to the portal to find their next guy at that position. If there’s one thing fans should trust Ferentz with, it’s his commitment to the importance of special teams.

While Dakin is a surprising and big loss, fans should believe in the coaching staff to find the right replacement.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football punter Rhys Dakin to enter transfer portal

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