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Iowa football announces 2026 transfer portal class
All 16 members of the transfer portal class are juniors or younger.
Jan. 28, 2026 12:00 pm, Updated: Jan. 28, 2026 12:15 pm
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IOWA CITY — Iowa football’s incoming class for the 2026 season just grew even more.
After the two-week NCAA transfer portal window closed on Jan. 16, the Hawkeyes officially announced the 16 football players who are joining the program next season. The announcement of the newest Hawkeyes became official Wednesday morning.
““We are excited to welcome 16 new transfer student-athletes to the University of Iowa football program," Tyler Barnes, Iowa’s chief of staff and general manager, said in a statement. "As we evaluated the transfer portal, our priority was clear: bring in players who have proved on-field production and multiple years of eligibility remaining. These additions not only strengthen our roster immediately, but also align with our long-term vision for sustained success. Each of these young men brings experience, competitiveness, and a strong desire to develop within our culture, and we’re confident they will have a positive impact both on and off the field.”
The incoming class includes five offensive players, eight defensive players and three specialists. Iowa had a total eight players from the 2025 season enter the transfer portal.
Every player joining the Hawkeyes is a junior or younger, with 10 players moving from FCS football to FBS.
Iowa’s full schedule for the 2026 season was announced Tuesday evening, with the first game of the season set for Sep. 5 against Northern Illinois. The new Hawkeyes will join the 22 incoming freshmen that signed to the program back in December.
Iowa will begin its spring practices later this year.
Transfer portal class
Wide receivers
- Lance Beeghley, sophomore (SMU)
- Tony Diaz, sophomore (UTRGV)
- Evan James, sophomore (Furman)
Defensive linemen
- Kahmari Brown, junior (Elon)
- Lance Ingold, sophomore (Northern Illinois)
- Emmanuel Olagbaju, junior (North Dakota)
- Brice Stevenson, junior (Holy Cross)
Defensive backs
- Tyler Brown, junior (James Madison)
- Cody Haddad, redshirt freshman (Ohio State)
- Anthony Hawkins, sophomore (Villanova)
- Xavier Styles, sophomore (Robert Morris)
Specialists
- Boston Everitt, freshman (University of Melbourne)
- Eli Ozick, junior (North Dakota State)
- Tanner Philpott, junior (Simpson College)
Running backs
- Lendon Phillips Jr., junior (South Dakota)
Offensive linemen
- Trent Wilson, sophomore (James Madison)
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