(Iowa City, IA) — Three Iowa football players have earned preseason All-America recognition from The Sporting News ahead of the 2026 season.
Center Kade Pieper was named a First Team Preseason All-American, while tight end DJ Vonnahme and defensive back Zach Lutmer were selected to the Second Team.
Pieper enters the season after a standout 2025 campaign in which he started all 13 games at guard. He was previously named a First Team Walter Camp Preseason All-American and is on the Outland Trophy watch list. Last season, Pieper earned First Team All-America honors from Pro Football Focus and Third Team All-Big Ten recognition after helping lead Iowa’s offensive line to the Joe Moore Award, presented annually to the nation’s top offensive line. The Hawkeyes outrushed their opponents in nine of 13 games, while the offensive line ranked fifth nationally by allowing an average time-to-pressure of just 2.8 seconds.
Lutmer, a Lott IMPACT Trophy candidate, also started all 13 games in 2025 at the CASH position. The Rock Rapids native recorded 71 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions, one defensive touchdown and seven pass breakups. He helped anchor an Iowa defense that ranked eighth nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 15.6 points per game, and ninth in total defense at 280.4 yards per game. Lutmer earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors from the league’s coaches, Third Team honors from the media, was named Iowa’s Roy Carver Defensive Most Valuable Player and is a two-time Team Hustle Award winner.
Vonnahme burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2025, earning Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America honors. The Breda native became the first FBS freshman tight end since Georgia’s Brock Bowers in 2021 to lead his team in both receptions and receiving yards. He finished with team highs of 29 receptions, 434 receiving yards and three touchdown catches, including 19 receptions over Iowa’s final five games. Vonnahme also starred in the Hawkeyes’ ReliaQuest Bowl victory over No. 14 Vanderbilt, catching seven passes for 146 yards and a touchdown to earn a spot on The Associated Press All-Bowl Team. His 146 receiving yards were the second-most ever by an Iowa tight end in a single game.
Iowa opens the 2026 season on Sept. 5 against Northern Illinois at Kinnick Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. CT.
