IOWA CITY — It’s no secret that Iowa football’s defensive line lost some major pieces from last season.
The top five tacklers on that unit — Aaron Graves, Ethan Hurkett, Max Llewellyn, Jonah Pace and Brian Allen — are no longer with the team.
And it’s not just tackles, but a more specific area, that the Hawkeyes need to replenish.
Sacks.
Iowa’s top four sack leaders from last season have departed — with the first three coming from the defensive line. The fourth, Karson Sharar, applied pressure from the linebacker position, totaling four sacks last season before being selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Iowa’s defense line remains a question mark entering the 2026 campaign. So does the Hawkeyes’ pass rush.
Insert Kahmari Brown.
“He’s got crazy finesse moves,” defensive lineman Bryce Hawthorne said of Brown. “He is amazing with his hands. Very quick. Quick off the ball. He just does some things where I’m like, ‘How did you do that?’ I feel like if I would’ve tried that, I would’ve got locked up. So, it’s fun to watch.”
After losing so much production, the Hawkeyes clearly prioritized the defensive line in their offseason roster-building, bringing in four transfer-portal additions — Brown (Elon), Brice Stevenson (Holy Cross), Emmanuel Olagbaju (North Dakota) and Lance Ingold (Northern Illinois).
Because of his ability to get to the quarterback, Brown may be the most intriguing of those newcomers.
He recorded 16.5 sacks combined across two seasons at Elon, including 12 as a sophomore. It only takes a brief viewing of his highlights to see that he possesses a great deal of power and explosiveness. Brown also totaled four forced fumbles in his career with the Phoenix.
“It’s pretty obvious: He’s got some twitch to him,” Iowa assistant head coach Seth Wallace said of Brown. “He certainly is how you would describe an edge-type of player in this day and age. He’s got a lot of football under his belt, too. So again, just finding that sweet spot of where you feel real comfortable with the scheme and the techniques and the fundamentals that are being asked, which takes a little bit of time. Then you really start to see the true potential, which hopefully turns into production down the road.”
Brown, who is listed at 6-foot-2, 245 pounds and has two seasons of eligibility remaining, detailed his keys to getting to the quarterback.
“A lot of it is film,” Brown said. “Pregame, pre-practice, all of that. Pre-play. Most of it is pre-play. I would say it’s really just knowing the tendencies of your opponent and knowing the plays.”
The product of White Oak High School in North Carolina was an unrated and unranked prospect by 247Sports as a high school prospect. Brown attributes his lack of recruiting attention to his academic performance.
“I would say it was really like the COVID and everything that kind of took my mind off the academic part of the game,” Brown said. “It just really set me back. I wish I had done better.”
That’s something Brown has had to work through.
“I really just talked to God,” Brown said. “Asked for help. He guided me. And along with that, my dad, mom, all the people that support me — they were on me hard about my grades and that I really do have opportunities and I need to kind of get my stuff together, so that I can become who I am.”
That path has now led to Iowa. After two seasons at Elon, Brown entered the transfer portal.
“What stood out to me with Iowa is the coaching staff, especially,” Brown said. “They’ve been here since before I was born, right. So that was really big for me. Seeing that they have a culture, a team that stays together and they’re actually trying to build something, not just move on to the next.”
That speaks to the longevity at Iowa. Head coach Kirk Ferentz and defensive coordinator Phil Parker’s time with the Hawkeyes exceeds Brown’s age, as the defensive lineman was born in 2006.
During his visit to Iowa, Brown felt a level of straightforwardness and authenticity.
“They didn’t try to buy me with any extra things,” Brown said. “It’s more like, this is who we are. We’re going to do what we do and we’re going to show you who we are so you can become a part of our team. And see us for who we really are.”
A recipe for defensive line success in 2026 might be a combination of impactful newcomers and internal development. Iose Epenesa, Kenneth Merrieweather and Bryce Hawthorne are among the returners who could take on larger roles. Brown is one of the transfer portal additions who has the potential to be a factor for the Hawkeyes.
“Spring went good,” Brown said. “I would say they implemented all of us into the game really well. They didn’t go too fast to where we couldn’t get the hang of it. So I feel like they did a great job of implementing us into the game. I felt like, as a group, we’re developing at a great pace.”
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at TTachman@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Hawk Central: Which Iowa football transfer pick up has impressed by rushing the QB?
Reporting by Tyler Tachman, Des Moines Register / Hawk Central
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By Tyler Tachman, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
