Last season, Iowa completed its offensive line retooling by capturing the Joe Moore Award. It culminated a five-year plan under George Barnett to restore the offensive line legacy at the program. Entering 2026, the goal is to maintain that high standard.
The Hawkeyes return two highly-talented and productive members of that award-winning line this season. Kade Pieper is making the move from right guard to center, filling in the hole left by Logan Jones. And Trevor Lauck will man the left tackle spot once again. Both guys had breakout years last season and will be called upon to lead up front.
That production last season and the ceiling they have going forward are a big reason why they’ve received a ton of preseason hype. That hype continued on Tuesday when Pieper and Lauck were named to the Outland Trophy watchlist.
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best offensive or defensive lineman in the country. Iowa has had four players win the award in program history: Cal Jones in 1955, Alex Karras in 1957, Robert Gallery in 2003, and Brandon Scherff in 2014. Pieper and Lauck will try to join that prestigious company this season.
It took a while, but the Hawkeyes’ offensive line is back to where fans are used to seeing it. Barnett, Kirk Ferentz, and the rest of the coaching staff will work to make sure it doesn’t revert to suboptimal standards. They’ll lean on Pieper and Lauck, alongside a strong supporting cast, to do that in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Pair of Iowa football OL named to Outland Trophy watch list
Reporting by Zach Hiney, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Zach Hiney, Hawkeyes Wire | USA TODAY Network
