5 Iowa football players earn preseason Phil Steele honors
Article excerpt
Five Iowa football players have earned preseason honors from Phil Steele, the prominent college football analyst and magazine publisher. The recognition comes ahead of the upcoming season and reflects Steele's annual preseason evaluations of college football talent. These accolades represent early acknowledgment of the players' potential and contributions to the Iowa program. Steele's preseason honors carry weight in college football circles, as his annual magazine and predictions are widely read by coaches, scouts, and fans tracking top prospects and team performance.
As the weather warms up and the days get longer, summer is here. That also means college football is right around the corner.
It’s now less than three months until Iowa returns to Kinnick Stadium for the 2026 season. And with the season fast approaching, preseason award and accolade predictions are being released.
The first major list to drop came from Phil Steele on Monday. The longtime college football writer released his annual preseason All-Conference and All-American teams, and plenty of Hawkeyes were littered throughout.
In total, five Hawkeyes were listed across Steele’s four All-Big Ten preseason teams. Junior offensive lineman Kade Pieper was on the first team; junior offensive lineman Trevor Lauck and junior defensive back Zach Lutmer were on the second team; junior kicker Eli Ozick was on the third team; and sophomore tight end DJ Vonnahme was on the fourth team.
Two Hawkeyes were named to Steele’s All-American teams. Pieper was a preseason first-team All-American, while Lutmer slotted in as a third-team preseason All-American.
Phil Steele Preseason All-America/All-Big Ten
First-Team All-America ▪️Kade Pieper
Third-Team All-America ▪️Zach Lutmer
First-Team All-B1G ▪️Kade Pieper
Second-Team All-B1G ▪️Trevor Lauck ▪️Zach Lutmer
Third-Team All-B1G ▪️Eli Ozick
Fourth-Team All-B1G ▪️DJ Vonnahme
, HawkeyeFBNotes (@HawkeyeFBNotes) June 15, 2026
It’s a fitting honor for Pieper and Lutmer, who figure to be among Iowa’s best and most important players next season. Lauck making the second-team All-Big Ten squad is a big indication of how much Steele thinks he’ll develop this offseason. After being a question mark last offseason, he jumped in and impressed at the left tackle position in 2025.
Ozick transferred in from North Dakota State and looks to fill the shoes of Drew Stevens. Steele is predicting a big year from him. And Vonnahme sliding in on the fourth team is a big sign of respect for what he showed in the back half of last season. The young tight end was Iowa's best and most productive receiver over the last month of the 2025 season.
Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes will rely heavily on these five guys to contribute big plays in 2026. If last season and this list from Steele are any indication, Iowa is in good hands.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: 5 Iowa football players earn preseason Phil Steele honors