Hawkeye Football: An Early Look at Iowa’s Spring Practice
College basketball season has ended and now football is just around the corner.
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 15: Kirk Ferentz, Head Coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes walks off the field after a game between Iowa Hawkeyes and University of Southern California Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 15, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Melinda Meijer/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images) | ISI Photos via Getty Images Spring football is here, and after spending the last month watching the basketball team make a historic March Madness run, it’s time to pivot to the other sport that makes Iowa City tick. Kirk Ferentz opened spring practice on March 25 for his 28th season at the helm, and there is no shortage of storylines to follow as the Hawkeyes begin preparations for 2026.
Spring Ball is BACK 😤 pic. twitter. com/DHW9jYVPxS — Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) March 25, 2026 Iowa lost 8 players to the portal while graduating 24 seniors and will bring in 34 new faces — 16 transfers and 18 freshmen — for next season.
The 11 freshmen already on campus for spring practice is a high in Ferentz’s tenure. As he noted to media, this reflects the new reality of college football: roster building now starts in January, not August. Only a handful of practices are in the books so far, but the early returns have given us plenty to chew on.
A New-Look Coaching Staff Ferentz made four significant coaching staff changes heading into spring, and they’re worth paying attention to. Jay Norvell — yes, the former Nevada and Colorado State head coach who was an All-Big Ten safety on Iowa’s 1985 Big Ten championship team — is now the running backs coach after initially joining the staff as an offensive analyst. Having a nine-year head coaching veteran coaching a position group is a massive upgrade in experience and recruiting credibility.
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