IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior Kaden Wetjen has been named the finalist for the Jet Award, which honors the most outstanding return specialist in college football. The announcement was made on Tuesday by the Jet Award Foundation.
The other two finalists are Keelan Marion of BYU and Kam Shanks of UAB.
Wetjen, who was also a Burlsworth Trophy Semifinalist, leads the nation with 807 combined kick return yards (next most is 600 yards). He is third in the FBS in punt return yards (287) and seventh in kickoff return yards (520). The native of Williamsburg, Iowa, native had an 85-yard punt return for a score against Northwestern, the seventh-longest in school history. He had 100+ kickoff return yards in three straight games (Washington, Michigan State and Northwestern) in 2024, a first by a Hawkeye since at least 1978.
The award is named in honor of Heisman Trophy winner and College Football Hall of Famer Johnny “The Jet” Rodgers. The winner of the 2024 Jet Award will be selected by a panel of voters, including media members from the Football Writers Association of America, former recipients of the Jet Award, and two of our founders, Johnny Rodgers and William Reed.
Iowa (7-4, 5-3) returns to action Friday, hosting Nebraska (6-5, 3-5) in the Pioneer Heroes Game. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. (CT) on Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium. The game will be televised on NBC and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.