Iowa Football Awards Announced

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa junior RB Kaleb Johnson and senior LB Jay Higgins were named Roy J. Carver Most Valuable Players as the Iowa football program announced its 2024 team awards Sunday.

Higgins has been recognized as an American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Walter Camp first-team All-American, Butkus-Fitzgerald Big Ten Linebacker of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten. Higgins, who was a semifinalist for three national awards (Lombardi, Butkus, Lott IMPACT), is the only player in the nation with 100+ tackles and four interceptions. His four picks are tied for the 0most amongst linebackers from a Power 4 conference. Higgins has been a tackling machine for Iowa’s defense, racking up 118 tackles — second most in the Big Ten, 13th-most nationally. The Indianapolis native has been a leader on an Iowa defense that is ninth nationally, allowing 17.1 points per game.

Johnson, who was previously honored as an AFCA and Walter Camp All-American, Ameche-Dayne Big Ten Running Back of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten and a Doak Walker Award finalist, had a historic year. He posted school single-season records in points (138), total touchdowns (23) and rushing scores (21). Johnson rushed for 1,537 yards in 12 games in 2024, sixth-most in the country and third-most in program history. The native of Hamilton, Ohio, scored at least one touchdown in all 12 regular season games — the longest stretch in school history. He had seven games in 2024 with two or more rushing touchdowns, believed to be the most in a single season in program history.

Five permenent team captains were named, including senior TE Luke Lachey and senior C Logan Jones on offense, Higgins and senior FS Quinn Schulte on defense, and senior LS Luke Elkin on special teams. Jones was also recognized with the Iron Hawk Award.

Lachey has played in 11 games in 2024, leading Iowa’s tight ends and ranking second overall, with 27 receptions and 227 receiving yards. Lachey was a team captain in all 12 regular-season games in 2024 and is a two-time honorable mention Big Ten honoree.

Jones, who started all 12 games, was a first-team all-conference selection last week. The native of Council Bluffs, Iowa, anchored the Hawkeye offensive line, that allowed just 15 sacks and helped Iowa rush for 2,599 yards, the most since 2002.

Schulte ranks third on the team with 57 tackles as Iowa’s free safety. He also has three interceptions and three pass break-ups. Schulte was a team captain in all 12 regular season games in 2024 and is a two-time honorable mention all-conference honoree. Schulte has made 39 consecutive starts (fifth-longest nationally among DBs).

Elkin, who has been Iowa’s long snapper the past four seasons, was previously honored as a 2024 first-team AFCA All-American and second-team All-Big Ten selection. He snapped for Dakin and Stevens, as well as Tory Taylor, the Ray Guy Award recipient and consensus All-American in 2023.

The Hayden Fry “Extra Heartbeat” Award was shared by Iowa’s five starting offensive linemen: Jones, senior tackle Mason Richman, junior tackle Gennings Dunker, junior guard Beau Stephens and senior guard Connor Colby on offense, Higgins, senior LB Nick Jackson, senior DE Deontae Craig, senior DE Ethan Hurkett and senior DT Yahya Black on defense, and Elkin and LB Kyler Fisher on special teams. The Hayden Fry Award is presented to team members who show exemplary leadership and dedication throughout the year as well as the offseason.

The Hawkeye offensive line was a Joe Moore Award semifinalist, which recognizes the top offensive line in the country. Jones and Colby earned first-team all-conference recognition, Dunker was honored on the second team, while Richman and Stephens both were honorable mention All-Big Ten.

Jackson amassed 83 tackles to rank second on the team and 11th in the Big Ten. He also accumulated five tackles for loss, including 2.5 sacks, five hurries, returned an interception 28 yards and tied for first on the team with seven pass break-ups. Craig, Hurkett and Black each started all 12 games on the defensive line in 2024. Craig has 38 tackles, including 2.5 for loss and one sack, had six hurries and one pass break-up. Hurkett leads all defensive linemen, and ranks fourth on the team, with 55 tackles. He leads the team with 11.5 tackles for loss, including 6.5 sacks, while also forcing three fumbles and registering two hurries. Black has registered 31 tackles, including five for loss and one sack, recorded Iowa’s only blocked kick of the season (field goal versus Washington), and two hurries and two pass break-ups. Fisher has 25 tackles (16 solo, nine assists), including two tackles for a loss of six yards, one forced fumble, and one pass break-up.

The Brett Greenwood Award was shared by Elkin, senior FB Hayden Large, RS Kaden Wetjen, and junior WR Max White. Established in 2011, the Greenwood Award goes to former walk-ons who embodies the values and behaviors of former Hawkeye walk-on Brett Greenwood. These student-athletes have made a significant contribution to the team through persistence, determination, commitment, preparation and action.

White and Large played in 12 and 11 games, respectively, in 2024. Wetjen, who is the 2024 Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year, a first-team All-Big Ten selection and finalist for the Jet Award, leads the nation with 888 combined kick return yards (next most is 674 yards). He is second in the FBS in punt return yards (312) and sixth in kickoff return yards (576). The native of Williamsburg, Iowa, native had an 85-yard punt return for a score against Northwestern, the seventh-longest in school history.

Lachey received the Forest Evashevski Academic Achievement Award. Lachey, who was a 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy nominee, graduated last May with a degree in enterprise leadership and a 3.74 grade point average. He is a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, three-time recipient of the Presidential Committee on Academic Medallion, three-time Dean’s List and named to the President’s List once.

The Reggie Roby Special Teams Award was shared by junior PK Drew Stevens (specialist) and Wetjen (overall). Stevens, a two-time all-league honoree, connected on 19-of-22 field goals as in 2024. He tied the school-record with five made field goals in Iowa’s win at Maryland and converting two field goals, including a 53-yard game winner as time expired, in the regular season finale versus Nebraska. Stevens has made a school-record eight field goals of 50 yards or more in his career, while his 1.58 field goals made per game in 2024 rank second best in the Big Ten and 15th nationally.

Eight Hawkeyes earned the Next Man In Award: junior QB Brendan Sullivan, senior OT Nick DeJong, senior OG Tyler Elsbury, junior TE Johnny Pascuzzi and sophomore RB Kamari Moulton on offense; DB TJ Hall on defense; and WR Alex Eichmann, DB Jaylen Watson and LB Landyn Van Kekerix on special teams.

Sullivan has played in nine games, including two starts. He has completed 24-of-35 passes for 344 yards and two touchdowns, and 35 rushes for 144 yards and four touchdowns in 2024. When he is under center, Iowa is 16-of-16 in red zone scoring opportunities (14 touchdowns, two field goals). DeJong and Elsbury both played in 12 games, including two starts, in 2024. Hall played in 11 games, including six starts, amassing 17 tackles, two pass break-ups and intercepting one pass. Moulton saw action in 11 games, rushing 70 times for 377 yards and two scores, including a crucial 68-yard touchdown run at Maryland. Pascuzzi, Eichmann, Watson and Van Kekerix all saw meaningful minutes in 2024.

Coaches Appreciation Award recipients were sophomore TE Zach Ortwerth, sophomore WR Jarriett Buie and OL Kade Pieper on offense; Schulte, Fisher, senior DB Sebastian Castro and junior DT Jeremiah Pittman on defense; White, junior LB Jaxon Rexroth, sophomore LB Jayden Montgomery, junior LB Jaden Harrell, freshman punter Rhys Dakin and senior punter Ty Nissen on special teams.

Ortwerth has 10 catches for 133 yards, Buie has six receptions for 64 yards, while Pieper has seen action in 10 games. Castro’s 56 tackles were fourth most on the team. A two-time all-conference honoree, Castro also had an interception, three tackles for loss, forced two fumbles, one pass break-up and a hurry. Pittman, Rexroth, Montgomery, Harrell and Nissen all saw significant minutes in 2024. Dakin is averaging 44.2 yards on 60 punts, which ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 25th nationally. Thirty-one of his punts have been fair caught, 27 have been downed inside the 20 and 16 have traveled 50+ yards. Only five of his punts have been touchbacks.

Team Hustle Awards went to sophomore RB Jaziun Patterson, junior WR Jacob Gill and junior TE Addison Ostrenga on offense; junior DT Aaron Graves and junior DE Max Llewellyn on defense; redshirt freshman DB Zach Lutmer, sophomore DB John Nestor and junior LB Karson Sharar on special teams.

Gill leads the team in receiving with 32 catches for 382 yards and two touchdowns, Patterson has rushed 54 times for 235 yards and two touchdowns, while Ostrenga has 14 catches for 85 yards and a score. Graves had 32 tackles, including eight for loss and six sacks, forced three fumbles, and was credited with two pass break-ups and two hurries. Llewellyn has 20 tackles, including eight for loss and 5.5 sacks, three pass break-ups, seven pressures, recovered one fumble, and scored team’s first safety of the season. Lutmer, Nestor and Sharar all were key contributors on special teams.