8 Hawkeyes Earn Phil Steele Preseason Honors

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Eight University of Iowa football players received Phil Steele preseason honors, it was announced Wednesday by the college football publication. Five Hawkeyes garnered preseason All-America laurels, while eight earned preseason All-Big Ten accolades.

Senior offensive tackle Gennings Dunker, senior defensive tackle Aaron Graves and senior return specialist Kaden Wetjen were tabbed second-team All-Americans. Senior center Logan Jones was named a third-team All-American, while sophomore punter Rhys Dakin was picked as a fourth-team All-American by the publication.

Iowa also had two preseason second-team all-conference honorees in senior offensive guard Beau Stephens and senior kicker Drew Stevens, and a third-team selection in senior defensive end Ethan Hurkett.

Jones, who started 12 games as a junior, was a first-team all-conference selection and Phil Steele honorable mention All-American in 2024. The native of Council Bluffs, Iowa, anchored the Hawkeye offensive line that allowed just 17 sacks and helped Iowa rush for 2,564 yards, the most since 2002. 

Dunker started 11 contests as a junior and was a dominant force on the right side of Iowa’s offensive line that was recognized as a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award in 2024. The Lena, Illinois, native was a second-team all-conference honoree, as well as an Academic All-District selection. Dunker helped pave the way for Iowa’s offense rushing for more than 200 yards in seven games last season.

Graves started all 13 games in 2024, recording 33 tackles, including eight tackles for a loss (six sacks), three forced fumbles, three pass break-ups and two quarterback pressures. His three forced fumbles led the Big Ten. The native of Dayton, Iowa, was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection last season. Off the field, Graves was a second-team Academic All-American. Last month, Graves was one of 42 players named to the 2025 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List.

Wetjen returns for his senior season after winning the 2024 Jet Award and Rodgers-Dwight Return Big Ten Specialist of the Year, as well as being voted first team all-conference. Wetjen’s 1,055 combined kick return yards in 2024 led the country by a wide margin. He was first in the FBS in kickoff return yards (727) and second in punt return yards (328). The  Williamsburg, Iowa, native had two returns for scores in 2024, including a 100-yard kickoff return against No. 19 Missouri in the Music City Bowl. Wetjen also returned a punt 85 yards 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.

Dakin averaged 44.1 yards on 64 punts in 2024, which ranked fourth in the Big Ten and 24th nationally. His efforts earned the Australia native freshman All-America distinction by the Football Writers Association of America and second-team All-Big Ten accolades. Thirty-three of his punts were fair caught, 29 were downed inside the 20 and 16 traveled 50+ yards. Only five of his punts were touchbacks.

Hurkett, who will be a sixth-year senior in 2025, started all 13 games on the defensive line last season. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native led all defensive linemen, and ranked fifth on the team, with 56 tackles. He led the team with 11.5 tackles for loss, including 6.5 sacks, while also forcing three fumbles and registering two hurries. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native was an honorable mention all-conference honoree in 2024.

Stephens started 11 games at left guard in 2024. The native of Blue Springs, Missouri, helped the Hawkeyes average 197.2 rushing yards per game, which ranked third in the Big Ten and 24th nationally, and was the most for the program since 2002.

Stevens, a two-time all-conference honoree, connected on 20-of-23 field goals in 2024. He tied the school and SECU Stadium record with five made field goals in Iowa’s win at Maryland, and converted two field goals, including a 53-yard game winner as time expired, in the regular season finale versus Nebraska. The North Augusta, South Carolina, native has made a school-record eight field goals of 50 yards or more in his career, while his 1.54 field goals made per game in 2024 ranked fourth best in the Big Ten and 17th nationally.

The Hawkeyes open the 2025 season Aug. 30, hosting UAlbany at 5 p.m. (CT) on Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium.

Phil Steele Preseason All-America Teams
Rhys Dakin, fourth team
Gennings Dunker, second team
Aaron Graves, second team
Logan Jones, third team
Kaden Wetjen, second team

Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Ten Teams
First Team: Gennings Dunker (OT), Aaron Graves (DT), Logan Jones (C), Kaden Wetjen (KR/PR)
Second Team: Rhys Dakin (P), Beau Stephens (OG), Drew Stevens (PK)
Third Team: Ethan Hurkett (DE)