Wetjen Named To Jet Award Midseason List

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa senior Kaden Wetjen has been named to the Jet Award Midseason Watch List, which honors the most outstanding return specialist in college football. The announcement was made Monday by the Jet Award Foundation.

Wetjen, who was the recipient of the 2024 Jet Award, leads the nation in combined return yards (by 86 yards) for a second straight season. He has 573 combined return yards (262 kickoff, 311 punt) through seven games. Wetjen is No. 1 in the NCAA in punt returns (25.9), and third in kickoff return touchdowns (1) and punt return touchdowns (1).

Wetjen made history in Week 3 when he returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter of the Hawkeyes’ dominant victory over UMass. The return tied a Big Ten and Iowa record (Michigan State’s Al Brenner at Illinois, 1966 and Iowa’s Bill Happel vs. Minnesota, 1984) and was the longest punt return in Kinnick Stadium history. Wetjen finished the contest against the Minutemen with a career-high 216 return yards (182 punt and 34 kickoff) and a career-best 236 all-purpose yards. The 182 punt return yards are the fourth-most in a single game in Big Ten history.

The following week, Wetjen returned the opening kickoff 100 yards against Rutgers to tie an Iowa and Big Ten record. Wetjen earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors following the performances against UMass and Rutgers.

Wetjen, who was recognized as a midseason All-American by The Sporting News last week, is believed to be the first player to score a rushing, receiving, punt return and kickoff return touchdown as a Hawkeye. Both the rushing and receiving scores occurred this season.

The native of Williamsburg, Iowa, is the only player in the nation to have both a kickoff and punt return for a touchdown this season and he was the only player to accomplish the same feat in 2024.

The award is named in honor of Heisman Trophy winner and College Football Hall of Famer Johnny “The Jet” Rodgers. The winner of the 2025 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 (5-2, 3-1) returns to action Saturday against Minnesota (5-2, 3-1)for the rivalry trophy Floyd of Rosedale. Kickoff is slated for 2:40 p.m. (CT) inside Kinnick Stadium and the game will be televised on CBS.