Buffington Named Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa third-year linebacker Cam Buffington has been named the Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week for Week 2 of the 2026 college football season, it was announced Wednesday by the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation.

Buffington earned the national honor following a career-best performance in Iowa’s 16-13 Cy-Hawk victory over rival Iowa State last Saturday. The Winfield, Iowa, native registered a game-high 15 tackles (nine solo), including 10 tackles in the first half alone. The 15 stops were his first career double-digit tackle contest and mark the highest single-game total by a Hawkeye since Jay Higgins in 2024.

Behind Buffington's performance, the Hawkeye defense limited the Cyclones to just 225 yards of total offense.

Through two games, Buffington leads the Big Ten in solo tackles and ranks ninth nationally averaging 10.5 total stops per game. An Academic All-Big Ten selection, Buffington also serves as a member of the team’s Player Council.

The Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week is determined by an internal vote of former players, coaches, and Lott IMPACT Trophy board members, alongside a fan vote on social media.

Iowa (2-0) returns to action Saturday, hosting UNI (1-1) at 3 p.m. (CT) on Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium.