#97 Zach VanValkenburg Season 2019-20

Hawk Item – – One of six seniors named to 2021 Player Council . . . tied for first nationally with four recovered fumbles in 2020 . . . took advantage of additional year of eligibility to compete in 2021.

2021 Honors – – Hayden Fry Award, defense . . . second-team All-Big Ten by league coaches and media, and Associated Press . . . third-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele . . . quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy . . . named to Ted Hendricks Award Watch List . . . named to Lombardi Award Preseason Watch List . . . named to Lott IMPACT Trophy Preseason Watch List . . . preseason first-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele . . . preseason second-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports . . . 2021 – – Started at defensive end in 34-6 win over #17 Indiana as defense allowed just 77 net rushing yards and 233 yards total offense, recording one solo tackle and two QB pressures . . . started at defensive end in 27-17 win at #9 Iowa State as defense allowed just 87 net rushing yards . . . six tackles at ISU, including career-high five solo stops, to go with one QB pressure . . . saw action in 30-7 win over Kent State as defense allowed just 79 net rushing yards and 264 yards total offense . . . four assisted tackles vs. Kent State, including 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 QB sacks . . . shared tacklewith Lukas Van Ness resulted in safety for first points of the game . . . started at defensive end in 24-14 win over Colorado State as defense allowed 95 net rushing yards and 250 yards total offense . . . recorded five tackles vs. CSU, including two solo stops and three assists, including 2.5 tackles for loss and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 51-14 win at Maryland as defense allowed just 97 net rushing yards and 271 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo tackle at Maryland, a five-yard tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 23-20 win over #4 Penn State . . . recorded five tackles vs. PSU, including one solo tackle and four assists, along with one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 24-7 loss to Purdue . . . two tackles vs. Purdue, including one solo stop and one assist, with one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 27-7 loss at Wisconsin . . . two tackles at Wisconsin, with one solo tackle and one shared tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 17-12 win at Northwestern as defense allowed just 93 net rushing yards . . . three tackles at Northwestern, including one solo stop and two assists, along with two QB pressures . . . started at defenisve end in 27-22 win over Minnesota . . . career-high 10 tackles vs. Minnesota, including six solo tackles and four assists . . . three tackles for loss, one sack and one QB pressure vs. Minnesota . . . started at defensive end in 33-23 win over Illinois as defense allowed just 64 net rushing yards . . . four tackles vs. Illinois, including two solo stops and two assists, with one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 28-21 win at Nebraska . . . five tackles at Nebraska, including three solo tackles and two assists, with one sack . . . started at defensive end in 42-3 loss to #2 Michigan . . . two solo tackles vs. Michigan, including one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 20-17 Citrus Bowl loss to #22 Kentucky . . . eight tackles vs. Kentucky, including four solo stops and four assists . . . 2.5 tackles for loss and two QB sacks vs. Kentucky.

2020 Honors – – Second-team All-Big Ten by league coaches and media . . . fourth-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele . . . Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Week in win over Minnesota . . . 2020 – – Started all eight games at defensive end . . . tied for national lead with four fumble recoveries . . . recorded 30 tackles, with 14 solo stops and 16 assists, with 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks . . . also had one forced fumble and two QB pressures . . . started at right defensive end in 24-20 loss at Purdue, recording one assisted tackle . . . started at right defensive end in 21-20 loss to Northwestern . . . career-best seven tackles vs. Northwestern, including two solo stops and five assists . . . also recorded one shared tackle for loss, and caused and recovered fumble that led to Iowa’s second touchdown . . . started at defensive end in 49-7 win over Michigan State as defense allowed 59 rushing yards and 286 yards total offense . . . three tackles vs. MSU, including two solo stops and one assist, with 1.5 tackles for loss, a shared sack and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 35-7 win at Minnesota . . . five tackles at Minnesota, including four solo stops and one assist . . . career-high three sacks at Minnesota, along with one QB pressure, to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors . . . started at defensive end in 41-21 win at Penn State as defense allowed just 62 net rushing yards . . . recovered two fumbles in win at PSU . . . four tackles at PSU, including three solo stops and one assist, with 1.5 tackles for loss . . . started at defensive end in 26-20 win over Nebraska . . . two assisted tackles vs. Nebraska, along with recovered fumble to stop Nebraska’s final possession in the closing minutes . . . started at defensive end in 35-21 win at Illinois . . . five tackles at Illinois, including three solo stops and two assists, which included two tackles for loss . . . started at defensive end in 28-7 win over #25 Wisconsin . . . three tackles vs. the Badgers, including one solo stop and two assists.

Hawk Item – – Joined Iowa program in summer, 2019, after playing two seasons at Hillsdale College (Div. II) . . . named Defensive Lineman of the Year in Great Midwest Athletic Conference in 2018 . . . recorded 70 tackles as a sophomore, including 14.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks, along with three forced fumbles . . . led the league in sacks and ranked third in tackles for loss in 2018 . . . as a freshman in 2017 recorded 32 tackles, including 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one blocked kick . . . redshirted in 2016 after an early season injury . . . recorded 15 tackles before season-ending injury in mid-October . . . season-high seven tackles vs. Wayne State . . . earned team Big Stick Award following performance vs. Wayne State . . . named team defensive Scout Team Player of the Week on Sept. 5.

2019 – – Saw action in 11 games, recording two solo tackles and four assists . . . saw action in 38-14 win over Miami, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 59 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 30-0 win over Rutgers, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 125 yards total offense . . . saw action in 18- 17 win at Iowa State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 48-3 win over Middle Tennessee as defense allowed just 216 yards total offense . . . Iowa career-best three assisted tackles vs. MTSU . . . did not see action in 10-3 loss at #18 Michigan . . . saw action in 17-12 loss to #9 Penn State, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 26-20 win over Purdue, recording one solo tackle as defense allowed just 33 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 20-0 win at Northwestern, recording one solo tackle as defense allowed just 64 net rushing yards and 202 yards total offense . . . saw action in 24-22 loss at #16 Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . did not see action in 23-19 win over #7 Minnesota . . . saw action in 19-10 win over Illinois, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 27-24 win at Nebraska, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 49-24 Holiday Bowl win over #22 USC, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 22 net rushing yards.

High school honors – – Earned first-team all-state and all-conference honors as a senior . . . named Holland Sentinel Defensive Player of the Year and named to Detroit Free Press Dream Team as a senior . . . earned all-conference honors as a junior . . . Career – – Three-year football letterman as linebacker and defensive end . . . member of prep team that won three conference titles and two state championships, posting 39-2 record over three seasons . . . recorded 85 tackles a senior, including 28 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks . . . team captain as a senior . . . also earned four letters in wrestling, earning all-state honors on the mat, and four-year track letterman.

Personal – – Born 2/17/98 . . . has earned bachelor’s degree in history and master’s degree in eastern European studies . . . named AP Scholar as a prep . . . parents are Rebecca and Dale VanValkenburg . . . high school coach was John Shillito.