HAWKEYE OFFENSIVE LINE SETS THE STANDARD FOR SECURITY
HAWKEYE OFFENSIVE LINE SETS THE STANDARD FOR SECURITY
By Joey Johnston
At ReliaQuest, the Tampa-based cybersecurity company that sponsors the ReliaQuest Bowl, the firm's slogan is "Making Security Possible.''
At the University of Iowa, its football program could easily borrow that same slogan.
The Hawkeyes' offensive security is made possible by an ultra-reliable offensive line, one of the best up-front units in recent Big Ten Conference history.
Iowa (8-4) will flex those O-line muscles on Dec. 31 when it faces the SEC's Vanderbilt Commodores (10-2) at Raymond James Stadium.
One of football's most tried-and-true axioms: Offensive linemen only get noticed when things go wrong. We generally agree with that. But Iowa's offensive line has gotten noticed for a season's worth of fabulous accomplishments.
Iowa won the Joe Moore Award, presented to the nation's best offensive line. When you examine the 2025 season, when you dive into what makes this George Barnett-coached unit really tick, you might be amazed.
* The Hawkeyes had the same starting five all season. One of nine teams this season with that distinction.
* The O-line didn't have an accepted holding penalty until the season's 10th game.
* It allowed only 16 sacks.
* Iowa's running game outrushed nine of its opponents.
* It finished 11th nationally in converting third-and-short opportunities.
"It's one heck of a unit,'' Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz said. "I think we went through a little slump after the pandemic and maybe weren't performing to our standards on the O-line. But last season and this season, the standard returned in a big way. These guys have left a very positive mark.
"It's not a job that gets a lot of glory, obviously. It takes a special kind of person. But that's part of our culture at Iowa and these guys have lived up to that and performed like you'd expect from an Iowa offensive line.''
The lineup:
Left Tackle - Trevor Lauck (6-foot-5, 310 pound, sophomore). First-year starter. Third-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and honorable mention by the media.
Left Guard - Beau Stephens (6-5, 315, senior). Has started 17 straight games and 33 overall. First-team All-Big Ten by the Associated Press and coaches, second team by the media.
Center - Logan Jones (6-3, 302, graduate student). First-team All-Big Ten by the coaches, media and Associated Press. An Outland Trophy and Rimington Trophy finalist. Started 50 career games. Nation's top-rated center by Pro Football Focus.
Right Guard - Kade Pieper (6-4, 290, sophomore). First-year starter. Third-team All-Big Ten by the media and honorable mention by the coaches.
Right Tackle - Gennings Dunker (6-5, 315, senior). Second-team All-Big Ten by the Associated Press.
The Hawkeyes have had many standout offensive linemen in the Kirk Ferentz era, including Robert Gallery (2000-03), Brandn Scherff (2011-14), Eric Steinbach (1999-2002), Bruce Nelson (1999-2002), Bryan Bulaga (2007-09) and Tristan Wirfs (2017-19).
But as a unit, this season's offensive-line group has earned a special place in Iowa's blocking lore.