Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes Star Linked To Buffalo Bills
The Iowa Hawkeyes have had a rough season thus far, as they are coming off of a brutal loss to the Michigan State Spartans to drop to 4-3.
However, in the midst of Iowa’s struggles, a couple of impressive players have stood out, and one of them is linebacker Jay Higgins.
Higgins has established himself as one of the best linebackers in the country and is rocketing up NFL Draft boards, so much so that Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine has linked him to the Buffalo Bills.
“The Bills’ linebacker depth has been tested this season. Matt Milano’s season-ending injury has left Dorian Williams and Terrel Bernard to man the middle of the defense,” Ballentine wrote. “Both have been alright in the role, but the Bills might want to bring on a little more depth through the draft to see if they can develop another starter as Milano ages.”
There are questions about how well Higgins’ game will translate on to the NFL level, which is why most are not projecting him to be a Day 1 pick.
However, it is hard to ignore Higgins’ production.
The 22-year-old has rattled off 76 tackles, a sack, a couple of interceptions, a pair of forced fumbles and a fumble recovery thus far this season.
Higgins arrived at Iowa City in 2020, but he did not become a full-time starter until last year when he racked up 171 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
The Hawkeyes’ defense has actually been laboring of late, but it’s certainly not due to Higgins, who has remained dominant in his role.
Higgins will undoubtedly get drafted in April, but where his draft position actually lands is the major question.
When it comes to the Iowa Hawkeyes 2026 football season, it doesn’t get much bigger than Ohio State coming to Kinnick Stadium.
No one knows at this stage where the Buckeyes will be come Oct. 3, but Iowa has a chance to make an early impression against a team that is no stranger to winning the big one.
Iowa’s B1G schedule couldn’t get off to a worse start as they head to Michigan and then welcome the Buckeyes to Kinnick.
Hopefully for Iowa’s sake, their first three games against Northern Illinois, Iowa State, and Northern Iowa are enough to get them prepared. If not, things could get ugly.
ESPN Believes Ohio State is Iowa’s Biggest Opponent in 2026
The Michigan game will certainly be a test, but hosting the Buckeyes is a different animal. That gives the Hawkeyes an advantage like no other, and if there was ever a time to give OSU a run for their money, it’s in Iowa City on Oct. 3.
“The Hawkeyes haven’t faced Ohio State at Kinnick Stadium since 2017, when Nate Stanley threw five touchdowns as they stunned the Buckeyes 55-24. An early October win over Ohio State could propel Iowa into the Big Ten title and playoff conversations,” Jake Trotter wrote.
To put things into perspective, Indiana and Oregon were the other two teams that had the Buckeyes listed as their defining game in the 2026 season. Shockingly, Iowa was actually selected against a team, that being Minnesota. Seeing as that’s for the Floyd of Rosedale, it makes complete sense.
Iowa Can’t Let Regular Season Opportunities Go To Waste
Last year was seemingly the Hawkeyes’ first time to actually make the College Football Playoffs. They came up short as their losses to No. 16 Iowa State, No. 11 Indiana, No. 9 Oregon and No. 17 USC all added up. Sure, those were by a combined 15 points, but that doesn’t matter, as it’s bad enough that a three-loss team made the playoffs.
Iowa ended with a bang as they took down No. 14 Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl, 34-27. Now, all eyes are on either Jeremy Hecklinski or Hank Brown. One of those men will have a chance to make their first B1G start at the Big House in Michigan.
It doesn’t get any tougher than that, as Iowa is immediately putting their new QB into deep water. They’ll have three games prior to that to get up to speed, but other than that, it’s go time as OSU awaits after their trip to Michigan.
Don’t forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!
MANCHESTER, Iowa — The state of Iowa lost a titan of the prep coaching world this week. Former Kee High School baseball coach Gene Schultz died on Monday at the age of 80.
Schultz spent 45 seasons as the baseball coach at Kee, helping turn the program into an Iowa dynasty. He won 9 State championships (not counting 2 fall titles, which the IHSAA doesn’t recognize in the record books), and took the Hawks to 19 State tournaments, which is also the most in Iowa history.
His 1,754 wins are not only the most in Iowa history, but the most of any high school baseball coach in the country.
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