Iowa
Leistikow on Iowa football: Appreciating long snapper Luke Elkin, Brendan Sullivan comeback
LeVar Woods knows he has elite specialists entering Music City Bowl
The Iowa special teams coordinator talks long snapper Luke Elkin and return specialist Kaden Wetjen, both all-Americans at their positions.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. − Luke Elkin arrived in Iowa City from Neenah, Wisconsin, with realistic expectations as a walk-on true freshman long snapper in 2021. He surprisingly didn’t make the travel roster for the Hawkeyes’ home opener against Indiana.
But that following week in practice, coaches told him to get ready. He figured it was just something they told freshmen. He was added to trip to Ames for Iowa’s top-10 showdown that week at Iowa State, with ESPN’s “College GameDay” in attendance.
After a bad first-quarter snap caused Caleb Shudak to miss a 50-yard field goal in that game, Elkin was tapped to replace sixth-year senior Austin Spiewak. Wearing No. 39 with no name on his jersey, Elkin snapped for Shudak’s first extra-point at Jack Trice Stadium. The snap was good. The kick was good.
And?
“Never come out since,” Elkin said recently, nearing the completion of a quietly impressive four-year Iowa career. “That’s been very, very fortunate for me, and something that’s been very exciting for my family, too, which has been awesome.”
Nobody thinks about the long snapper until something goes wrong. And for four years, Elkin has been on point, whether it’s been snapping to All-American punter Tory Taylor or for field goals, including game-winners each of the past two years against Nebraska.
This year, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) added long snapper to its first team. And Elkin was honored as a first-team All-American, the best in the country at his craft. Iowa has long valued Elkin’s contributions, putting him on scholarship before his junior season.
One of the things that makes Elkin so good is that he played a ton of positions in high school. He’s athletic. He is very fast and can cover kicks. And for a program that values reliability, he’s as reliable as they come.
“I realized (in high school) that I might actually have a shot at this,” Elkin said. “It was just show up every day for practice with consistency.”
As always for Iowa, special teams could be a big advantage in Monday’s Music City Bowl matchup vs. Missouri. The Hawkeyes’ have a noticeable edge with kicker Drew Stevens (perfect 15-for-15 inside 50 yards) over Missouri’s Blake Craig (1-for-7 from 40-49 yards) and at punter with freshman Rhys Dakin.
For 4 years, Luke Elkin found his role as an elite long snapper at Iowa
The Wisconsin native has been the most reliable Hawkeye since being thrown into the fire in a top-10 matchup as a true freshman in Week 2.
The guy snapping for them is a key part of their successes, too. And it all started in a heated Cy-Hawk game in 2021, which Iowa won, 27-17. Elkin has been a fixture ever since. Monday will mark his final game as a Hawkeye.
“For a kid to be thrown into that situation, in a hostile environment, in a rivalry game, I think it speaks volumes about him,” special-teams coordinator LeVar Woods said. “But what we saw in him was that he’s very calm, very relaxed. Didn’t get rattled by very much, and his product was very good. He was very accurate with his snaps. He’s a good player.”
A time of reflection for Quinn Schulte, Sebastian Castro
Iowa’s roster has to be trimmed from 128 this year to 105 by Aug. 1. That has meant a lot of tough conversations between coaches and players about where walk-ons and even scholarship guys stand in the program. There used to be spots for about 45 walk-ons at Iowa. Soon, there will be space for only 20.
“Awful. It’s been the hardest part of this month,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said recently. “It could have been so easily avoided if we stair-stepped it (incrementally).
“Nobody asked me for my opinion or filled me in on the details. I’m sure it was a financial decision, like everything we do. I would argue whatever the dollar amount was, keep it the same and spread it out on 120, 118 (players) instead of 105 and not have bloodletting. That’s the regrettable part in my mind.”
To that point, would Schulte have even made the original 105 as an undersized, walk-on safety out of Cedar Rapids Xavier High School in 2019?
Sebastian Castro explains why he didn’t opt out of the Music City Bowl
The sixth-year senior defensive back previews the Missouri matchup ahead of his final game as a Hawkeye.
“As a true freshman, it would have been hard,” Schulte said Friday. “I really didn’t know what was going on as a true freshman, but I’m confident in the next couple years I would have (made the 105). But I don’t know. We don’t know. I’m grateful that it didn’t happen and get to that point.”
Schulte said it’s been “disappointing” to see the process that has basically been the equivalent of roster cuts that has sent a lot of walk-ons to the NCAA transfer portal to seek new opportunities. Now, he’s here along with fellow sixth-year senior Sebastian Castro in Iowa’s secondary. They’re both getting set to play their final games as Hawkeyes.
“I’ve been here a long time, and I love being here,” said Castro, who didn’t opt out of the game because he said he felt he owed it to the program. “Grateful for everything. It changed my life, coming to this program, but it’s time to go. You know, I can’t be here forever.”
Brendan Sullivan on his health, Iowa’s revamped quarterbacks room
Sullivan is planning to stay at Iowa for his fifth-year senior season, and he gets a chance to cement his QB1 status entering the spring vs. Missouri.
Sully’s ready for redemption at QB1 for Iowa
Brendan Sullivan met with the Iowa media for about seven minutes Friday, his first interview since Nov. 5. The quarterback injured his ankle three nights later in a loss at UCLA and hasn’t returned to the field since.
Now, he’s feeling 100% and ready to go as the starter for Iowa against Missouri (1:30 p.m. Monday, ESPN).
“Anybody that’s played any sport competitively knows that it sucks watching your brothers go fight without you,” Sullivan said. “It was not fun being out, but (I) tried to work my butt off to get back.”
Sullivan proved to be a better quarterback option than the now-departed Cade McNamara, but made only two starts – finishing one, a 42-10 win against Wisconsin on Nov. 2. He committed three turnovers in that 20-17 loss to UCLA. Offensive coordinator Tim Lester noted that Sullivan was too quick to bail on his reads and scramble, and that’s what led to his ankle injury.
“It wasn’t fun. Obviously, a poor performance on my end,” Sullivan said. “Didn’t help getting hit a lot, too, which was partially my fault as well.”
What did he learn from that loss?
“Just not letting things spiral. A big thing with me is I get too hard on myself,” Sullivan said. “One bad play leads to another, which is not good at our position.”
4 quick hits from Friday’s practice …
- Safety Koen Entringer was a non-participant. He has been the top backup in Iowa’s secondary. If he’s out, that would change the Hawkeyes’ dime defense and perhaps elevate Zach Lutmer if there’s an injury to Castro, Schulte or Xavier Nwankpa.
- Center Logan Jones was suited up and snapping balls with his left hand, while his traditional right snapping hand remained in a cast after he broke it in a recent practice. There is no official word on Jones’ status, but it’s likely that Tyler Elsbury still gets the start.
- Woods said that two true freshmen have stood out during bowl preparations and could see action on special teams: defensive back Rashad Godfrey and running back Brevin Doll. “When you give them an opportunity, you can tell they’ve been paying attention throughout the whole year,” Woods said.
- True freshman wide receiver Reece Vander Zee made some nice catches with the second-team offense from quarterback Jackson Stratton. He looks to be ready to return to action for the first time since Oct. 26.
Why is Kaden Wetjen “98% sure” he is returning to Iowa for fifth year?
The Williamsburg native and first-team all-American return specialist reveals that he is still not on scholarship, talks 2025 goals.
Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow has served for 30 years with The Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Sports Network. Chad is the 2023 INA Iowa Sports Columnist of the Year and NSMA Co-Sportswriter of the Year in Iowa. Join Chad’s text-message group (free for subscribers) at HawkCentral.com/HawkeyesTexts. Follow @ChadLeistikow on X.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek spent Saturday campaigning across Eastern Iowa as part of his “Pushing for Change” get-out-the-vote tour.
Turek, a state representative and two-time Paralympic gold medalist, held canvass launches and door-knocking events in Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, and North Liberty as he works to build support ahead of Iowa’s upcoming primary election.
The candidate is seeking Iowa’s open U.S. Senate seat and says his campaign is centered on issues affecting families across the state. Among his top priorities are affordability, housing, health care access, immigration reform, and support for working families.
“I think it’s important for people to hear directly from their candidates,” Turrek said. “Tuesday is election day, so trying to get all over the state and talk to people directly about this generational chance that we’ve got to change this state and change this country.”
Turek is one of two Democratic candidates who will appear on the June primary ballot.
“There’s nothing like a direct interaction with voters, face-to-face on their stairs,” Turek said.
Voters interested in learning more about Turek and his campaign can watch Iowa’s News Now’s full Beyond the Podium interview on the Iowa’s News Now YouTube channel.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks to Iowa Republicans on midterm elections
Here from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, talk to Iowa Republicans on midterm elections at Faith and Freedom’s Spring Kickoff on May 1, 2026.
For a ruby red state controlled at nearly every level by GOP elected officials, Iowa Republicans are unusually nervous going into the 2026 midterm election season.
The state has open races for governor and U.S. Senate, and it will see two of its four U.S. House races heavily targeted as Democratic pickup opportunities.
The governor’s race in particular has unsettled Republicans, as well-funded, well-liked Democratic state Auditor Rob Sand marshals a formidable campaign infrastructure while Republicans fight out a divisive five-way primary race.
The candidate field will be set in the state’s primary elections Tuesday, June 2.
National leaders of both parties see Iowa as a potential key to either holding or reversing national control of Congress, and Democrats hope to reclaim ground with rural voters in a state that has consistently trended red.
“The Democrats have put a bullseye on the state of Iowa,” Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz warned Iowa Republicans at a May 2 rally in suburban Des Moines.
Cruz said Democrats believe they can swing control of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate away from Republicans just by flipping seats in Iowa.
“And they’re probably right about that,” he said.
National midterm trends favor Democrats, as polling shows voters souring on Republican President Donald Trump, gas prices skyrocket amid war with Iran, and the cost of living remains high.
In Iowa, the state has taken additional hits as trade wars and high costs threaten a renewed farm crisis in the state’s agricultural economy.
But it will be a tough road for Democrats in the Hawkeye State, even if the midterm stars align in their favor.
Registered Republican voters outnumber registered Democrats in Iowa by nearly 200,000, and Republicans have dominated recent election cycles in the state.
Trump carried Iowa by about 13 percentage points in 2024. And Republicans hold all six seats in Congress, both chambers of the state Legislature and every statewide elected office but one.
“We have the record, we have the numbers,” Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who is not seeking another term, said at a March event with the Polk County GOP.
“If we show up, we will win,” she said.
U.S. Senate race: Democrats will choose between two ‘fighters’
One of the most closely watched primary races in Iowa is the Democratic contest for U.S. Senate.
Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, announced last year she would not run in 2026, leaving the seat open and stoking Democrats’ hopes for reclaiming it.
However, a Democrat has not held a U.S. Senate seat in Iowa since longtime senator Tom Harkin retired in 2015.
A pair of Democrats, state Rep. Josh Turek and state Sen. Zach Wahls, are hoping to change that.
Both are running aggressive primary campaigns, each arguing he is the more electable candidate in a general election.
Turek, of Council Bluffs, touts his grit on the campaign trail.
Growing up with spina bifida, Turek endured 21 surgeries before age 12 and went on to become a gold medal-winning Paralympian representing Team USA in wheelchair basketball.
He says he’s a “battle tested” candidate after winning his Iowa House seat in a western Iowa district that Trump carried.
“I went out, and I crawled stairs and I knocked doors dragging my wheelchair up there to have a conversation with every single person in the community,” he said. “That didn’t matter, Democrats, independents, Republicans. Talked to them all, and talked about the issues they cared about. And I won my first election by just six votes.”
Wahls, of Coralville, says he’ll motivate voters by taking on a corrupt political system that’s rigged in favor of billionaires and corporations at the expense of the middle class.
He rose to political prominence after giving a viral speech at age 19 on the Iowa House floor defending his two moms’ right to marry.
“Iowans want a fighter who has that courage to challenge a broken system and the status quo that is failing our state. I think that’s the core contrast in this race for Democratic primary voters,” Wahls said. “I’m willing to fight back against an establishment that has failed Iowans over and over again. Rep. Turek is being supported by that establishment.”
The candidates share similar views across a range of issues, although Turek cuts a more moderate image, while Wahls leans more progressive — a dynamic that echoes Democratic primaries across the country this year.
One point of contention: Wahls has said he will not vote for U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer as Senate Democratic leader if elected and has called on Turek, who he has criticized for being too closely aligned with the Democratic political establishment, to do the same.
“I’ve called on Josh Turek to join me in rejecting outside spending in this race and rejecting Chuck Schumer’s leadership. He’s refused,” Wahls said. “If he doesn’t have the courage to take on the failed leaders in our own party, he won’t be able to take on Donald Trump either.”
Turek said in a May 5 debate he is “not a D.C. insider.”
“I don’t know these folks,” he said. “I only have one idea with this. And that is: I am not measuring the drapes.”
But the perception that outside forces are working hard to shape the race has rattled some Iowa Democrats.
VoteVets, an outside group that has previously aligned with Senate Democratic leadership but denies any coordination in Iowa’s race, has spent $10 million on television and digital advertising and direct mail to support Turek since March 23, according to reports with the Federal Election Commission.
Although Turek is not a veteran, he believes his spina bifida was caused by his father’s exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam.
The $10 million figure has dwarfed what the candidates themselves have raised and spent and could dramatically shape the race’s outcome.
Turek and Wahls have so far raised $3.5 million and $3.7 million respectively.
The winner of Tuesday’s primary is expected to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson.
Hinson announced her Senate campaign just hours after Ernst said she would not seek reelection. She quickly secured major endorsements from Iowa political leaders, as well as Trump.
She faces a primary from former state Sen. Jim Carlin, although she is heavily favored to win.
Both national parties have signaled their intentions to invest heavily in the state as it moves into the general election — an indication of Iowa’s importance to the parties’ overall strategies.
The Republican-aligned Senate Leadership Fund said it will spend $29 million on behalf of Hinson while the Democrat-aligned Senate Majority PAC plans to spend $13.4 million in Iowa.
Rob Sand energizes Democrats; Republicans will choose nominee in June 2 primary race
Nonpartisan elections analysts at the Cook Political Report have labeled Iowa’s governor’s race as a “toss-up,” moving it into the most competitive category the organization tracks.
“The battle for Iowa’s governorship is officially a barnburner,” wrote Matthew Klein, an analyst who focuses on gubernatorial contests.
Sand, the Democratic state auditor, has energized Iowa voters and garnered national media buzz as he assembles what Iowa Democrats and Republicans alike say is a strong campaign operation.
He started early and aggressively, completing a 100-stop public town hall tour before presumed GOP frontrunner, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, formally got into the race.
Sand plans another 100-stop tour this summer, arguing the effort will help raise his profile among prospective voters, especially in the small towns and rural areas that have abandoned Democrats in recent election cycles.
He said he believes that even if voters don’t completely agree with him, they’ll respect him for having the conversation.
According to the campaign, Sand met with about 10,000 people across all 100 of his town halls, taking roughly 750 questions.
Sand positions himself as an independent-minded Democrat fed up with the two-party political system. And on the campaign trail, he argues that single-party control of government has led to abuses of power.
“We all know the phrase ‘power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely,’” he said as he embarked on his statewide tour. “And now we can say it also takes 10 years. Ten years of one-party control.”
He said that isn’t a partisan statement.
“I invite you to visit the state of California. I invite you to visit the state of New York,” he said. “There, you will find problems. … Either party, when left to its own devices, will begin to serve insiders and special interest groups.”
He’s also incredibly well-funded.
Sand has raised nearly $28 million since the start of his campaign — a number that is boosted significantly by his wealthy in-laws, who have contributed about $11.5 million.
Sand has used his war chest to begin airing a series of accountability-focused television ads, while his opponents are mired in a competitive primary fight.
Five Republicans will be on the June 2 primary ballot, including Feenstra, state Rep. Eddie Andrews, businessman Zach Lahn, former state Rep. Brad Sherman and former state administrator Adam Steen.
Feenstra entered the race as the presumed frontrunner, with millions of dollars already at his disposal and the backing of some of the state’s top elected officials.
He has run a campaign focused on making Iowa a business- and ag-friendly state, improving education, reducing property taxes, and increasing access to quality and affordable health care.
He touts his work helping to secure Trump’s agenda in Congress, including helping to author portions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Trump issued a key endorsement in Feenstra’s favor just days before the primary, which could help buoy his prospects.
Iowa’s MAGA-aligned Republican base has always treated Feenstra with some skepticism — a mood that has intensified as he avoids many public-facing events, including multi-candidate forums and primary debates.
As Election Day nears, Feenstra faces the threat of failing to reach the 35% threshold needed to secure the nomination outright.
If no candidate hits that benchmark, the nomination will be decided by a group of a grassroots delegates at a statewide convention June 13.
In the final days of the race, Feenstra’s campaign has trained its attacks on Lahn, a businessman, entrepreneur and farmer who has aligned himself with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again movement.
Lahn has gained momentum on the campaign trail by focusing much of his message on fighting special interests and corporate monopolies, as well as Iowa’s rising cancer rates and problems with water quality.
“We don’t have time to ignore the problem anymore,” Lahn said of Iowa’s cancer and water problems. “And I think Iowans know that.”
He’s also aired a series of TV ads emphasizing his conservative roots, arguing that “Marxists” have “hijacked” public school curricula and that government jobs should not go to H-1B visa holders in an effort to end illegal immigration.
Lahn outraised Feenstra in the fundraising period that ran from Jan. 1 to May 14, although Feenstra has raised more overall. Lahn has self-funded the bulk of his campaign, contributed $2 million to the effort.
Also on the GOP ballot are state Rep. Eddie Andrews, former state Rep. Brad Sherman and former state administrator Adam Steen.
A pair of congressional races will put Iowa in the spotlight
Two of Iowa’s four congressional races are rated “toss-ups” by the Cook Political Report and are expected to draw significant national attention. There are just 18 such races in the country.
The 3rd District, which encompasses the Capitol city of Des Moines, is perhaps the state’s swingiest.
Currently represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, the district is about 36% registered Republicans and 31% registered Democrats. Another 32% are no-party voters.
Nunn is being challenged by Sarah Trone Garriott, a state senator from West Des Moines. Both are unopposed for their party’s nomination.
And in the state’s southeast corner, Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller‑Meeks and Democratic challenger Christina Bohannan are gearing up for what could be their third race against each other since 2022.
Despite each facing party challengers, Both Miller-Meeks and Bohannan have been largely operating in general election mode ahead of the June 2 primary. The two each have stockpiled more than $4 million for one of the nation’s top targeted U.S. House battles.
Democrats have also identified Iowa’s 2nd District as a possible pickup opportunity under the right circumstances. That is an open race after Hinson decided to run for U.S. Senate.
Cook Political Report has shifted the race from “Solid R” to “Likely R,” saying Democrats “have a better shot” at competing now that Hinson is running for another position.
In the Democratic race, state Rep. Lindsay James of Dubuque has emerged as the party’s fundraising leader, followed by former Cedar Rapids nonprofit leader Clint Twedt-Ball and former Kirkwood Community College Dean of Nursing Kathy Dolter.
And on the Republican side, former state Rep. Joe Mitchell of Clear Lake has emerged as the clear frontrunner in the GOP primary, building a massive fundraising advantage over state Sen. Charlie McClintock of Alburnett, while collecting endorsements from Trump and national Republicans.
Des Moines Register reporters Stephen Gruber-Miller and Marissa Payne contributed to this report.
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She writes about campaigns, elections and the Iowa Caucuses. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR.
See inside Principal Park, home of the Iowa Cubs
See inside the batting cages, locker rooms and other spaces inside Principal Park, home of the Iowa Cubs baseball team.
When the Iowa Cubs return to Principal Park in Des Moines on June 2, the Triple-A team will likely be bringing back a familiar face.
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsel told reporters in St. Louis, Mo., on May 29 that super utilityman Matt Shaw would likely join Iowa when the team opens a six-game series against Toledo that Tuesday.
“Matts doing super well,” Counsell said during a pregame meeting with scribes. “The plan kind of remains intact that we think he’s going to be able to start a rehab assignment on Tuesday in Iowa. So, assuming everything progresses like it progresses, he’s going to have basically a full weekend of kind of normal pregame stuff. He should be good to go on Tuesday in Iowa.”
Shaw was placed on the injured list back on May 22 with mild back tightness, retroactive to May 20. He was replaced on the big-league roster by prized Cubs prospect Pedro Ramrirez, who tore apart opposing pitching during his first stint in Triple-A in 2026.
Shaw, 24, was hitting .242 (23-for-95) with six doubles, three home runs, three stolen bases and a .291 on base percentage to go along with a .400 slugging percentage in 42 games with Chicago this season. He’s bounced around the field this season and provided an important option off the bench for the Cubs.
Shaw remains one of the organization’s top young players. The Cubs selected in the first round of the 2023 draft. Shaw rapidly rose through the minor leagues and made his big-league debut with Chicago in 2025. After some early-season struggles, Shaw was briefly demoted to Iowa in 2024 before eventually making a return to the big leagues.
While the hitting wasn’t great, the defense was exceptional. Shaw found a home at third base and played so well he became a Gold Glove finalist in 2025.
Iowa starts the series on Tuesday at 6:38 p.m.
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020, 2023 and 2025 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.
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