The Iowa football program has always prided itself on developing stellar offensive linemen. Every team in the Kirk Ferentz era seems to have at least one or two linemen who end up playing at the next level. The 2026 Hawkeyes look primed to continue that trend.
Kade Pieper and Trevor Lauck are the superstars of this year’s offensive line. Pieper has been named to virtually every single preseason All-American team out there, and Lauck has received his fair share of accolades as well. The duo is among the best players in all of college football.
That was more than evident in USA TODAY Sports' preseason top 100 college football players. The list, put together by writer Austin Curtright, featured a pair of Iowa stars.
Lauck came in at No. 66 on the
list, while Pieper ranked No. 26.
Curtwright didn’t have anything specific to say about either Hawkeye, but his placement of them on the list speaks volumes. Iowa has two of the best offensive linemen in the country to work with. That’s huge considering the question mark at the quarterback position and the fact that Iowa has to replace three NFL linemen from last year's Joe Moore Award unit.
Ferentz and his team will have a lot of questions to answer early in the 2026 season. The performance of Lauck and Pieper up front, along with the rest of the offensive linemen, shouldn’t be one of them.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football duo lands within USA TODAY Sports' top 100 players
