The wide receiver room has been a huge point of discussion for Iowa entering the 2026 season.
A position group that's disappointed in recent years, there’s optimism that this year’s Iowa wide receivers room could be a genuine strength. Returners like Reece Vander Zee and Dayton Howard give the room a decent floor, while newcomers Tony Diaz and Evan James offer a tantalizing ceiling.
Despite being a huge talking point all offseason, not many have discussed the potential impact of one returning receiver. Kirk Ferentz made sure he changed that on Wednesday.
Ferentz was very complimentary of third-year wide receiver Jarriett Buie in Wednesday’s media availability.
"The other guy I would mention would be Jarriett Buie, who last year basically was in
the witness protection program with a lot of soft tissue issues and just couldn't stay on the field," Ferentz said. "Since January, he's been out there working hard and he's definitely in our rotation."
Buie missed the entire 2025 season with an injury. The 6-foot-2, 198-pound receiver was expected to play a bigger role in the offense, but never got on the field. As a first-year in 2024, Buie caught nine passes for 94 yards, including a strong performance in the bowl game.
After a year away from the field, it looks like Buie is making a push for serious playing time in 2026. His emergence could give Iowa its deepest wide receiver room in years. The Hawkeyes need their wide receivers to step up with a new quarterback at the helm. Buie sounds primed to do just that.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Kirk Ferentz identifies Iowa football WR that's flying under the radar
