IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior Kaden Wetjen has been named a finalist for the 2025 Jet Award, which honors the most outstanding return specialist in college football. The announcement was made on Monday by the Jet Award Foundation.

The other four finalists are Caullin Lacy (Louisville), Ryan Niblett (Texas), Jadarian Price (Notre Dame) and Vicari Swain (South Carolina).

Wetjen, who was the recipient of the 2024 Jet Award, leads the country in combined return yards (by 231 yards) for a second straight season. He has 894 combined return yards (356 kickoff, 538 punt) through 11 games. Wetjen is No. 1 in the NCAA in punt returns (28.3) and punt return TDs (3) and fourth in kickoff return touchdowns (1). The 28.3 punt return average is currently tops in Big Ten history. The three punt return touchdowns in 2025 tie for third-most in a single season in Big Ten history.

Wetjen, who is a two-time Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week in 2025, is the only player in the nation to have both a kickoff and punt return for a touchdown this season and he was the only player to accomplish the same feat in 2024. He recorded punt returns of 50 (Minnesota), 62 (Michigan State) and 95 (UMass) yards and went untouched on a 100-yard kickoff return at Rutgers. The 95-yard punt return against UMass tied a Big Ten record.

His 538 punt return yards in 2025 are an Iowa record, passing Ramon Ochoa’s 495 in 2003, and are the seventh-most in Big Ten history.

The native of Williamsburg, Iowa, amassed 182 returns yards against UMass on Sept. 13, fourth-most in a single-game in Big Ten history. Wetjen also had a 20-yard rushing touchdown against the Minutemen to become the first Hawkeye to score a rushing, receiving, punt return and kickoff return touchdown in a career.

Wetjen currently has a 17.5 career punt return average (53 returns, 929 yards), tops in Big Ten history, while his 929 career yards are 10th-most in conference history. His six career combined kickoff/punt return scores are an Iowa record, surpassing Tim Dwight after his 62-yard return in Saturday’s comeback win over Michigan State.

The award is named in honor of Heisman Trophy winner and College Football Hall of Famer Johnny “The Jet” Rodgers. The winner of the 2025 Jet Award will be selected by a panel of voters, including media members from the Football Writers Association of America, former recipients of the Jet Award, and two of our founders, Johnny Rodgers and William Reed.

Iowa (7-4, 5-3) returns to action Friday at Nebraska (7-4, 4-4) in the Pioneer Heroes Game. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:08 a.m. (CT) in Lincoln, Nebraska. The game will be televised on CBS and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.