CHICAGO — University of Iowa fourth-year offensive lineman Kade Pieper has been named to the Big Ten Conference Preseason Honors List, it was announced Tuesday by the league office.
Twelve student-athletes from all 18 conference schools were selected by a media panel.
Pieper, a 2026 Walter Camp Preseason first-team All-American, started all 13 games at guard in 2025 and is coming off a breakout campaign where he earned Pro Football Focus (PFF) first-team All-America and third-team All-Big Ten accolades. He was also a cornerstone of an Iowa’s offensive line that took home the prestigious Joe Moore Award in 2025. Behind Pieper and the front five, the Hawkeyes outrushed their opponents in nine of their 13 contests a year ago. Additionally, Iowa’s protection unit surrendered an average time-to-pressure of just 2.8 seconds, ranking as the fifth-best mark nationally.
The Hawkeyes have had 14 players named to the Big Ten Preseason Honors List in the last 13 seasons. They include Pieper (2026), OL Gennings Dunker and OL Logan Jones (2025), LB Jay Higgins (2024), DB/RS Cooper DeJean (2023), LB Jack Campbell (2022), OL Tyler Linderbaum (2021), DE A.J. Epenesa (2019), TE Noah Fant (2018), LB Josey Jewell (2017), QB C.J. Beathard (2016), DB Desmond King (2016), DE Drew Ott (2015) and OL Brandon Scherff (2014). Dunker, Jones, DeJean, Campbell, Linderbaum, Epenesa, Fant, Jewell, Beathard, King, and Scherff were selected in the NFL Draft after making the list.
The Hawkeyes open the 2026 season against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5, on Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium, at 3:15 p.m. (CT).
