116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Iowa football 2025 early opponent preview: Rutgers
Replacing Kyle Monangai’s production at running back among challenges for Scarlet Knights in 2025
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Editor’s note: Fourth in a 12-part series previewing each of Iowa’s 2025 regular-season opponents.
IOWA CITY — Iowa’s first Big Ten opponent of 2025 seems to be on somewhat of an upward trajectory.
Rutgers — with 7-6 records in both 2023 and 2024 — is coming off back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2011 and 2012. (That was the Scarlet Knights’ last season in the Big East and first season in the Big Ten.)
Rutgers’ relative momentum will be put to the test on Sept. 19 against an Iowa team that has experienced hardly any issues in past matchups against the Scarlet Knights. The Hawkeyes have won all four games in program history against Rutgers, and the last three wins have been by 17 or more points.
Greg Schiano’s group most replace Kyle Monangai’s production after the star running back exhausted his eligibility in 2024. He was the first-ever Rutgers offensive player to earn first-team all-Big Ten honors from both coaches and the conference’s media panel and then was a seventh-round pick in this year’s NFL draft.
But Athan Kaliakmanis returns at quarterback for his fifth and final year of college eligibility. The Minnesota transfer started all 13 games and completed 53.9 percent of his passes while throwing 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his first season with the Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers also had heavy involvement in the transfer portal. Notable additions include edge rushers Eric O’Neill and Bradley Weaver and tight end Colin Weber. The recruiting site On3 ranks Schiano’s transfer haul second in the Big Ten — even ahead of Ohio State, and only trailing Oregon.
Rutgers’ path to a third consecutive winning record appears to be more challenging given its schedule. The Scarlet Knights face three teams from last year’s CFP field — Oregon and Penn State at home and Ohio State on the road. They also travel to Illinois, which is coming off a 10-win season and has plenty of returning production.
Iowa vs. Rutgers: 3 things to watch
- Does Iowa’s defense (again) have Athan Kaliakmanis’ number? Kaliakmanis struggled in his two previous games against Iowa’s defense. He completed 7-of-15 passes for 87 yards with one interception in 2022 and completed 10-of-25 passes for 126 yards.
- Which team wins the battle at the line of scrimmage (on both sides of the ball)? Rutgers’ offensive line appears to be one of its strengths in 2025, and its defensive front has benefited from portal reinforcements. Iowa has three returning starters on the offensive line, and the defensive line has six returning players with at least 200 defensive snaps in 2024, per Pro Football Focus.
- How much can C.J. Campbell and others fill the void left by Monangai? Campbell transferred from Florida Atlantic, where he accumulated 844 rushing yards and averaged 5.1 yards per carry. He also was a factor in the receiving game there, catching 40 passes for 466 yards.
2025 prognosis
Iowa should once again have the upper hand against Rutgers in 2025 although the Scarlet Knights appear to be more formidable than earlier in their Big Ten tenure.
Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com
Sign up for our curated Iowa Hawkeyes athletics newsletter at thegazette.com/hawks.
Daily Newsletters