Iowa football signing day, transfer portal and how Kirk Ferentz evaluates his 26 seasons

IOWA CITY — Within the changing landscape of college football, Hawkeye head coach Kirk Ferentz has seen it all.

Iowa signed 22 incoming freshman during Wednesday’s National Signing Day — 18 scholarship athletes and four preferred walk-ons. Ferentz, who turned 70 earlier this year, has coached his fair share of football players. He’s watched the transfer portal dominate offseasons, NIL become a driving factor and how revenue sharing altered roster numbers.

But even after 27 seasons leading Iowa football, he still isn’t planning on going anywhere ahead of 2026.

“I feel really good,” Ferentz said. “I had no idea what it feels like to be 70, now I do, however many months it's been. It doesn't feel any different than when I was 60. I feel good physically. I've got permission from my wife to keep doing this, and it's what I like doing. I really like it and enjoy doing it.”

More importantly, he hasn’t given himself any timeline.

“I don't envision stopping anytime in the near future,” he said.

Ferentz’s verbal confirmation to return for next season sets up an important offseason — one that’s already underway.

Along with the incoming freshmen class becoming Hawkeyes, Iowa’s already preparing for the transfer portal window to opening in January and how the 2026 season will come to fruition.

In some ways, pieces are already being laid down.

Ferentz said the coaching staff is beginning to have individual meetings with players, after giving the Hawkeyes a chance to finish out the rest of the semester. Iowa’s set to learn its bowl game fate Sunday afternoon following ESPN’s College Football Playoff Selection Show, and the transfer portal window will open just days after.

However, players are already able to declare their intention to enter. Quarterback Jackson Stratton was the first Hawkeye to do so, announcing his intention on Sunday. Ferentz said Stratton’s dealt with “health challenges,” but is trying to find a way back to the football field next season.

“I am appreciative of him as a person and the job he did coming out of the bullpen,” Ferentz said. “I wish him the best. I think he's contemplating playing another year, so we'll see how that all goes.”

Of the players who’ve just signed with the program, 14 are expected to practice with Iowa in January. Ferentz said he doesn’t make early enrollment requirement for his program, and supports the athletes who choose to participate in high school winter and spring sports.

That includes incoming freshman quarterback Tradon Bessinger, a four-star signal caller from Utah. The Hawkeyes got the young talent to flip from his commitment to Boise State in November.

Bessinger is planning to join Iowa in June, and will weave his way into a quarterback room with the likes of Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown. With the room nearly boiling over with young talent, there might not be a hard-pressed search for another quarterback out of the transfer portal — unless something changes.

“Right now we feel good with where it's at,” Iowa general manager Tyler Barnes said Tuesday. “Unless there's some type of movement in our room, we feel good about where we're at and we plan to roll with the guys we've got in there.”

The Hawkeyes still plan on being active members in the portal, though. Iowa had 27 Hawkeyes participate in Senior Day, with a handful of them still having additional eligibility remaining. Plus, current Iowa players could elect to venture into the portal if they choose to.

The only known target at this point for Iowa? At least one interior and exterior defensive lineman. The Hawkeyes had four starters play their final year this season, leaving the spot open for more experience.

“I don't think I'm giving up anything extravagant here, we're probably going to look for one inside and one outside guy in the portal, realistically,” Barnes said. “But what we have in the room, again, it's young and not a ton of experience, but there's guys you really like in what we've seen.”

The start of offseason turnover has arrived, to be sure. Now, it’s about piecing together the future players who’ve just sent over their paperwork, along with the current players preparing for a bowl game and whatever lies in front of Iowa come the new year.

“Call us old school, call us slow that we don't offer too many people or are as quick as other schools,” Barnes said, “but for us, it's a recipe and a formula that's worked for us, and we're obviously going to continue to stick with it as much as possible.”

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