Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - UNSTOPPABLE: Iowa Hawkeyes Top 10 Importance Rankings—Buffington and Lauch READY to Ascend

Episode Date: July 24, 2026

UNSTOPPABLE: Iowa Hawkeyes Top 10 Importance Rankings—Buffington and Lauch READY to Ascend Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's a drive-in-chat edition of Lockdown Hawkeyes. We're going to break down the 10 most important players for Iowa football and take a look. After some basketball media availability, how good can this women's basketball team be? You are Locked-on Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Hey, welcome into a special edition of Lockdown Hawkeyes. Coming to you live on the road, driving down I-80, and I figure we just chat. Welcome in here. I'm Trent Condon, the host of Lockdown Hawkeyes, your daily Iowa Hawkeye podcast.

Today, we're going to talk a little bit about Big Ten football media days right around the corner in Chicago next week. A couple of the big questions that I'm going to be looking for answers for in Chicago. We'll talk some women's basketball as well. The final media availability of the summertime, great opportunity to hear and see some of the players in action. some thoughts on that and just how good this women's basketball team is. But we begin today's conversation with a look at the men's basketball program. No, the men's, the football program here today. Again, stay with me as we're driving down the road here and trying to collect our thoughts. We're keeping hands up 10 and 2, more like, what do we got, 4 and 7, but we're good here as

we're making our way down. We're going to talk to football, top 10 players that just pounced up into my head. And as I was traveling down the road and was listening to some things, and as I get, well, still, over two hours away from Clinton, going to have some special events, by the way, over there on that we'll tell you about a little bit later on. But as I make my way over, I just had this thought, 10 players. And I heard Chad Lice tokeye out, along with Scott Docterman, they had indispensable players. And I know David Ike, Colton, the crew over at Hawkeye Insider, had something very similar. Everybody's kind of doing this thing. Indispensable is a word that I think it's very hard to kind of wrap your mind around.

It's very easy to argue their point on that. I talked about importance. That's where I want to go today. 10 year anniversary of Lockdown. Let's do a top 10 list and let's do importance. And this list is going to probably be quite a bit different. This isn't about the best players. This is about the top flight players.

This is importance to this team and how I put this list together. All right. Let's get into it here and start at number 10 on the list. and that is with the cornerback to Sean Lee, a guy that is certainly a veteran of the defensive backfield and specifically the guy at the cornerback spot that has the most of a resume. And he is a guy that has played a lot of football, played early in his career. There's been highs, there's Ben Lowe's, no doubt about it. But now in his final year, the expectation level for him, what his expectations are for this program,

what they're going to do, what they're going to be. He is incredibly important overall to that back field. Yes, there's a bigger start in Zach Lutmer. Yes, we're excited about some of the young talent that continues to come through at cornerback, but much like what we saw a year ago with T.J. Hall. And T.J. Hall, a guy is very similar. Highs, lows, inconsistencies, some frustrating moments, all those different things. That was a part of the conversation with T.J. Hall.

We've had that with Deshaun Lee. Now, Schaulay is not a big guy by any means. He is not a guy that's going to go out there and wow you at, you know, 6-1, 210 pounds. That's not who he is, but he has been a playmaker. He has been very solid overall and definitely a guy that is important to this Iowa football team if they're going to have a successful year. Number nine, oh yes, if you're an everydayer, you know my love of Tony Diaz. We talked about it yesterday.

We'll talk about it again before we get to kickoff. Tony Diaz, the hype train. One thing I thought was very interesting. We talked about his weight gain a week ago after the roster update. If you checked out that episode, real good one and kind of a deep dive into the weight gains and a few of the weight losses for the Iowa football team after the roster updated. Tony Diaz is a guy that showed up. I think it was 165 he was listed at.

Tim Lester mentioned both him and Evan James were actually in the 150s when they showed up in terms of weight. Evan James has added a little bit. He's up to 170. He still needs to get bigger. but hearing Tom Cakard after talking to him saying Tony Diaz, he looks like he is filled out. He is put together. He is putting the weight on and definitely the muscle that needs to go

to get through the rigors of the Big Ten. He's not a huge guy by any means in terms of stature, but he is a guy. The importance of opening this offense up. Yes, you have Reese Banderz. Yes, you have Daten Howard. Yes, you have some guys with some ties on the outside. But if this offense is really going to unlock and specifically,

if the passing game is going to open up, this is the player that they need to hit and hit in a big time way. Number nine on the list is Tony Diaz. We continue out here, our most important players for Iowa football. At number eight, this was a tough one. I was looking at the defensive line

and specifically outside. Kenneth Maryweather, definitely a guy that has experienced knows at least the ropes of the Big Ten. We've talked about Camari Brown coming in from East. line double digit sacks weight gain there. He is certainly put in the work in the weight room. But I came to Yosea F and Esse and Esse here this year, and I think it is an incredibly

important part of what Iowa football is, not only what he's going to do at defensive end, but also if we see that the season, maybe some struggles and defensive tackle, if that is a component that we see here, I don't think there's any doubt that you could see Yosea in past rush situations move inside. So not only is he going to be a big-time defense event, and he's going to be important in that spot and as they build up depth in some of the young guys from a Drew Campbell, Cheneke, who else on that run?

Joseph Anderson, guy that we've talked about a lot also and his athleticism. Jose Epinessa, though, being able to go out there, help on the outside, be a good defense event, and take that step forward. The learning process, doing it last year as a true freshman, now year number two, it's time to hit the ground running. Number eight, Yosea Finesse.

Number seven, we go to the offensive line and Kate Piper. Now, Kate Piper is one of the best players that Iowa football has. Kate Piper is a guy that is maybe pound for pound the best player that they have. He could be the best opportunity to be the top draft coming out, and maybe even a first rounder in next year's NFL draft. That is where people think about him. That's where certainly NFL evaluators look at Kate Piper. This is a guy that no doubt absolutely can be able to.

be a game record. Also, importance, yes, he's moving inside. And that is maybe an argument that you can make that he should be higher on this list as he's moving to center. We saw Logan Jones. Before that, we saw Tyler Linderbombe. That center position, incredibly important for Iowa football, what they do, which Coach Barnett has been able to build back up with the offensive line. It's important, no doubt. But the reason that I had him maybe a little bit lower on this top 10 list than you could argue he should be is because I think they'd be fine inside. It's still an interior offense alignment.

And that's a reason that rarely do we see many interior offense alignment go high in the NFL. You can find guys. If you would lose KEPF, no doubt that would be an absolutely devastating blow. But when you're looking at interior, I just have some of the other positions a little bit higher. KP for number seven on the list.

Number six, here's another one you can argue, maybe number one in terms of best players on this team and roster. And speaking about potential first rounders, this guy absolutely has a chance to do that. And that's DJ Bonami, Vonami who put it all together late last season after getting the experience, the injury to Addison Estringa. They're figuring it out.

We're working out there. We saw a little Thomas Meyer. They were throwing all the pieces out there. And suddenly it started to click for Vonami. This is a player that has that elite level athleticism, a quarterback at the high school. school level, a guy that went out there and played at a super high level there and then took it forward and it's taken a big step for this Iowa football team. Vonami, the one thing I really

am interested about, it's not terms of talent. We know the dude is incredibly talented. I mean, talent is not an issue in any realm for Vonami. It is about this offense and what it looks like. And going back and thinking about some of the great tight ends and you go through Iowa history and in the Kirk Farrants era, the different systems that were employed, how they used. utilized it. Greg Davis did not utilize the tight end nearly as much as I thought he should have at times during the course of his run as an offensive coordinator. We know obviously what it all put together when he had no event, T.J. Hawkinson, the Ohio State game, how great that game plan was. And then he come out a week later and have 66 yards of total offense against

Wisconsin. That made things a little bit more difficult. I want to see the Tim Lester offense, though, how this works and exactly how they're going to employ DJ Bonami and the tight ends as a whole. Isn't that I have him also lower on this list? Well, Adam, Addison Estringa is back. Coming off the Achilles, we'll see the explosiveness where he is on that front. Kirk Fares has talked about it, though. They certainly believe that he is going to be ready to go at 100%. And those Achilles injuries are much different than they've been in the past.

Another component to look at is also Thomas Meyer, a guy that played last year as a true freshman, big time talent. They're excited about him. I mentioned Zach Fort Worth, Michael Burt. I mean, they got dudes in that room, too. And when we're talking about importance, and that's what this conversation is about importance to this year's team. Because of the depth that they have at tight end, that's why I have Bonami at number six.

Five down, five to go. The 10 most important players for Iowa football coming up this season. We'll talk about it a little bit more as we continue on. Stay right there. This is Lockdown Hawkeyes. Today's episode of Lockdown Hawkeyes is brought to you by Game Time. Well, there are more live events than ever worth seeing right now. Games, concerts, comedy shows, festivals.

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Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use Code Lockedon for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply again, create an account and redeem code locked on. L-O-C-E-D-O-N for $20 off. Download the GameTime app today. Back with you once again on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast, a different look today as we're coming to you on the road and keeping our eyes up there making everything good as we make our way down i80 heading over to clinton today here on friday and if you are in the area going to be there with mike palm he's the vice president of operations at circus sports out in las vegas the world's largest sports book

and mike's going to join me we're going to do a hawk eye podcast a lockdown hawkeyes podcast kind of take a look at the the gambling side and also mike who has a lot of bittings on a lot of things we're going to talk some hawk guys talk some big tent with mike palm and that'll come your way on next week. But if you want to stop out to Clinton, we're going to be there from three until six o'clock doing a couple of podcasts, shaking some hands, talking sports wagering, and whatever else you'd like to with Iowa native Mike Palm. Again, that is at Wild Rose Casino in Clinton coming up on Friday today from three until six o'clock. Let's get back into it and our top 10, our top 10 players of the important players for the upcoming season for Iowa football.

Again, just to remind you, numbers 10 through one, it was at number 10, Deshaun Lee, then Tony Diaz, Yose Apenessa at number eight, KPiefer at number seven, and number six, DJ Bonami. Number five on the list, let's go back to the wide receiver position, and that is Reese Vander Z. Reese Van der Z, who put together a really nice year at the end of the season after he came back from that weird leg injury that he had. Talk about importance. That is another important piece to this team this year. And it just unlocked a different element for the Iowa offense. We saw it in the back half of last season after he returned. The passing game started to ignite a little bit more.

He is that big body decks, the big wide receiver out wide. He has the size and the way that he's been able to catch contested balls. In his two years on campus, even with limited playing time because of the injuries, he has been big. And if I was going to really unlock this passing game and this, passing offense. I think Reese Van der Zee is going to be a huge, huge part of that. Number four, most important players for Iowa football this season. For number four, it is the middle linebacker, Cam Buffington. We heard the buzz all throughout the offseason here during the spring football,

Cam Buffington. It felt like Chaden Montgomery was just going to stay there. They'll figure out the other outside spot with all those options they have out of the youngsters. And then very quickly, we found out no. The plan is that Seth Wallace is going to put Cam Buffington in the middle. He is rangy. He is athletic. He's got the big size, not quite at the level of a Jack Campbell, but very similar to that big, excuse me, that big bodied middle linebacker, but also has some incredible sideline to sideline speed. This is a guy that can move. This is a guy that likely is going to lead the team in tackles this season. I think he would be an overwhelming favorite for that one also. That is going to be absolutely huge for him. And I think you're going to see a big,

big season, certainly out of Cam Buffington. But importance again, and we're talking about importance here. When Iowa's defense is at their best, they got that middle linebacker that can correct all. Any mistakes out there, he's the one that's going to be covering it up. And that's why I think Cam Buffington is so important to this year's team. Number three, we go back to the defense once again, and it is Bryce Hawthorne. Yes, Bryce Hawthorne. After playing last year, coming in from South Dakota State, this dude means the world to Iowa football. And I can make a very big argument that he should actually be number one on this list. We talk about the lack of depth at defensive tackle.

They go into the portal, missed on a couple of prospects. Still got a couple of guys, but how ready are they going to play? We saw it a year ago with a guy like Hawthorne. We've seen it in the past. What the expectation level is to play on the defensive line for Iowa football, they ask a ton out of these guys. And if you're not able to do it, you're not going to play. If you're not doing the dirty work and covering up those blockers and doing the things that are not fun, they're not interesting.

They're not going to get you a bunch of counting stats. That's not what it is. This is the important. And Hawthorne being the only guy that is experienced, I think he is going to be absolutely monstrous for this team at number two on the list. Number three on the list. Number two on the list is Zach Lepmer. Zach Lutmer, again, another argument can be made. This is the best player on the Iowa football roster.

I think by the time we get to the 2007 NFL draft, and this is going to be a player that GMs are enamored with. Maybe it has something to do also with Cooper Dejean and what we've seen out of him already early in his career, turning himself maybe into the best slot corner in the league, playing at such a high level, interception for a touchdown in the Super Bowl, just on and on and obviously a beloved figure.

here in the state of Iowa. And we go back to Western Iowa now with Zach Lutmer. Zach Lutmer, why he's so important is because injuries happen. And when injuries happen, Zach Lutmer, you can move him around. You need him to play quarterback? Well, he did that last year. You need him to go over and become the guy that plays the cash? Yeah, absolutely.

He can do that. And maybe it's the best cash that they have on the roster. Play free safety. Hell, play strong safety. He can do it all in that defensive. the backfield. And a pitch made me play of a linebacker. I mean, that's what you get out of that. Not only that, though, also why I think Zach Lutmer is so important is because of what he can potentially do in the return game. They're going to use him. It sounds like as the punt returner

this season, we know for Iowa football. If you want Iowa football to have a successful season, how are they going to be able to do it? You have to be great defensively. You have to win special teams. And winning special teams is not just about the kicking game. It's also what you do in the return game. Iowa has been effective. Iowa has been able to do it at a high level because of all that. Yes, no doubt about it. That is Zach Lutmer and his importance not just to the defense and the versatility and everything else.

No, also because of what he does on special teams. Wrapping up at number one. Number one on the list, it's the left tackle Trevor Lough. Left tackle, you can argue the most. important position on the offensive line covering the backside of whoever the quarterback's going to be. Hank Brown Jeremy Hacklinski doesn't matter they're both right-handed quarterbacks left tackle we saw what he was able to do last season the consistency as a young player last year as a redshirt sophomore that was

absolutely huge we felt great going into last year at the other four positions on the offensive line and even Kate people who did not have as much experience as those other three players. I thought we were all really confident about that. But we go back to this time a year ago. And it was, is it going to be Jack Dostler? Is it going to be Trevor Loughke? Was Bryce George, the transfer that came in from Ferris State?

Was he going to be a guy that was going to have a look there at left tackle? After Big Ten football media days, talking with Kirk Farris, I thought that it was going to be Bryce George. Not the case. It was a battle early on. Loutk took the job, though, and absolutely ran with it. Trevor Lout. Number one, most important player for 2026.

Little football talk, always a good thing. Coming back on the other side, and we got some women's basketball news and notes to get it into just how good is this women's basketball team going to be. Plus a sellout at the field of dreams. That's next as we continue. Stay right there. This is Lockdown Hawkeyes.

Back with you on the road one final time here on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for being with us to making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first list. listen every day. Your team every day. That's what we do here on the lockdown network. And we got you covered from the Big Ten with Lockdown Big Ten. Your favorite NFL team, as training camp are getting ready to start, your favorite baseball team, all here on the lockdown network, your team every day. Wrap the things up with a couple of news and notes. Let's start first with women's basketball, a media availability. And after having an opportunity to watch some of the film from the different recruiting sites yesterday, I really like what we

saw out of Danny Carnegie. And we know she was a buy. could get her. You don't average 19 points a game in the SEC and not be able to play at a high level. But she's just a different skill set than what we've seen recently that can go in there, put her head down, beat a defender off the dribble, get into the paint and finish. She is going to be incredibly fun to watch. And going back and forth with her and her former running bait, mate in Chit Chat, right, the connection that those two have, the amount of minutes that they've already played together. That's why I truly believe that this team is going to be able, even with all these new faces, to really hit the ground running. Another one that definitely need to bring up is Lela Hates. And we've talked about Hayes coming up this season for Ava Hyden.

She's going to be the backup. Are there going to be spots where you can play them together? It's going to have to be against probably a specific team, maybe a team that's built in a certain way. Probably not a ton. Yes, she's the backup. But Jam Jensen, year after year, does such a great job of developing. And you look at a player like Meg Augustus early in her career.

It turns out to be the national player of the year. What we see already from Biden, who for most of her freshman campaign, the times look lost. And he had the same thing last year with Hayes. Now it sounds like it's starting to click. And the way that the development happens, how well that she does on that front, I think is incredibly exciting about this team and what they have a chance to be. A couple other things and thoughts. Taylor Stremlow, just talk about the professionalism that she played. with we'll see if she's a starter this year will be amari witing what they're going to do

with chit chat and carnegie in the back court i think that's going to be incredibly intriguing to see in the way that that plays out but you know what taylor stremblo she's not going to pout she's not going to whine but as tough of a competitor is you're going to find it you need that you need that kind of player and if it is as a starter if it is coming off the bench whatever it is she can run the point she's knocking down shots at a better level becoming more consistent with that three-point shot, but she's also a winner. And going back to one of the first media availability earlier this season, you know, one thing that definitely stood out in the conversation I was listening to with her is that lost to Virginia still ticks her off. Like you couldn't

see that that still eats at her. That level of competitiveness, that kind of fire is so important. Yeah, you need skill. Now the old adage, it's not about the X's and O's, it's about the Jimmies and the Joe's. In this front, absolutely. You need players. But you also need those players that have that attitude, that have the winning mentality. And when things get tough, this team's not going to go 38, no, not going to run through everything. We know there's going to be highs and lows because that's what happens all the time in college athletics. Unless you're a super team, that's not what it's going to be. And have a player like Stremlow, super excited about that.

All right. What a final thing on the women's basketball front? And I asked Tom Caker about this, expectations. And for me, my expectations are that this team's going to get to the second weekend. I mentioned with Tom. They played well the last two regular seasons. And it's unfortunate in a way that the way that both men's and women's college basketball, it is really just morphed into what you do in the NCAA tournament.

We obviously know that from Fram McCaffrey and the frustrations within the fan base that Aris not being able to get to the second weekend. And the same thing with Steve Alford. And even with Dr. Tom having a decade before finally getting there in his lame duck year, is you can have very nice regular seasons and be a consistent winner and do those types of things. But for a big portion of the fan base, it doesn't matter. It's all about what you do in March in the NCAA tournament. And because of that, there are, I know, some fans that are still waiting for that breakthrough.

We're not asking for final fours every year. we're not asking even for sweet 16s every year. But in year number three, I think that's where the expectation level should lie. This is the preseason at minimum top 20 team. They should be in that range. But if they have an ability to host once again, as they did this last season, it's not that it's a fireball offense, but the grumbling will build if they can't get to that point. A couple other notes for you before we wrap up here on the road, traveling down I-80.

The field of dreams, speaking of travel. to the east side of the state right now. I'm going to be relatively close up there as I'll be in Clinton later today. It is the Field of Dreams game. Now, when at first was announced, I just saw a little headline. They're playing Kansas at the Field of Dream site.

I anticipated this was going to be a regular season game. That is not the case. This game is going to be played in October. It will be the, excuse me, the day after the Friday night game with Iowa traveling out to Washington to take on the Husseys. A game against Kansas,

Good seasonally year ago. NCAA tournament team made some noise in the tournament a year ago, did the Jayhawks. Good program, but this is an October game. This is an exhibition game, yet within 24 hours, Hawkeye fans sold this thing up. The capacity is a little over, what, 4200, I think is the number that I saw, something like that for the Field of Dreams, and now their site that they have that is a full structured site

as they've been building this thing up. We'll get to see it in action with the Phillies. and the Twins coming up here in August with the Field of Dreams game with Major League Baseball. That'll be coming back. They'll also be playing a minor league game of the day before that with the Iowa Cubs going up against the St. Paul St. St. So get a little two-for action on that front. But incredibly cool. It's going to look much different than it does in early August with the green of the corn.

By the time we get into October, we know things are going to be much more brown at that point in the year. But really, really cool. Hawkeye fans showed up in a big time. way. Big Ten media days next week also. You know what? We're going to tackle this when we got a little bit more time. We are out of time for today. And you know what? I got to pull over and get some gas. So I'm going to do that as well. We'll talk more about Big Ten football media days later on next. Though I'm on vacation, have a number of different podcasts coming your way, including, as I mentioned, Mike Palm, who will be with me in Wild Rose Clinton coming up later on Friday,

three until six o'clock, stop on out. We'll see. Hopefully the craft tables open up. I can some dice, maybe make a little bit of money. We'll see how it goes. Stop on out and see us. We will be set up there at the sports bar at Wild Rose in Clinton. Out of time for today, thanks for joining us and making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. And don't forget about the Everydayer Club, an opportunity for you to get each and every

episode ad-free. Go to Lockdownhawkeyes. Dot supercast.com for more information. That's Lockdownhawkeyes. That's supracast.com. Hope you have a great day. Hope to see you over in Clinton. at Wild Rose again Friday from 3 until 6th.

We'll talk to you from there. Until then, go Hawks.