GAMECHANGERS? Iowa Hawkeyes’ Cam Buffington & Bryce Hawthorne Must STEP UP for Playoff Run

Iowa Hawkeyes’ playoff dreams hinge on ten pivotal players—can emerging stars push them past “just another good season”? Trent Condon reveals his top-10 most crucial Hawkeyes for 2026, spotlighting names like Cam Buffington at middle linebacker, Trevor Lauck at left tackle, and DJ Vonnahme as a breakout tight end. The spotlight’s also on Bryce Hawthorne at defensive tackle, whose leap from solid contributor to elite playmaker could define Iowa’s Big Ten fate. The quarterback battle between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski, plus the instant-impact potential of transfers like Tony Diaz and Bryce Stevenson, add intrigue to this pivotal campaign. Special guest David Eickholt of Hawkeye Insider adds fresh recruiting insight, from under-the-radar football commits to a heated point guard pursuit on the basketball front. The duo breaks down Ben McCollum’s latest hoops recruit, Keller Daugherty, and examines expectations for Jan Jensen’s revamped women’s basketball roster. Are the Hawkeyes poised for a breakthrough across the board? Photo: Nathan Ray Seebeck/IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Odoo Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon. Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. From the opening whistle to the final kick, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started now. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Follow Trent Condon on X: https://twitter.com/trentcondon LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-hawkeyes-daily-podcast-on-iowa-hawkeyes-football/id1441592240 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GTyz5ygevcGXdTF6QSoEo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnHawkeyes Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.