Hawkeyes DL Rebuild Begins | Iowa Hawkeyes Football News

The Iowa Hawkeyes’ defensive line is in for a major rebuild as three key seniors—Aaron Graves, Ethan Hurkett, and Max Llewellyn—graduate, alongside Jonah Pace’s departure and Brian Allen Jr.’s transfer. With the depth chart wide open, new talent like Kahmari Brown (12 sacks at Elon) and highly-touted recruit Iose Epenesa must step up fast. Returning players Kenneth Merrieweather and Bryce Hawthorne offer experience and promise, while transfers Brice Stevenson and Lance Ignold, plus walk-on Luke Gaffney, are poised to seize opportunities in this pivotal 2026 season. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/bc674563a982a78c