Who Will Start at LB for Iowa in 2026 | Iowa Hawkeyes Football News

The Iowa Hawkeyes’ linebacker race for 2026 is heating up as Jayden Montgomery locks down one starting spot, but the other? That’s anyone’s game. With fall camp approaching, the coaching staff faces tough calls as they experiment with defensive schemes — from 4-3 to 4-2-5 — possibly rotating players based on matchups. Montgomery named three key contenders: veteran Landyn Van Kekerix (5th year, scheme mastery), speedster Preston Ries (elite sideline-to-sideline pursuit), and tall, blocking-shedding Derek Weisskopf (6’3”). Depth is deep, competition fierce — and fans are in for a wild ride as Iowa’s defense looks to find its second star. 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/c5918fd3de0d2e94