Welcome back to our countdown to the 2026 Iowa football season! 

Since May 28, we've been counting down the 100-day stretch until the Hawkeyes storm out of the Kinnick Stadium tunnel to take on Northern Illinois on Sept. 5 with articles featuring the players that wear the respective jersey number of that respective day in the countdown, look-backs at older games that are relevant to the 2026 team, and so much more. 

If you've already been diagnosed with football fever, don't miss out on this countdown. 

READ MORE: 90 Days Until Iowa Football: The Last Time Iowa State Visited Kinnick At Night

Today marks 89 days until kickoff, but there's a slight problem. Since no current member of the 2026 Hawkeyes wears No. 89, we're going to take a different route and analyze a former player who did don the number. 

That former player is wide receiver Nico Ragaini. Iowa fans probably best remember Ragaini (pronounced RAG-ah-ee-kne) for a memorable go-ahead touchdown against Penn State in 2021, but he also did a lot of good things during his six years in Iowa City. 

After redshirting in 2018, Ragaini was a regular contributor for the remainder of his Hawkeye career, which lasted through the 2023 season. His best statistical season came in his first, where he served as a trusted target of veteran quarterback Nate Stanley in 2019. 

Iowa's offense struggled at times that year, but Ragaini still collected 439 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 9.5 yards per catch. The Hawkeyes recorded their first 10-win campaign (10-3) since 2015 and finished ranked No. 15 in the final AP poll. 

Poor offensive performances continued to doom Iowa after the 2019 season, which led to Ragaini's numbers taking a hit. He never came close to those numbers he tallied in 2019, but his speed still helped serve as a strong security blanket for the Hawkeyes' inconsistent quarterback room. 

The Connecticut native would score just two more touchdowns for the rest of his Iowa career, but one of them went down as one of the most memorable plays in recent Hawkeye football history. 

With No. 3 Iowa trailing No. 4 Penn State 20-16 in the fourth quarter of a heavyweight clash at Kinnick Stadium on Oct. 9, 2021, Ragaini delivered.

In a play that may go down as Brian Ferentz's best play call during his tumultuous stint as Iowa's offensive coordinator, quarterback Spencer Petras took the snap and immediately faked the handoff and rolled to his right. 

Once he squared his shoulders, Petras found a wide-open Ragaini on the back side of the field. Ragaini secured the catch at the 15 and did the rest, evading a pair of Nittany Lion tacklers to score the go-ahead and ultimately game-winning touchdown. 

The magic of Iowa's 2021 season quickly faded after that, but Ragaini's score, commonly referred to as "Petras to Ragaini" by Hawkeye fans, is always fondly remembered. 

Ragaini finished his Iowa career with 1,609 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 156 receptions. 

Looking for some cool Hawkeye swag to wear during the summer months? Look no further! HawkeyeRoundtable.com will be giving away prizes to lucky members throughout the summer and all you have to enter is follow these very easy and quick (under a minute) instructions to join. 

Click here to join the contest! 

HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]