The 2026 Iowa football season is getting closer by the minute. 

In just 54 days, the Hawkeyes will tee the ball up for their season opener against Northern Illinois and send Iowa City into a frantic frenzy. 

No one will have a better seat to the action than Gary Dolphin. Dolphin has been the "Voice of the Hawkeyes" for Learfield since 1996 and will celebrate 30 years calling Iowa football games this season. 

While Iowa fans are twiddling their fingers waiting for the season to get going, Dolphin is already hard at work preparing for another exciting campaign. In between emceeing fundraising events, he's watching film and talking to players and coaches. 

All of this preparation has Dolphin geared up for another season, and like many Iowa fans, he's got a lot of things he's excited about with this 2026 team.

He was gracious enough to share some of this insight during an exclusive interview with HawkeyeRoundtable a few weeks ago, so here's a notebook loaded with Dolphin's thoughts on the 2026 Hawkeyes. 

The ongoing quarterback battle between Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown is easily Iowa's summer headline. Kirk Ferentz and his staff admitted during their spring press conferences that they had no idea how long the race will take, but it's likely that we won't know who gets the job until the Hawkeyes release their Week 1 depth chart on the Monday of game week. 

Brown and Hecklinski have different skill sets. Brown prefers to play from the pocket, while Hecklinski is a gunslinger and loves to make plays on the run. Dolphin told HawkeyeRoundtable that he believes Hecklinski is the frontrunner as of right now, but called the duo "a real nice combination." 

Here's Dolphin's scouting report on each quarterback: 

Brown: "Hank Brown is the is is the complimentary pocket cannon for an arm guy at 6-foot-5." 

Hecklinski:  "I don't want to say he's more of Tim Lester's type, but he can get out on the edge. He's got good running speed. He can find that tight end in the short flat, but he can also throw it downfield." 

Iowa's offense has been scrutinized over the years, but offensive coordinator Tim Lester is determined to change that. The offense has taken big strides in his first two seasons in charge, and he may have his most-talented unit, at least on paper, in 2026. 

Wide receivers Reece Vander Zee, KJ Parker, UTRGV transfer Tony Diaz, and tight ends DJ Vonnahme and Zach Ortwerth have gotten plenty of attention, and rightfully so.

Vander Zee and Vonnahme, the 2025 ReliaQuest Bowl MVP, both made big strides near the end of the regular season, and Diaz brings a ton of yards after catch ability and moxy to the room. 

Each of these pass-catchers are more than capable of stepping up and being a leading receiver for a game, but Dolphin considers Vander Zee and Vonnahme the two biggest X-factors to unlocking a true lethal passing attack in Iowa City this year. 

Vander Zee is unbelievable. He is a monster, he is 6-foot-5, he's 225 pounds. He is a horse, and he can run," Dolphin said. "We have other guys that are going to play, but those two are the centerpieces of what I think will be an outstanding passing game if they stay healthy." 

Dolphin also wants fans to keep an eye out for redshirt freshman tight end. Though Meyer hasn't seen any game action yet, he came to Iowa as a highly-anticipated four-star recruit out of high school. 

"When Thomas Meyer is running down the seam for 50 yards to the to the end zone with his speed and his size, they're [opposing defenses] going to go, 'Holy s*** what is that all about'? Iowa again," Dolphin said. 

Just the thought of a football season approaching gets Dolphin excited, but of all the players he discussed during our interview, he praised junior defensive back Zach Lutmer the most. 

Lutmer had a breakout season in 2025, collecting 71 tackles, three interceptions, and one sack. With several key contributors in the secondary gone, Lutmer will now likely be the anchor of this defense, and his role could also extend past that. 

Star return specialist Kaden Wetjen has also departed, leaving a crucial role wide open. Special teams coordinator Chris Polizzi pointed out Lutmer as one of the many names that can fill the role. 

Dolphin agrees. 

"Zach Lutmer is taking a back seat to nobody. He's kind of a reinvention of Cooper DeJean. He's got great speed, maybe not as fast as Coop, maybe not as thick as Coop, but man, he is a tough dude," Dolphin said. ...."He's going to endear himself to the Iowa fanbase." 

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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]