The longtime college football author was accurate with most of his selections, but may have missed the mark with rising tight end D.J. Vonnahme.
The official beginning of summer was just two days ago, but college football writers are already busing preparing for the upcoming 2026 season.
One writer that starts doing his prep work before anyone else is Phil Steele.
Anyone that associates themselves with the sport has heard of Steele in some capacity. He's produced his famous Phil Steele's College Football Preview magazine since 1995, and the success of the annual preview has generated plenty of media attention over its three decades in business.
Phil Steele's 2026 College Football Preview is currently available for fans to purchase, but Iowa athletics shared an intriguing Hawkeye football nugget for free through social media on June 15.
As part of his annual preview, Steele reveals his preseason All-America and all-conference award lists. Five Hawkeyes were included on Steele's list, so we're going to give our reaction to each of them.
OL Kade Pieper: First Team All-America, First Team All-Big Ten
This one shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Iowa lost a lot of experienced talent from its Joe Moore Award-winning squad last season, but remember that Pieper and left tackle Trevor Lauck are back for 2026.
Pieper started every game at right guard for the Hawkeyes in 2025, and his performance resulted in him earning first team All-Americaa honors from Pro Football Focus.
The junior is in line for a monster 2026 season if he stays healthy.
DB Zach Lutmer: Third Team All-America, Second Team All-Big Ten
Some Iowa fans thought Lutmer should be listed higher here, but this is a good spot for him in June.
The redshirt junior had an outstanding 2025 campaign - his first as a starter. Lutmer compiled 71 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and three interceptions. One of those interceptions was a 34-yard touchdown return during Iowa's 41-3 rout of Minnesota on Oct. 25.
Though it's unfair to compare him to former standout defensive back Cooper DeJean, Lutmer possesses the same skills that makes DeJean so successful in the NFL. He's got great speed and anticipation, both of which were on full display throughout the 2025 campaign.
With Xavier Nwankpa and TJ Hall graduating, expect Lutmer to take over the lead role in the Hawkeyes' secondary this year.
OL Trevor Lauck: Second Team All-Big Ten
You can flip a coin to choose the better offensive lineman between Pieper and Trevor Lauck - they're both just that good.
Lauck surprised everyone with his performance in 2025, but his coaching staff definitely appreciated it. Lauck didn't register much playing time in 2024, but once he earned the starting left tackle nod in 2025, he ran with it.
Lauck can easily become a first-team All-Big Ten selection if he continues his strong play, but like Pieper, he'll have to try and stay healthy for the entire season to do so, which is not always an easy feat for an offensive lineman.
K Eli Ozick: Third Team All-Big Ten
Ozick hasn't played a game for the Hawkeyes yet, so this is a bit of a bold listing by Steele, but if Ozick can duplicate his performance at North Dakota State, Iowa will be in good shape.
Though new special teams coordinator Chris Polizzi hasn't declared any starters at this point, all signs point to Ozick earning the nod in 2026. He's got a strong leg, which resulted in him going 16-for-18 (long 54 yards) on field goal attempts for the Bison in 2025.
TE DJ Vonnahme: Fourth Team All-Big Ten
Vonnahme deserves to be on this list in some fashion, but fourth team All-Big Ten is very low for him at this point in his career. There's definitely a lot of talented tight ends in college football and in the Big Ten, but Vonnahme's breakout 2025 season should be a sign that he has fantastic potential in Iowa City.
The ridiculous numbers at the end of the season prove it, but Vonnahme possesses everything a tight end at this level should want - a big body (6-foot-4, 240 pounds), great speed after the catch, and soft hands.
Iowa boasts one of its most loaded offenses (at least on paper) in a long time, and the former walk-on Vonnahme is a big reason why. Every opposing coach is probably already having a tough time scouting Vonnahme, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him challenge for not only first or second team All-Big Ten honors, but also first or second team All-America honors
Looking for a FREE Hawkeyes community?
Don't miss out on our Roundtable community and the latest news! It's completely FREE to join and gives you the chance to win FREE Hawkeye swag.
Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the FREE Roundtable APP and stay even more connected and get notified when new articles are posted.
Click here to join the fun!
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]
