The Jacksonville product enters his first season with the Hawkeyes.
Welcome back to our countdown to the 2026 Iowa football season!
Since May 28, we've been counting down the final 100 days until the Hawkeyes swarm out of the Kinnick Stadium tunnel for their season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5.
Each day of this countdown has primarily featured an article profiling one of the current members of the 2026 Hawkeyes based on their jersey number. Loyal readers already know this by now, but if you're new, here's how this works: if a player wears No. 14 and we're 14 days from kickoff, then that's the player we're going to be taking a look at.
We've had to overcome a few missed days with some creative pieces because Iowa doesn't issue a number for every day in this countdown, but as we get closer to the season, it's not really a problem anymore.
Today marks 12 days until kickoff, which means it's time to take a look at the man who wears No. 12 - wide receiver Diondre Smith.
Get to know him here.
Bio
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
High School: Duncan U. Fletcher High School
Year: First-Year
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 160 pounds
Other notable players to wear No. 12: A notable name to wear No. 12 for the black and gold is former quarterback Ricky Stanzi. Stanzi successfully won the starting job midway through the 2008 season and held it for the rest of his career, throwing for over 7,000 yards and 56 touchdowns during his career. He led Iowa to an 11-2 record and Orange Bowl victory in 2009.
Smith's Career So Far
Smith is gearing up for his first season of college football. He grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and attended Fletcher High School near Neptune Beach, collecting 489 receiving yards and 10 catches during his senior season.
Smith was also Fletcher's offensive MVP as a junior, and the high major offers soon piled in his mailbox. Ranked as a three-star prospect by 247Sports composite, Smith held offers from Iowa, Indiana, Louisville, Miami (FL), Michigan State, and others before ultimately committing to the Hawkeyes the summer before his senior season.
Standing at 5-foot-10 and weighing 160 pounds, Smith's small stature likely means that he's one of those wideouts known for using their speed to make plays in the open field.
It makes sense, after all, as Smith was also a track star for the Senators. He ran both the 100 and 200-meter races in high school, registering an 11.13 in the 100-meter event and a 23.13 in the 200-meter event during his junior year.
But what role could he play for the Hawkeyes in 2026? Iowa already has a strong foundation of pass-catchers, so Smith will likely learn under veterans like Reece Vander Zee this season.
You Can Win FREE Tickets To Iowa's Season Opener!
HawkeyeRoundtable is giving away TWO tickets to Iowa's season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5!
This is easily the biggest giveaway we've ever done on this site, and it's a great opportunity for two lucky fans to experience the joy of attending a Hawkeye football game at Kinnick Stadium.
Click here to automatically become a member to enter the contest! Additional contest details can be found in our community section, too!
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]
