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 the 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 how this works by now, but if you're just now catching your football fix and tuning in, this is how this goes down: if a player wears No. 22 and we're 22 days from kickoff, then that's the player we're going to be taking a look at. 

We've had to occasionally go a different route because Iowa doesn't issue a jersey number for every single day of this countdown, but we shouldn't have much of a problem with that as we head into the final days before kickoff. 

Today marks 15 days until the season opener, so that means it's time to take at the two men who wear No. 15 - running back O' Lontae Dean and linebacker Carson Cooney. 

Hometown: Plant City, Florida 

High School: Armwood High School 

Year: Second-Year 

Height: 6-foot 

Weight: 212 pounds 

Dean took a redshirt year last year, so he has four years of eligibility remaining. He originally came to Iowa City as a defensive back, but he's listed on the roster as a running back for the 2026 season. The move also resulted in a number change from No. 16 to No. 15. 

Considering he was recruited as an athlete, switching positions after one season isn't very surprising. He was a playmaker all over the field in high school, but his best positions were wide receiver and safety. Armwood High School advanced to the state finals during his senior season, and Dean's performance was probably the reason why. He tallied 547 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns at wideout, as well 27 tackles and four interceptions at safety. 

The high volume of snaps helped Dean set a new school record for most snaps in a career, and he was ranked as a three-star prospect by 247Sports. Dean held offers from a plethora of Power Four programs such as Iowa State, LSU, Georgia Tech, and others, but the Hawkeyes won out. 

It's unlikely he'll see action as a running back this year because of the talent that already fills the room, but if he proves himself in fall camp, a special teams role is possible. 

Hometown: Oswego, Illinois 

High School: Oswego High School 

Year: Second-Year 

Height: 6-foot-3 

Weight: 215 pounds 

Both of these players could have bright futures in the black and gold, but Cooney may have a faster inside track to earning snaps. Why? Because he comes in as a four-star prospect (by 247Sports composite) and was ranked as the No. 8 player from the state of Illinois in the Class of 2025. 

Considering Illinois boasts some incredible talent in the rest of the Chicagoland area, earning a top-10 mark is pretty impressive. Cooney played both tight end and linebacker for Oswego High School, compiling 57 tackles, three sacks, and one interception return for a touchdown during his senior season. 

Cooney was named to both the IHSFCA and the News-Gazette's All-State list as a senior, and he received Power Four offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, and others before choosing Seth Wallace and Iowa. He'll have four years of eligibility remaining. 

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]