After impressing in limited action last year, the Winfield native could be in line to start in 2026.
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. There's been a little bit of a lull in that goal due to Iowa not issuing jersey numbers for every single day of the countdown (no Hawkeye wore 37-39), but as the countdown continues to shrink, we're getting into some of the most crucial players on this roster.
Speaking of key players, the next man on our list might be a name to pay attention to in 2026. We're 33 days away from the season, so here's the man that wears No. 36 - linebacker Cam Buffington.
Get to know him here.
Bio
Hometown: Winfield, Iowa
High School: Winfield-Mount Union High School
Year: Third-Year
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 238 pounds
Other notable players to wear No. 33: A famous name to wear No. 33 for Iowa in recent years is former defensive back Riley Moss. The Ankeny native was a star on a loaded Hawkeye defense in 2021 and 2022, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors in both campaigns. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft and has been a starter the last two years, helping Denver to the AFC Championship Game in 2025.
Buffington's career so far
Buffington's journey to Iowa City was far from traditional. While he did grow up in Iowa like many other Hawkeyes, Winfield-Mount Union plays eight-man football.
Though eight-man football is a lot different from the traditional 11-man style of play, Buffington quickly proved he can be a star at the highest level of college football, totaling 1,362 rushing yards and 106.5 tackles during his senior season.
Buffington's accolades were very impressive, and he holds the following Winfield records:
Career: most points scored, rushing attempts, rushing yards and touchdowns, total and solo tackles.
Single-season: rushing yards, carries, rushing touchdowns, receiving yards and touchdowns, total tackles and solo tackles.
Buffington's ridiculous resume earned him four-star status from 247Sports, but Buffington didn't need long to find his college home, committing to the Hawkeyes ahead of his sophomore season.
Buffington didn't play in many high-leverage snaps last year, but he earned a ton of praise for his contributions against Wisconsin and Minnesota. Buffington recorded a career-high four tackles against the Badgers, and his first-ever interception came against the Gophers.
Those plays alone were enough to get Iowa fans excited about Buffington's potential, and with the linebacker room wide-open in 2026, it feels impossible to envision Buffington not in the starting lineup this year.
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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]
