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, but as you've probably noticed, that hasn't always been possible lately. 

We're inching closer to the final month of the countdown, so that's when jersey numbers become infrequent on a daily basis (no Hawkeye wears 37-39, etc.), forcing us to take the historical route and look at some of the best all-time Hawkeyes to wear some of these jersey numbers. 

READ MORE: 38 Days Until Iowa Football: T.J. Hockenson 

But that's not going to be a problem today. We're just 34 short days away from kickoff, so that means it's time to take a look at the man who wears No. 34 - defensive back Drew MacPherson. 

Get to know him here. 

Hometown: Glenview, Illinois 

High School: Loyola Academy 

Year: Second-Year 

Height: 6-foot-1 

Weight: 204 pounds 

Other notable players to wear No. 34: A notable name to wear No. 34 very recently is former linebacker Jay Higgins. Any Hawkeye fan reading this doesn't need much of a refresher on Higgins, but he went down as one of the most talented and beloved players in recent Iowa history. Higgins finished as a unanimous All-American and Big Ten Linebacker of the Year for his work during the 2024 season and currently sits in 14th place on Iowa's all-time tackle list. 

MacPherson redshirted during the 2025 season, so his first appearance on the field is still forthcoming, but he did offer plenty of contributions off the field last year. He was one of four members of the defense to receive a Team Leader Award, which goes to players who offer the best insight on the scout team. 

Iowa's defense will feature a lot of new faces this year, and though MacPherson likely won't be one of the men out there, it wouldn't be surprising to see him get some action on special teams - a place where young Hawkeyes have flourished before moving to starting roles later in their careers. 

MacPherson was ranked as a three-star recruit by 247Sports out of Loyola Academy in the Chicago suburbs, where he garnered interested from mostly Mid-American Conference (MAC) programs until the summer before his senior season. 

That's when Iowa offered MacPherson, and it only took him five days before he verbally announced his decision to play for the Hawkeyes. He became the fourth defensive back in Iowa's 2025 class, all of which were listed as three-star prospects by 247Sports. 

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]