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 team based on their jersey number. You've all probably figured this out by now, but if you're new, here's how it works: if someone wears No. 47 and the countdown falls on day 47, then that's the player we're going to take a look at. 

READ MORE: 47 Days Until Iowa Football: Ike Speltz

Today marks 46 days until kickoff, so that means it's time to take a look at No. 46 - linebacker Preston Ries. 

Get to know him here. 

Hometown: Monticello, Iowa 

High School: Monticello High School

Year: Sophomore 

Height: 6-foot-1 

Weight: 225 pounds 

Other notable players to wear No. 46: A recognizable name to don No. 46 in recent years is former tight end George Kittle. Kittle became a reliable pass catcher during his time with the Hawkeyes, but he's rose to stardom in the NFL, earning seven Pro Bowl selections with the San Francisco 49ers. 

The small town of Monticello has a population of only 4,000 residents, but it's probably safe to assume a high percentage of the town knows Ries. He was a standout football player for the Monticello Panthers, earning Iowa Class 2A Player of the Year honors for his performance during his senior season in 2023. 

Ries (pronounced Reece) was a star on both sides of the ball at quarterback and linebacker and holds many school records: touchdowns (139), tackles (289.5), tackles for loss (74), pass completions (458), passing yards (7,823), rushing yards (5,161). 

That's a lot of records, but Ries' most impressive achievement in high school was breaking the all-time state of Iowa record with 12,984 total yards during his career (7,823 passing and 5,161 rushing). 

Ries' high-major college offers were from Iowa, Nebraska, and Iowa State. He probably would've earned more, but he announced his decision to play for the Hawkeyes ahead of his junior season. He was ranked as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and the No. 7 player in Iowa for the Class of 2024. 

After redshirting in 2024, Ries earned playing time in all 13 games last season, collecting seven tackles. With Iowa's linebacker room wide-open this year, it's possible Ries will be a rotational player at minimum. 

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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]