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 primarily features an article profiling one of the current members of the roster based on the player's jersey number. If someone wears No. 56, we're going to take a look at the man who wears No. 56. 

READ MORE: 56 Days Until Iowa Football: Maddux Borcherding-Johnson

After going the historical route for our last two days in the countdown, we're back to the basics today. We're 53 days away from kickoff, so that means it's time to take a look at No. 53 - offensive lineman Michael Myslinski. 

Myslinski is likely going to be a big piece of the offensive line this year, so be sure to get to know him here. 

Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida

High School: Bishop Kenny High School 

Year: Sixth-Year Senior 

Height: 6-foot-3 

Weight: 285 pounds 

Other notable players to wear No. 53: A notable name to wear No. 53 in recent years for the Hawkeyes is former center James Ferentz. If that name sounds familiar, it's because James is the son of Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz. Though he probably received his fair share of criticism because of his last name, Ferentz carved out a successful career as the Hawkeyes' center, culminating in second-team All-Big Ten honors during his senior season. 

Myslinski has had a difficult career so far. After redshirting during the 2021 season, he's battled injuries and infrequent playing time since. He saw action in seven games in 2025 as a backup center to Logan Jones, but that's been his most action so far. 

The Jacksonville native probably could've transferred to another school, but opted to stay the course and continue proving himself in Iowa City. The NCAA approved a waiver to allow Myslinski to play a sixth season, which was a massive step in the right direction towards Myslinski's push for the field. 

There's still long way to go before Myslinski can finally step on the Kinnick Stadium turf as a starter, but all signs point to his hard work paying off. With Kade Pieper likely moving from right guard to center, Myslinski is vying for the open position at right guard. 

Myslinski isn't the only one competing for the spot (freshman Lucas Allgeyer is another name to watch), but considering he's talking to the media over the summer, that's a good sign he'll at least be in the rotation in 2026. 

“So many different people around here have helped me get to this position,” Myslinski told HawkFanatic on June 17. “Now I just need to keep doing what I’m doing and be consistent every day and just have fun.”

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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]