The James Madison transfer offensive lineman enters his first season in Iowa City.
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 a player that wears the jersey number for the respective day in our countdown, but the last few days have thrown a monkey wrench in that plan. Iowa doesn't issue a number for every single day in the countdown, which forces us to go the historical route.
But we're not going to have that problem today. We're now at the 65-day mark, so that means it's time to take a look at No. 65 - offensive lineman Trent Wilson.
Get to know him here:
Bio
Hometown: Southlake, Texas
High School: Southlake Carroll High School
Year: Sophomore
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 300 pounds
Other notable players to wear No. 65: We've already featured one twin, so now it's time to feature the other. We're of course talking about Levi and Landan Paulsen. Landan was the man who wore No. 65, however. Like his brother, Landan battled through injuries early in his Hawkeye career, but overcame them to help a stout offensive line guide Iowa to a 10-win season in 2019. Aside from their strong play, both brothers were known for their matching long hair and beards.
Wilson's career so far
After one season at the Group of Six level, Wilson decided to make the jump to the Power Four. He's probably going to be nothing more than a depth piece for the Hawkeyes this year, but offensive line coach George Barnett clearly saw something in the Texas native.
Though Wilson came from the Group of Six, he played for one of the level's most successful programs - James Madison. The Dukes have been a good team since moving up to the FBS in 2022, but 2025 was their best season yet.
JMU won 12 games and was one of two G6 teams (Tulane) to reach the College Football Playoff, ultimately losing to Oregon in the first round. Wilson didn't start, but he was in the rotation, splitting 382 snaps between left and right guard across appearances in all 14 games (one start).
Head coach Bob Chesney left for UCLA at season's end, resulting in Wilson looking for a new home. 247Sports ranked him as a three-star transfer prospect, and he committed to Iowa on Jan. 8.
Again, Wilson probably won't see the field very much in 2026, but with three years of eligibility remaining, look for Barnett and Co. to develop him for the future.
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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]
