Hank Brown previews Michigan game. The biggest game (so far) of the 2026 Iowa football [https://roundtable.io/sports/ncaa/iowa/community/how-to-become-a-free-hawkeyeroundtable-community-member]season is here. The No. 17 Hawkeyes (3-0) are gearing up for a rare trip to Ann Arbor to take on No. 18 Michigan (3-0) at the Big House on Saturday (2:30 CT, CBS). The Wolverines are slight home favorites, but this conference opener has the potential to be a classic Big Ten rock fight. Iowa will need a lot of players to step up to steal its first Big Ten ranked road victory in 11 years [https://roundtable.io/sports/ncaa/iowa/news/iowa-football-numbers-to-know-ahead-of-michigan-game], but here are some of the top Hawkeyes to watch on Saturday. QB HANK BROWN Brown is the obvious name to watch here. The "OR" has been removed from the depth chart, which means Brown is Iowa's full-time starting quarterback [https://roundtable.io/sports/ncaa/iowa/opinion/hank-brown-is-iowas-next-starting-quarterback-why-its-the-right-move]. Saturday's contest will be Browns' first-ever road game [https://roundtable.io/sports/ncaa/iowa/news/iowa-football-hank-brown-prepares-for-first-career-road-game-as-a-starter]as a collegiate starter, so it will be interesting to see how he handles the pressure. Brown has completed over 70% of his passes this year, but facing an aggressive Michigan defense that loves to show a variety of confusing schemes (more on that in film review later on Wednesday) won't be easy. The Hawkeyes don't need Brown to throw for 200-300 passing yards to win this football game, but they will need Brown to be efficient on the "money down" (third down) and take care of the ball. RB KAMARI MOULTON Though Moulton missed the Northern Iowa game due to injury, Kirk Ferentz said that he's "fairly optimistic" Moulton and fellow running back L.J. Phillips will return for this game. This is a moot point if Moulton is unable to go against the Wolverines, but it goes without saying that Moulton may be Iowa's most important offensive player in this game. The Hawkeyes will need to establish the ground game to have any chance of victory, and it starts with Moulton, who has 240 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries this year. "Kamari is still our No. 1 guy. If he’s good to go, he’ll go. I don’t envision us playing more than three running backs," Ferentz said at his weekly press conference on Tuesday afternoon. WR TONY DIAZ There's other key position groups on offense that we'll touch on later in the week in our position groups to watch, but for now, the most logical choice for an individual player to watch in this one has to be wide receiver Tony Diaz. Diaz has done everything Iowa has asked of him and more this year (17 receptions for 201 yards and a touchdown) but Saturday will undoubtedly be his biggest test of the young season. Will Brown be able to get the ball to his top wideout? Or will Michigan shut him down? DL BRYCE HAWTHORNE Ferentz said it best when he was asked to provide an update on Bryce Hawthorne's status after he left the Northern Iowa game with an injury. "We really dodged a bullet on that one," he said. Ferentz is right. Hawthorne's injury - which was because of an illegal chop block on a UNI offensive lineman - didn't look great live, but Hawthorne told the media on Tuesday that he was good to go and would play against Michigan. Iowa's young defensive line has played well so far, but losing Hawthorne, one of its most experienced defensive lineman, would've been a big-time loss for this Hawkeye team. Not only can Hawthorne's play (10 tackles, 0.5 sacks this year) have a distinct impact on this football game, his veteran leadership is very crucial as well. This game could be decided in the trenches, so watch for Hawthorne to make plays on Saturday. P BOSTON EVERITT Iowa's 16-13 victory over Iowa State two weeks ago may have been a subtle foreshadowing to what could transpire in Ann Arbor this weekend. The Hawkeyes and Wolverines are both comfortable playing a low-scoring game, and if that indeed comes to fruition on Saturday, winning the field position battle will be crucial. The man that could control the field position battle against Michigan? Punter Boston Everitt. Though still very new to American football [https://roundtable.io/sports/ncaa/iowa/news/iowa-football-success-helping-boston-everitt-grasp-american-football], Everitt has been a great addition for Iowa this year, recording an average of 44.1 yards per punt on 18 attempts. His best outing came against Iowa State, were he tallied 264 yards on six kicks. The Hawkeyes may need a similar performance this weekend should this game come down to field position. LOOKING FOR A FREE HAWKEYES COMMUNITY? Don't miss out on our Roundtable community and the latest news! It's completely FREE to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members in the community section! Download the FREE Roundtable APP and stay even more connected! Click here [https://roundtable.io/sports/ncaa/iowa/community/how-to-become-a-free-hawkeyeroundtable-community-member] to join the fun and potentially win some FREE Hawkeye swag! HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at bradschultz@roundtable.io
