With the offseason officially over and Iowa football on the horizon, fans got their first look at the depth chart on Monday.
While some positions have had clear starters all offseason, others were more of an open battle. And while we’ve gotten a sneak peek into how those battles were going through open practices and various media availabilities, there weren’t true answers quite yet. The release of the first depth chart gives us some of those answers.
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So, what were the official results of the Hawkeyes‘ numerous offseason positional battles? Which players are in the driver’s seat for big snaps and significant playing time? And which players are going to be riding shotgun for the time being?
Without any further ado, let’s take a look at the winners of some key position battles for the Hawkeyes entering this 2025 college football season.
Running back
Apr 26, 2025; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa running back Kamari Moulton (28) rushes during a spring NCAA football open practice at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Cress/For the Register
Replacing Kaleb Johnson is no small feat, and it seems like Iowa is going to be leaning on multiple guys to try and do that this season. The prevailing thought was that sophomore Kamari Moulton would be the bell cow in 2025, and while he’s listed as a starter on the depth chart, he’s not alone.
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Fellow sophomore Terrell Washington Jr. was listed next to Moulton with an “or” tag, meaning both backs will get some run with the starters.
It’s clear the Hawkeyes are going to try a running back by committee approach, with Moulton, Washington, and even junior Jaziun Patterson and redshirt freshman Xavier Williams amongst the group trying to fill Johnson’s production. That room will be ever-changing in 2025.
Left tackle
Aug 9, 2025; Iowa offensive linemen Trevor Lauck (59) Leighton Jones (64) Logan Jones (65) Kade Pieper (58) and Gennings Dunker (67) huddle up with quarterback Hank Brown (9) during the Hawkeyes Kids Day NCAA football open practice at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Cress for the Des Moines Register
Arguably, the biggest position battle on the roster this summer was for the starting left tackle spot. Mason Richman was a steady starter for years, so replacing his play will be tough. And the first depth chart didn’t provide Hawkeye fans with a clear answer as to who will start at left tackle this season. Junior Jack Dotzler and sophomore Trevor Lauck were both listed as starters at the tackle spot, with that patented “or” tag.
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Those two have been fighting all camp for the left tackle spot, and it seems like both of them are right in the mix as the season gets ready to begin. Ultimately, it’ll come down to who plays better in real game action, but this will continue to be a question until then.
Linebackers
Linebacker Karson Sharar (left) and Linebacker Jaden Harrell (right) stand for a photo on Aug. 8, 2025, in Iowa City.
The Hawkeyes lost a ton of production from their linebacker room when Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson graduated, and the race to find their replacements began right away. And right from the beginning, two names stood out as potential replacements: graduate Jaden Harrell and senior Karson Sharar. And with the release of the official depth chart, both of them are listed as starting linebackers.
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Harrell and Sharar have been in the program for a while and waited patiently for their opportunity to shine. And they’ll get it this season. They’ll be asked to fill a lot of production from last year’s tandem, but all signs point to this duo being able to accomplish that. If they can come anywhere close to Higgins and Jackson’s production from last season, this Iowa defense won’t miss a beat.
Cornerbacks
Iowa cornerbacks TJ Hall, left, and Deshaun Lee watch the action during a spring practice April 26 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.
This was another hotly contested battle over the offseason. Iowa returned a couple of guys in senior TJ Hall and junior Deshaun Lee, who had extensive playing time in 2024, but weren’t overly impressive. The Hawkeyes went to the transfer portal to get South Dakota graduate Shahid Barros, who many figured could be in line to start. However, the depth chart revealed that the two incumbent corners will start in Week 1.
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Hall has been very impressive in camp and offseason workouts, so seeing him as a starter is good. Lee’s name hasn’t been brought up as much, but his experience in the system gave him the edge over Barros and rising youngster Jaylen Watson. Expect Barros and Watson to see some good playing time in 2025, especially if one of the starters struggles to find their footing.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: How did key Iowa Hawkeye football depth chart battles turn out?