Iowa Hawkeyes Beat Out Nebraska for Transfer Defender

The Iowa Hawkeyes were able to beat out rival Nebraska to land an intriguing transfer defender.

Oct 14, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; General view of Iowa Hawkeyes helmets prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes are preparing for their Music City Bowl matchup against the Missouri Tigers in a week. However, they have also been very active in the NCAA transfer portal.

Kirk Ferentz is trying to build Iowa back into a contender in the Big Ten. There is a lot of work for the team to put in to get to that level.

On Monday, the Hawkeyes were able to secure their second transfer portal commitment. Hank Brown, the former Auburn Tigers' quarterback, was the first. Now, they have landed a defensive lineman.

Iowa was able to beat out the rival Nebraska Cornhuskers to land former Central Michigan defensive lineman Jonah Pace.

Pace has an opportunity to be an impact piece for the Hawkeyes in 2025. During the 2024 season, Pace ended up recording 34 tackles to go along with four sacks, a forced fumble and two defended passes.

Standing in at 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, Pace brings great size to the defensive. He has shown flashes of great pass rushing ability and will be able to work with a coaching staff that has helped build many great defensive line players.

Currently, the Hawkeyes have both Aaron Graves and Jeremiah Pittman on the line. Pace will be able to bring much-needed depth behind them.

Will Hubert and Luke Gaffney are two other defensive line pieces to keep an eye on. However, it was clear last season that Iowa needed some help in that area of its defense.

At this point in time, the 2025 season will be Pace's last season of eligibility. Hopefully, he is able to lead the Hawkeyes to a successful season and make the most of his one year after transferring to the Big Ten.

It will be interesting to see what kind of impact Pace is able to make throughout the 2025 college football season.