With the departures of TJ Hall and Xavier Nwankpa to the NFL, the back end of the Iowa Hawkeyes' defense is going to be ushering in some new faces. While Phil Parker's secondary could look a bit different, two familiar faces are returning and primed to break out.
Zach Lutmer burst onto the scene last year and made his mark, which figures to only grow in 2026, as he is a proven and versatile chess piece on defense. He isn't the only defensive back ready to show out this season. ESPN looked at every top 25 team, which has Iowa at No. 19, and dug into one under-the-radar player.
Deshaun Lee, a defensive back out of Michigan, who has spent time in this scheme, is ESPN's under-the-radar player for the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2026.
Under-the-radar player: CB Deshaun Lee. Hawkeyes defensive backs who have played as much as Lee has under an elite coordinator in Phil Parker typically save their best season for last. Lee was pretty good in 2025, recording two interceptions, six pass breakups and 29 solo tackles, proving he can hold up well in space. He enters his senior season with 25 career starts at cornerback, recording 16 passes defended and 76 solo tackles (out of 108 total). Safety Zach Lutmer likely will generate more attention entering the season, but watch out for Lee as a playmaker on the edge. -- Adam Rittenberg
Hailing from Belleville, Michigan, Deshaun Lee, the 5-foot-10 cornerback, is starting his fourth year with Iowa. In the three previous years, he has gained more than enough experience to be ready to shine. Lee has appeared in 35 games, while notching 26 starts.
In typical Iowa fashion, he has a nose for the ball, registering 16 pass deflections and three interceptions to go with 108 career tackles. If Lutmer shuts down the other side of the field in a Cooper DeJean-esque manner like Iowa saw a few years ago, Lee is going to get more than his fair share of opportunities to make plays for this defense.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire : ESPN picks under-the-radar Iowa football player