Iowa football depth chart takeaways vs. Penn State: Reece Vander Zee returns

The Iowa football team is riding with a lot of confidence following a huge road win over Wisconsin. And they're getting healthier too.

The Hawkeyes released their depth chart for this weekend's game against Penn State and received overall good news on a number of different players. Iowa will need all of its depth to beat a Penn State team looking to rally in the wake of its head coach being fired.

From the return of key offensive weapons to movement along the defensive line, here are the three biggest takeaways from the newest Iowa depth chart.

WR Reece Vander Zee returns

Vander Zee was not on the depth chart last week, but made his 2025 season debut in the Hawkeyes' road win. The sophomore wide receiver caught three passes for 29 yards and looked like an integral piece in the Iowa passing attack. And now he's officially made his return to the depth chart.

He's currently listed as the backup to senior wide receiver Sam Phillips, but odds are that Vander Zee will see the field quite a bit on Saturday. He missed the first five games of the season with a foot injury suffered just days before the season opener. His return to the lineup will help open things up vertically for the Iowa passing game, especially against a reeling Nittany Lion defense.

Bryce Hawthorne is a starter again

Iwoa shocked everyone when sophomore transfer defensive lineman Bryce Hawthorne was listed as the starter for the season opener against Albany. Senior transfer Jonah Pace was expected to start, but Hawthorne got the nod instead. Pace took the starting reins soon after and hasn't let go. That changed on Monday.

Hawthorne and Pace are both listed as starters at defensive tackle, with an "or" distinction. Hawthorne has been playing well recently, picking up three tackles and an interception last Saturday. Iowa's defensive line room is the deepest position room on the roster currently, and having both Hawthorne and Pace to play next to Aaron Graves is massive for this defense.

LB Jaden Harrell is still absent

Harrell was a surprising omission from last week's depth chart, and he remains out this week. He left the Indiana game early with an injury, but was able to return to the game. However, it seems like that injury might be more serious than originally thought, as Harrell is set to miss his second straight game following the bye week.

In his absence, Iowa will once again turn to junior linebacker Jayden Montgomery, who started in Harrell's place against the Badgers. He had three total tackles in that game. Keep an eye on freshman linebacker Cam Buffington, who's listed as the backup to Montgomery. He flashed against Wisconsin with four tackles in very limited action. He could play a sneaky big role in this week's game against Penn State.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football depth chart takeaways vs. Penn State: Vander Zee returns