
Loaded Iowa football offensive line boasts Big Ten's top returning tackle Gennings Dunker
The 2025 season for the Iowa Hawkeyes may run through the offensive line. The veteran group of linemen is loaded with Logan Jones at center, Connor Colby next to him, and Gennings Dunker as well.
The group has experience, talent, and confidence from last season, where they paved the way for more than 2,500 rushing yards and opened up lanes for Kaleb Johnson on his way to an All-American year as the 2024 Big Ten Running Back of the Year.
The trio could be the heart and soul of Tim Lester's offense with quarterback transfer Mark Gronowski under center. Fortunately, for Gronowski, he will have the best returning Big Ten offensive tackle protecting him in Genning Dunker.
Dunker has topped Pro Football Focus' list of the highest-graded returning offensive tackles in the Big Ten ahead of 2025.
Gennings Dunker enters his fourth season with Iowa and has 25 starts to his name after starting each game he was healthy over the last two years. The 2024 season saw him earn Second-Team All-Big Ten Honors from the coaches and Associated Press.
A classic case of development, like so many Iowa Hawkeyes' success stories, Dunker was a three-star recruit from Lena Winslow High School in Lena, Illinois. As part of the class of 2021, he was the No. 38 interior offensive lineman, the No. 15 recruit in Illinois, and the No. 535 overall recruit, per 247Sports.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
4-star Alabama target announces official commitment date
Yet another Alabama Crimson Tide football recruiting target will be announcing their commitment decision over the coming days. According to a post on social media Friday afternoon, Roman Voss will be announcing his decision this upcoming Monday, June 23. Voss will decide between Alabama and the Minnesota Golden Gophers, two finalists he recently announced back in May. At the moment, Voss is currently considered as the nation's No. 207 overall player according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, as well as the No. 1 prospect in the state of Minnesota where he attends Jackson County Central High School. Voss, a four-star prospect, is also ranked as the No. 12 overall athlete nationally. The decision of Voss is yet another to add to what is a loaded next two weeks for the Crimson Tide. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.


USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Where Auburn stands in Claude Mpouma's recruitment ahead of his June commitment date
Auburn remains in the mix to land the four-star lineman from Illinois ahead of his commitment date. Four-star offensive tackle Claude Mpouma included the Auburn Tigers in his top five schools this week, and has set a commitment date. Where does Auburn stand in the mix? The offensive lineman from Chicago, Illinois, announced on social media that he will announce his pledge on Sunday, June 29, and that Auburn is among the top programs that remain in contention to land him. The Tigers join Ohio State, Florida, Michigan, and Nebraska in the race for Mpouma's signature. A successful visit to the Plains earlier this month is a key reason why Auburn remains high on Mpouma's radar. In an interview with Jeffrey Lee of On3, Mpouma said that offensive line coach Jake Thornton and defensive line coach Vontrell King-Williams, who is an alum of the high school that Mpouma attends, is selling Auburn well and that Auburn is a "top three" school for him, and that they are not the No. 3 school for him. What makes Auburn special to Mpouma? 'The culture. They're pretty big on that,' Mpouma said in an interview with Auburn Live. 'I feel like that's a big thing, too. That's something I respect a lot.' Now that we know Auburn is one of the top schools to land Mpouma, what are the odds that they close the deal? On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine currently gives Nebraska a slight edge over Auburn, 33% to 24%. He has zero crystal ball predictions from 247Sports, but those predictions could start filing in this week ahead of his commitment date. Mpouma is a 6-8, 260-pound offensive tackle from Chicago, Illinois. He is considered a four-star prospect by every major recruiting outlet and ranks as high as No. 12 among offensive linemen rankings in 2026. Auburn's recruiting class ranks No. 57 in 247Sports' 2026 recruiting rankings, so a commitment fro Mpouma would do wonders for a class that is currently struggling in the rankings. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__


USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Top offensive tackle Claude Mpouma lists Nebraska in final five ahead of commitment date
A top-15 offensive tackle announced his final five schools ahead of his commitment date, with Nebraska on the list. Claude Mpouma will announce his commitment on June 29. He will make his decision among Nebraska, the Michigan Wolverines, the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Florida Gators, and the Auburn Tigers Mpouma made his announcement following his official visits to both Auburn and Florida earlier this month. He is set to visit the Huskers this weekend. The 6-foot-8, 305-pounder played for Phillips Academy in Chicago for his junior year after transferring in from Culver Academy in Indiana his sophomore year. He also played basketball for the Wildcats, helping the team to an IHSA Class 2A state championship as a sophomore. He played left tackle for Phillips in his first season and despite the team finishing 3-6, he made himself a top 2026 prospect. He is the No. 175 overall prospect and No. 14 OT in the 2026 class after playing his first season of high school football. Mpouma transferred to Mount Carmel in Chicago ahead of his senior year, a major football powerhouse coming off its third-straight IHSA Class 7A state championship. Nebraska's class of 2026 holds six commits. It currently ranks 71st in the nation and 18th in the Big Ten, according to the latest analysis from On3. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.