Video: Kirk Ferentz talks Iowa football’s recent transfer portal additions
Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz speaks with media at a Polk County I-Club event on April 30, 2025.
IOWA CITY — Due to factors outside of his control, Ty Hudkins’ college football journey has been far from a direct path.
Hudkins committed to Northwestern as a high school prospect in June of 2023, only for then-coach Pat Fitzgerald to be fired the following month due to hazing allegations. That September, Hudkins decommitted from the Wildcats and, later that month, committed to Purdue.
The defensive back spent his first season in college with the Boilermakers before head coach Ryan Walters was fired, leaving Hudkins in a place of transition again. Former UNLV coach Barry Odom took over at Purdue and Hudkins stuck with the program for a few months, but ultimately entered the transfer portal in the spring window.
That led Hudkins to Iowa football.
Given his past, it’s easy to see why a stable coaching staff in Iowa City appealed to Hudkins. The continuity reminded Hudkins of what he grew up around, with a father in the high school coaching industry, a far less transient environment than what college sports have become.
“Coach (Kirk) Ferentz has been there,” Hudkins told the Register. “Coach (Phil) Parker has been there. And they’re still going to be there. So that’s kind of what just made it feel really comfortable and what helped influence my decision.”
Video: Iowa DB Koen Entringer talks development ahead of 2025 season
Iowa defensive back Koen Entringer meets with the media on April 3, 2025.
Hudkins, who officially signed with the Hawkeyes on April 30, joins the competition in the defensive back room. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 197 pounds, he comes to Iowa with three seasons of eligibility remaining.
The defensive back echoed a sentiment expressed by Wake Forest transfer quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski, who said the Hawkeye program feels like a college football team, not a business.
Hudkins experienced a similar feeling.
“Being able to find a program like Iowa is rare,” Hudkins said. “Their culture and how they’ve stuck to their virtues and values, even with all this new era and all this new stuff going on. They’ve always been gritty, tough Iowa and that’s kind of what I’ve looked for in my decision and why it felt like such a good fit.”
As a true freshman, Hudkins appeared in all 12 of Purdue’s games, primarily on special teams. He also played behind Dillon Thieneman, who has transferred to Oregon and is regarded as a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, according to Pro Football Focus.
Hudkins was able to watch and learn under Thieneman last season.
“He had such a business-like approach,” Hudkins said of Thieneman. “First guy in, last guy out. Really thinking of the game differently. How you practice is how you play. Do everything (all-out). His business-like approach is what really stuck with me and what I do today now. And doing everything off the field to stay healthy, as well, such as yoga, mobility, rehab.”
After entering the transfer portal in April, Hudkins visited Northwestern before taking a trip to Iowa City. He was already well aware of Iowa’s reputation for developing defensive backs, which is part of what made it an attractive landing spot. Hudkins said Iowa’s defense is very similar to what he ran at Forest Hills Central High School in Grand Rapids, where he was named Associated Press Division 3-4 Player of the Year in Michigan as a senior.
“I wanted to play for a big-time, blue-blood program, which is what Iowa is, in my opinion,” Hudkins said, “With a good fan base, a good culture, good coaches, everything checked the boxes. Everyone that has played there that I’ve known and talked to just said great things.”
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The defensive back from northwest Iowa could be a starter for the Hawkeyes at either safety position or the cash next season.
Iowa’s secondary has experienced some attrition from last season, including the losses of Quinn Schulte and Sebastian Castro, both of whom were multi-year starters. Zach Lutmer and Koen Entringer, who got meaningful snaps in more limited roles last season, are in line to take on a greater workload in 2025.
Like Lutmer and Entringer, Hudkins said the plan is for him to learn free safety, strong safety and the Cash position. That will allow for some positional flexibility in the back end of the defense, making Iowa better suited to shift its personnel around if needed.
In the short term, Hudkins gives Iowa more depth on a defense tasked with replacing a substantial amount of production and enters 2025 with some question marks. But Hudkins could also be a building block to the future of the defensive back room, given veteran Xavier Nwankpa has just one season of college eligibility remaining.
“I’d say I’m pretty versatile,” Hudkins said. “I’d say, first thing, I’m a good tackler, so that’s what’ll help me play boundary because teams in the Big Ten like to go split zone in the boundary all the time. I would just say I’m a sure tackler and then on top of that, I understand the game and feel it. Can really break off the quarterback’s eyes and understand route concepts.
“If number two is running and an out-route, number one is going to run a go or dig right at me. Just little stuff like that, I feel like really makes me make plays on the football field.”
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com
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