Iowa football carries a long lineage of legends, greats, and players who have transcended the game. From Nile Kinnick to Cooper DeJean, the list of players in between is as long as any collegiate program.
This year, two more Iowa Hawkeyes have the opportunity to be immortalized among the greats with a great honor. The 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Ballot has been released, and it features two former Hawkeyes who did more than leave their mark on the program and college football.
On that list from Iowa is transcendent former quarterback Brad Banks and one of Iowa’s first tight ends to start TEU, Dallas Clark.
Brad Banks took an uncommon path to get to Iowa, spending a year at the University of Central Florida and one year at Hinds Community College before landing with Iowa. Once he arrived at Iowa, he was unforgettable. Banks’ 2002 season saw him win the AP Player of the Year, the Davey O’Brien Award as the nation’s top QB, the Big Ten MVP, the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, and receive selections to the First-Team All-American team and First-Team All-Big Ten team.
Brad Banks, Iowa-Quarterback-2002 First Team All-American and winner of the Davey O’Brien Award…2002 AP College Player of the Year and Heisman runner-up led the Hawkeyes to an 11-2 season, an Orange Bowl appearance and a No. 8 final ranking…2002 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year led Iowa to a share of the Big Ten title. – Football Foundation
Dallas Clark, a former tight end for Iowa, is one of the original Hawkeyes tight ends to elevate the position to the next level. At Iowa, he was a First-Team All-Big Ten selection, a unanimous All-American, and won the John Mackey Award as college football’s top tight end in 2002.
Dallas Clark, Iowa-Tight End-2002 unanimous First Team All-American and winner of the Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end…Two-time All-Big Ten selection who helped Iowa to a share of the 2002 Big Ten title and its first-ever 11-win season (2002)…Holds record for longest pass reception in school history (95 yards). – Football Foundation
Inductees into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be announced in early 2026, with an induction following late in the year on December 8, 2026, in Las Vegas.
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