Dukes Set for Major Changes; Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz Announces the Dismissal of a Key Player Due to Arrest…

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The Iowa Hawkeyes will face Illinois State without one of their key wide receivers, Kaleb Brown, when they take the field at Duke Slater Stadium. During Big Ten Media Day, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz revealed that Brown will be suspended for one game following his arrest during the offseason.

At Iowa Media Day, Brown addressed the media for the first time since the incident, expressing deep regret for his actions.

“It’s definitely a tough pill to swallow,” Brown admitted. “Unfortunately, I let a lot of people down. It’s hard to come to terms with, but I want to apologize to the fans and everyone who has supported me. It’s time to move on and focus on the season ahead. That’s where my mind is now.”

Coach Ferentz offered his perspective on the situation during Big Ten Media Day. “My message to him has been simple: what’s happened is unfortunate, but it’s in the past. We’ve had other players face similar challenges over the years. What matters now is how he responds, how he defines himself moving forward. It’s like a team losing a game—you can’t change the past, so what are we going to do next? So far, he’s on the right track.”

Since the incident, Brown has been working hard to regain the trust of the coaching staff. He is expected to play a significant role in the new offense under coordinator Tim Lester. The former Ohio State receiver recorded 22 catches for 215 yards and one touchdown last season, in addition to rushing nine times for 54 yards.

As Iowa seeks to revamp its offense, the wide receiver corps will be crucial to the team’s success. While the Hawkeyes will continue to emphasize their strong running game, the versatility of players like Brown will be key in keeping opposing defenses on their toes and opening up the field.

“(Improvement) comes with stacking reps,” Lester said. “The biggest challenge is that we can’t get enough reps every single day. When Coach asks if we want more team time, the answer is always yes. We need a lot of individual work to refine our techniques, but we also need to improve in many areas.”

In addition to Brown’s suspension, offensive lineman Cade Borud will also miss the opening game due to an OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) charge. Coach Ferentz emphasized the importance of making smart decisions, especially in today’s world, following the team’s only open practice of the fall.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve dealt with something like this,” Ferentz said. “We don’t want to go down that road again. We’ve had players come through and enjoy themselves, but you have to be smart, especially nowadays. Thankfully, no one was hurt.”