20 Days Until Iowa Football: Ty Hudkins

Welcome back to our countdown to the 2026 Iowa football season!  Since May 28, we've been counting down the final 100 days until the Hawkeyes swarm out of the Kinnick Stadium tunnel for their season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5.  Each day of the countdown has primarily featured an article profiling each member of the 2026 Hawkeyes based on their jersey number. Loyal readers already know this, but in case you're just now catching football fever and are new to the series, here's how this works: if a player wears No. 21 and we're 21 days from kickoff, then that's the player we're going to be taking a look at.  We've had to mix it up sometimes due to Iowa not issuing a jersey number for every player in our countdown, but that's not going to be a problem on this fine Sunday morning.  Today marks just 20 days until kickoff, which means it's time to take a look at the man who wears No. 20 - defensive back Ty Hudkins.  Get to know him here:  Bio  Hometown: Grand Rapids, Michigan  High School: Forrest Hills Central High School  Year: Third-Year  Height: 6-foot  Weight: 201 pounds  Other notable players to wear No. 20: This one goes back five decades, but one recognizable name to wear No. 20 for the Black and Gold is former linebacker Andre Jackson. The Chicagoland prospect joined the Hawkeyes as a walk-on in 1972, but managed to set a new program record with 171 tackles during his freshman campaign, which Jay Higgins tied in 2023.  Hudkins' career so far  Hudkins began his football career on a high note with a stellar career at Forrest Hills Central, guiding Forest Hills Central to the state championship game twice and winning in his senior season.  The 6-foot, 201-pound Hudkins chipped in 98 tackles, eight pass break-ups, and five interceptions during the Rangers' championship campaign and was named the Michigan Player of the Year by the Associated Press.  Ranked as a three-star prospect by 247Sports, Hudkins committed to Purdue over offers from Northwestern, Minnesota, and others. He primarily played special teams during his lone season in West Lafayette, but opted to transfer to Iowa when head coach Ryan Walters was fired after a 1-11 season.  Hudkins didn't see the field in 2025, and though the secondary is wide-open this year, it's likely Hudkins will primarily be a special teams player in 2026.  You Can Win FREE Tickets To Iowa's Season Opener!  HawkeyeRoundtable is giving away TWO tickets to Iowa's season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5!  This is easily the biggest giveaway we've ever done on this site, and it's a great opportunity for two lucky fans to experience the joy of attending a Hawkeye football game at Kinnick Stadium.  Click here to automatically become a member to enter the contest! Additional contest details can be found in our community section, too!  HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at bradschultz@roundtable.io