Iowa’s high-motor receiver with special-teams value and upside
Jackson Naeve entered Iowa with a reputation as a playmaker and camp standout, and his 2025 freshman season showed why the staff values him: he earned the Team Leader Award on special teams and saw first career action in Iowa’s 47-7 win over UMass, though he did not record stats. A former Regina standout, Naeve’s high school résumé featured 41 catches for 848 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025, plus 344 rushing yards and 8 scores—evidence of versatility, toughness, and big-play juice. He’s the kind of relentless, team-first athlete Iowa tends to love: useful now on special teams, with receiver depth-chart upside later.
