Eli Kampman brings two-way toughness and Hawkeye bloodlines to Iowa’s secondary
Eli Kampman enters the 2026 season as a freshman defensive back for Iowa with a sturdy 6-foot-2, 197-pound frame, legit athlete-to-defender upside, and the kind of competitive background Iowa loves. In high school, he was a productive quarterback and defensive back, showing playmaking juice on both sides of the ball, plus an intensity edge that fits the Hawkeyes’ hard-nosed style. The biggest intrigue: he’s a legacy player and a high-upside conversion piece at safety, so the fit is strong if Iowa wants a disciplined, physical, developmental DB who can grow into a reliable contributor.
