The Iowa defensive line has been a force in 2025. Through five games, the unit has nine of the Hawkeyes’ 12 sacks.

“We just got to be stout, and come off the ball, and be ready to go,” said Aaron Graves, an Iowa defensive lineman. “I think the connectiveness and the camaraderie we have in this group is really special, and it’s probably been the best since I’ve been here. It’s really nice to see. It’s not just a job to us where we show up here and then we go our separate ways. We enjoy hanging out with each other outside of football.”

“The different personalities of the guys we have (helps),” said Ethan Hurkett, an Iowa defensive lineman. “I think we all get along and mesh well.”

The defensive line, though, has a unique way of getting itself ready for game days.

“The d-line will have a movie night the night before, so usually we watch a scary movie or something,” Hurkett said. “It’s been kind of alternating. We’ve had a couple good ones, a couple bad ones, but it’s always fun to all be together.”

“I hate scary movies,” Graves said. “I absolutely hate them, but the other guys insist on watching one, so I sit in there and just watch a movie I absolutely hate for an hour and a half, but you know it’s good team bonding before and it kind of relaxes a lot of the guys’ nerves, and takes our mind off football for a little bit before they game so we’re not thinking too much about it.”

For the defensive line, it’s all about getting the adrenaline pumping for Iowa’s next opponent.

“We’re all in there screaming and stuff, getting a little scared,” Hurkett said. “I think it helps keep us loose for sure.”

Iowa travels to take on Wisconsin on Saturday.