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All kidding aside, Hawkeyes’ return specialist brings plenty of potential ahead of final season
Apr. 19, 2025 5:45 am
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IOWA CITY — A recent moment of recognition for Kaden Wetjen was not complete without a comment about the 5-foot-10 Iowa receiver’s height — or lack of height.
Kirk Ferentz took a moment at practice to recognize Wetjen for winning the Jet Award, asking him to “take a bow.” As he stood among his teammates who were all kneeling, someone behind him was quick to chime in.
“He said, ‘Stand up!’” the person shouted to a chorus of laughter from Wetjen’s teammates.
Asked who made the comment, Wetjen said it was his “freaking receiver coach, (Jon) Budmayr.”
“We go back and forth,” Wetjen said. “I give him crap. He gives me crap. So I was expecting it from somebody.”
Wetjen’s relatively short height is certainly not a metaphor, however, for his growing momentum following the 2024 season and his potential for the 2025 season.
Wetjen earned first-team All-America recognition from the Football Writers Association of America as a punt returner and won the Jet Award, which goes to the top return specialist in college football. He also was the Big Ten’s Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year.
He averaged 12.6 yards per punt return and a Big Ten-best 28.1 yards per kick return. He had an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown in Iowa’s win over Northwestern and a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Iowa’s Music City Bowl loss to Missouri.
But the Williamsburg native’s role on offense has been much more limited. He had three receptions on five targets in 2024, per Pro Football Focus. His 45 snaps when running a receiving route, also as tracked by PFF, ranked 10th among Hawkeye receivers.
“My whole goal last year was to try to go to the league after last year,” Wetjen said. “But I kind of knew with the amount of receiver reps and stuff I had to most likely come back this year and try to really focus on that part of my game and try to do that next year.”
There is some precedent for Hawkeye receivers first showing their skill set as a returner before thriving in the pass game. Charlie Jones was named the 2021 Big Ten Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year after a season highlighted by his 100-yard kick return for a touchdown against Illinois.
Jones then had his breakout as a receiver, albeit at Purdue rather than Iowa, as he caught an FBS-best 110 receptions and finished second nationally with 1,361 receiving yards. The Cincinnati Bengals selected him in the fourth round of the following year’s NFL draft.
While Wetjen’s future production at wide receiver is obviously unknown, one thing that is certain is his scholarship status. After starting his career at Iowa Western and then walking on for the last three seasons with the Hawkeyes, Kirk Ferentz finally put him on scholarship after Iowa’s bowl game.
The All-American return specialist was having a meal at Sundown, a restaurant/bar in the heart of Williamsburg, with some friends when he heard the good news.
“I saw Coach Ferentz calling,” Wetjen said. “I was like, ‘Ope yep, better take this one.’ He told me that, and I told them and the family, and they were all super excited. So it was a cool moment.”
His friends were quick to ask if Wetjen’s scholarship meant he was picking up the bill.
“I don’t have the money yet, guys, sorry,” Wetjen recalled saying. “You got to wait a little bit.”
As Wetjen’s bank account changes, he is trying to keep the same mindset that has served him well so far as a Hawkeye.
“Being a walk-on — that motivated me even more,” Wetjen said. “So I’m kind of glad I came on as a walk-on, and just super excited to be with the guys this year and have a walk-on mentality.”
After all, that motivation did help Wetjen get to one place where his height was not the victim of another short joke — the Jet Award ceremony.
“There was four or five Heisman Trophy winners in the 70s, 80s, so it was really cool to meet those guys and kind of just learn more stuff about them,” Wetjen said. “And the first thing they said when I got there was, ‘Oh, you’re bigger than we thought.’ That was the first time I’ve ever heard that in my life.”
Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com
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John Steppe
Reporter, The Gazette
Iowa Hawkeyes football reporter for The Gazette. Sign up for my weekly newsletter.
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