In the modern era of college football, change is constant, specifically in roster turnover. Whether due to immediate eligibility-transfers, declaring for the NFL Draft, or choosing to give up the sport, players have a myriad of motivations for not returning to their respective schools.

Last offseason, Iowa bore the brunt of this new-age environment, losing ten scholarship players to the portal while also dealing with the departures of five defensive starters to the draft. In the leadup to the team’s Citrus Bowl matchup against Tennessee, fans had plenty of reason to worry that such alterations would repeat. However, such has not been the case.

Out of seven Hawkeye routine starters in 2023-24 who could have given up an extra year of eligibility, six chose to stay in the Black and Gold. These include starting linebackers Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson, defensive back Sebastian Castro, tight end Luke Lachey, cornerback Jermari Harris, and safety Quinn Schulte. The lone exception was star third-year corner Cooper DeJean, who declared for the draft on Jan. 4 and is a projected first-round pick, per CBS Sports.

As for the sextet of returning Hawkeyes, each forged their own path into assuming their respective roles and deliberated in different ways, but all shared a common goal. Following the seventh 10-win regular season in program history, the Hawkeyes’ 35-0 flop to the Volunteers left more to be desired.

Heading into a new-look 2024-25 season featuring more travel, fresh opponents, and additional bye weeks, these returners look not only to add on to their own resumes as professional prospects, but also to enjoy their final college season as they strive to achieve unfinished business.

Higgins was the first to announce his decision, providing the Hawkeye faithful with a belated holiday gift on Dec. 26, 2023. Having started just two games before this season, the 6-foot-2, 232-pounder blossomed into a tackling machine in his first campaign as a routine first-stringer. He more than tripled his career total tackles, registering 171 total over 14 contests this year — tying the program’s single-season record.

Following the bowl loss to Tennessee, Higgins didn’t take too much personal credit for his eye-popping tackling numbers, explaining how he never “cracked the code” but rather benefited from a defensive system that prioritizes relentless group effort.

“Over the last four years, I’ve built a great relationship with my teammates, the coaching staff,” Higgins said during media availability in Orlando on Dec. 29, 2023. “The University of Iowa has this environment that puts players first. I just felt like if I came back another year, I could be a better football player.”

Hawkeye defensive coordinator Phil Parker was complimentary of the 2023 Sports Illustrated first-team All-American, describing how Higgins acts as a “coach on the field,” oftentimes changing play calls based on what he sees from the line of scrimmage.

Talking to reporters following a team practice on Dec. 27, 2023, Schulte said Higgins’ choice would play a positive role in his upcoming decision.

“If I were to come back it would be nice to have Jay back,” the safety said with a smile. “Any chance you get to play with guys like that, it’s certainly special.”

The next player to commit to an extra season was Lachey on Dec. 29, 2023. The tight end hadn’t played since Week 3 due to an ankle injury and, despite rumors of participating in the bowl matchup, remained sidelined in Orlando.

Lachey’s predecessor, current Detroit Lion Sam LaPorta, also suffered a leg injury that kept him out of the rest of the 2022 regular season. After seeing action in the Hawkeyes’ Music City Bowl game against Kentucky, LaPorta elected to depart, but his experience proved valuable to Lachey.

“He told me some of the pros and cons on either side, you know, he helped me out, as always,” Lachey said of LaPorta. “So, I’m grateful for that.”

Another pillar of advice Lachey leaned on was his father, Jim Lachey, who was an All-American offensive lineman his senior season at Ohio State before going No. 12 overall in the 1985 NFL Draft. After a ten-year pro career, Jim Lachey told his son that if he were to play one more game of football, it would be in a Buckeye uniform.

“It was after my decision that he told me that, but it is really cool, the bonds you make with your college buddies that can last a lifetime,” Lachey said.

Lachey was the last Hawkeye to make his choice before the Citrus Bowl, but it didn’t take long afterwards for Harris to announce his return to Iowa City for a sixth season on Jan. 3. After missing all last season due to injury, Harris earned the team’s Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2023, collecting 42 tackles, a team-best eight pass break-ups, and an interception.

In the leadup to the bowl game, Harris didn’t elaborate much on his thought process and kept his announcement simple.

“I’ve got more to give. See you next fall,” he wrote via the team’s social media post.

Even with one piece of Iowa’s starting secondary locked in for next season, fans eagerly awaited Castro’s choice, especially after DeJean declared. Castro, from Oak Lawn, Illinois, was yet another Hawkeye to have a breakout year in 2023, as the defensive back doubled his total tackles and pass defenses from last season.

A Pro Football Focus first-team All-American this season, Castro gave a unique take on his decision-making logic.

“I’ve been telling everyone that regardless of if I stay or go, it’s a win-win situation,” Castro said. “I’ve always wanted to play in the NFL, and to come back to college football, play games and get better … it’s not a bad deal.”

On Jan. 6, Castro, the team-leader in interceptions this past season, revealed his return to the college ranks, announcing on a team social media post, “Let’s run it back.” His call would soon be answered by Jackson, who entered the season under the guise that it would be his last.

A transfer from Virginia, Jackson produced his fourth consecutive 100-tackle season, this time in the Black and Gold alongside his teammate and best friend Higgins. On Dec. 25, Jackson was granted an extra season of eligibility from the NCAA, as his final season with the Cavaliers was cut short by two games due to a shooting that killed three of his teammates.

Talking with reporters three days after the NCAA’s motion, Jackson said he was surprised to hear the news but maintained he wasn’t going to rush his decision, adding that his choice “isn’t all about me, but it impacts a lot of other people, too.”

That choice would eventually be made on Jan. 7. Now with one more season ahead of him, the linebacker needs 113 more tackles to tie the NCAA career record, according to Scott Dochterman of The Athletic.

Then there was Schulte, the 6-foot-1, 209-pounder from Cedar Rapids who was a 2023 All-Big Ten honorable mention from league coaches and media. Coming off a season where he set a career-high in tackles for loss, Schulte hinted at a potential return on his Instagram story on Jan. 8, posting a photo of himself and Jackson donning Big Ten West Champion hats. The caption: “We ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

After Schulte’s father later confirmed his son’s decision with John Steppe of The Cedar Rapids Gazette, the final piece of the puzzle was laid in place. The result: a defense that would return five starters and a passing game featuring a pro talent at tight end.

With such continuity, the Hawkeyes have plenty of reason to be confident in the new year, but such newfound enthusiasm can’t blind the team from the task at hand.

In the words of Higgins, “The standard is going to stay the same.”