Iowa football received its first returnee for next season. Center Logan Jones will stay with the Hawkeyes for one final season, he announced on social media Tuesday afternoon.
“My time at the University of Iowa is something I will cherish forever,” Jones wrote. “Representing the state of Iowa on Saturdays in the fall has created memories that will last a lifetime. To be able to wear the Black and Gold and swarm out with my teammates to the best fans in the country is truly special.”
“To have the chance to be able to play in the NFL is something I have dreamed of since I was a kid, but I’m not done being a Hawkeye yet,” he continued. “Being a hawk has been a dream come true and I’m excited for one last season with my brothers!”
A first-team All-Big Ten honoree from league media, Jones was projected as fifth-round NFL selection, according to Brandon Thorn of Bleacher Report. This season with the Hawkeyes, Jones started all 12 games and was a key contributor to a Hawkeye offensive line that was named to the Joe Moore Award midseason honor roll.
Jones and the rest of the Hawkeye line helped pave the way for 2,398 rushing yards in 2024, the most the team accumulated since the 2015 season. Iowa conceded only 15 sacks this season, tied for 24th fewest in the FBS.
Hailing from Council Bluffs, Iowa, started 38 games in the Black and Gold at center after making a position switch from defensive line in the spring of 2022. Taking the place of offensive lineman Tyler Linderbaum, who was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft that year, Jones started all 13 games and played every offensive down over 10 games in his debut at the position.
Besides Jones, other Iowa players still have decisions to make on whether or not they want to return for an extra season of eligibility. These include defensive linemen Yahya Black and Ethan Hurkett. Last season, the Hawkeyes had multiple defensive starters return for a final season, but it remains to be seen what will occur as the calendar flips to 2025.
Iowa closes out the 2024 season with a matchup against No. 19 Missouri in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee.