The University of Iowa offensive line has earned a spot on the 2026 Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll, one of 25 college football units recognized on Oct. 14 during a live reveal show on the award's YouTube channel. The honor puts the Hawkeyes in the running for the trophy given annually to the nation's top offensive line.
The Foundation for Teamwork, which administers the award, announced the list during an episode of The Joe Moore Award Show. Notre Dame also made the cut, according to Yahoo Sports, along with Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Army, Miami, Utah and 18 other programs from across the country.
What the Joe Moore Award Recognizes
The award does not hand out midseason honors based on statistics, recruiting rankings or star ratings. It rewards offensive lines that play together, finish blocks and hold up week after week. That formula has long suited Iowa, a program built for decades on line play and a physical running game.
Aaron Taylor, a College Football Hall of Fame member and co-founder of the award, explained the standard on the reveal show.
The Joe Moore Award doesn't grade stats, stars or recruiting rankings; it recognizes offensive lines that play the game the right way. To varying degrees, all 25 of these units have shown toughness, effort, teamwork, consistency, technique and finishing. That makes this the starting line, not the finish line.
Taylor was joined on the broadcast by CBS Sports personality Jenny Dell, Fox Sports and SiriusXM host Geoff Schwartz, and NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein, who broke down what made each unit stand out through the first half of the season.
Why the Recognition Fits Iowa's Identity
Iowa football has always been won and lost in the trenches. Hawkeye fans know that better than most, and the program's culture of developing linemen rather than simply recruiting them has produced NFL players year after year. A midseason nod from the Joe Moore Award is outside validation of what the film already shows: an Iowa front five that moves people off the ball and protects its quarterback.
The Hawkeyes are in good company. Saturday Down South noted that six SEC lines made the honor roll, including Alabama and Georgia, and that traditional powers such as Notre Dame, Ohio State, Army and Utah are also on the list. The full 25-team roll includes Boise State, BYU, Duke, Florida, Houston, Indiana, Kansas State, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon State, South Alabama, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, UTSA and West Virginia.
Notre Dame's Line Draws Praise
Notre Dame's front five earned its spot behind a strong stretch of play, according to Yahoo Sports. Left tackle Will Black, left guard Anthonie Knapp, center Ashton Craig, right guard Sullivan Absher and right tackle Guerby Lambert have kept quarterback CJ Carr clean and powered a rushing attack that has taken off in recent weeks.
The Fighting Irish program confirmed the honor on its official athletics site on Oct. 14, the same day the school announced that Knapp and linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa had been named to the Lombardi Award Midseason Watch List.
The Man Behind the Award
The trophy is named for Joe Moore, widely regarded as one of the finest offensive line coaches in college football history. Moore made his name at Notre Dame and the University of Pittsburgh, and 52 of his players went on to the NFL, including Bill Fralic, Mark May, Russ Grimm, Jimbo Covert and Andy Heck.
The hardware itself is hard to miss. The trophy, sculpted by Jerry McKenna, stands seven feet tall and weighs more than 800 pounds, making it the largest trophy in college football. The winning school keeps it on display until the end of the following season.
What Happens Next for the Hawkeyes
Semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award will be announced on Nov. 11, giving Iowa's line the second half of the season to make its case. The award show posts new episodes every Monday during the college football season, so Hawkeye fans can track the unit's progress as the field narrows.
For a program that measures itself on line-of-scrimmage play, the midseason honor is a sign the 2026 Hawkeyes are holding up their end of the bargain. Keep the running game rolling and the quarterback upright, and Iowa will stay in the conversation deep into November.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Joe Moore Award?
It is the award given each year to the best offensive line in college football, named after legendary line coach Joe Moore and administered by The Foundation for Teamwork.
When will the Joe Moore Award semifinalists be announced?
Semifinalists will be announced on Nov. 11, 2026.
Which Iowa players make up the offensive line honored this season?
The Foundation for Teamwork recognizes the full five-man unit rather than individual players, and Iowa's front five earned the honor as a group.