Along with Hawkeyes teammate Max Llewellyn, No. 23 Iowa football (8-4, 6-3 Big Ten) All-American special teams star Kaden Wetjen has officially accepted an invitation to play in the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl. The annual event gives some of the nation’s top college football players a chance to showcase their talents in front of NFL scouts, coaches and executives from 32 teams.
Wetjen, a former backup on the JUCO path, has amassed 1,489 kick return yards, 929 punt return yards and six total return touchdowns with one game remaining as a Hawkeye in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., against No. 14 Vanderbilt (10-2, 6-2 seconds).
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Wertjen has accomplished several impressive feats this season, including becoming the first Hawkeye in his career to score touchdowns on a rushing, receiving, punt return and kickoff return. Wetjen’s 62-yard punt return for a touchdown against Michigan State surpassed Tim Dwight for the most touchdowns in Hawkeye history (six), cementing his enduring fame at Iowa State.
In a fascinating statistic, Kaden Wetjen’s special teams score marked Iowa’s third straight game with a punt return touchdown against Michigan State at Kinnick Stadium, joining Charlie Jones (2020) and Cooper DeJean (2023).
As of the morning of December 29, at least 70 people had accepted invitations to the East-West Shrine Bowl. Wertjen and the aforementioned Llewellyn will join 10 other players from the Big Ten Conference.
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The 101st East-West Shrine Bowl Game will kick off on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at 6:00 pm (CT) at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
Fans interested in attending the event can purchase tickets at the East-West Shrine Bowl.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football’s Kaden Wetjen accepts East-West Shrine Bowl invitation