Kaden Wetjen’s journey: From JUCO to the Iowa football record books

Kaden Wetjen waited inside his own 20-yard line for the kick from Michigan punter Tommy Doman.

It was Dec. 2, 2023, inside a sold-out Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Iowa was down 20-0 in the fourth quarter of the Big Ten Championship game to the eventual national champion Wolverines. Wetjen, a sophomore at that point, was hoping to spark his Hawkeyes with an electric return. He received the ball at his own 14-yard line and made a few guys miss on his way to a 21-yard return.

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While the ball was moved back due to an illegal block in the back, it became apparent to everyone watching that Wetjen could be special with the ball in his hands. But most importantly, it was that night and that game when everything clicked for Wetjen.

“I had a bunch of great returns that game, even though the game didn’t go really well for us… I gained that confidence knowing that I could do it against the best team in the country. It boosted my confidence and got me prepared for the next year,” Wetjen shared in a recent interview with me.

While that 2023 Big Ten Championship game was a pivotal moment for Wetjen, his journey to the Iowa football record books started a few years earlier.

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Located near the Iowa-Nebraska state border, Council Bluffs is home to one of the premier college football programs that most people have never heard of: Iowa Western Community College. The Reivers are four-time NJCAA national champions, having won three of the previous four championships. They’ve played in the last five NJCAA national championship games, a streak that started in 2021 when Wetjen was there.

Wetjen’s goal after high school was to earn a Power Four scholarship, but it never came to fruition. He saw an opportunity to hone his craft at the junior college level, which led him to Council Bluffs and to the Iowa Western program.

With the Reivers in 2021, Wetjen amassed 952 all-purpose yards, with 459 of those coming on punt returns. He also added a pair of punt return touchdowns, showcasing the explosive return skills that Iowa fans would become so familiar with down the line. After the Reivers were defeated in the national championship game, Wetjen decided to see if a move to the Power Four level was in play.

He never received that Power Four scholarship offer, but another opportunity opened its doors for him.

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“I saw the opportunity from Iowa out of JUCO, so I ended up choosing that,” Wetjen said. “I knew that they were a developmental program and that it was the place that fit me best.”

When Wetjen arrived on campus in 2022, there wasn’t a role for him quite yet. A young defensive back phenom by the name of Cooper DeJean was making headlines. After showing some impressive flashes as a freshman on defense, DeJean became the primary punt returner in 2022.

DeJean would hold onto that role heading into the 2023 season, where he put together his best season yet. He had 21 punt returns for 241 yards and a game-winning touchdown return against Michigan State. But after DeJean went down with a season-ending injury in Week 11, Iowa needed to find a new return man. Little did they know that the solution to their problem was already in the building.

After starting at the JUCO level and not seeing action in his first season at Iowa, Wetjen was suddenly called upon to handle return duties. He had a few kickoff returns under his belt, but he was now the primary punt returner for the Hawkeyes. He would end his sophomore season with seven punt returns for 63 yards, which included that confidence-boosting game against Michigan.

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While he didn’t get to see the field much in his first two seasons at Iowa, Wetjen learned a ton about the return game from a few guys who did it better than anyone else.

“I had Charlie Jones for one semester when I came in, so having him and Cooper to learn from and watch film with was super beneficial,” Wetjen said. “Just having guys like that that show you how to do stuff right and what it takes to play at the pro level—they both play in the NFL now—just seeing how to operate everyday and what it takes to get to the level that you want to play at.”

Following the 2023 season, DeJean declared for the NFL draft, leaving big shoes to fill in the secondary and on special teams. Wetjen was ready to put those shoes on. After getting some reps late in 2023, and with a full offseason of preparation to be the starter, it was time for Wetjen to finally get the chance to prove he could do it at the Power Four level. And he didn’t disappoint.

In the 2024 season opener against Illinois State, he had five punt returns for 51 yards, a taste of what he could do in the open field. After not getting many return opportunities over the next few weeks, a road game in the middle of October marked a turning point in his season. Against Michigan State, Wetjen didn’t have a punt return, but he did have five kick returns for 145 yards. Fans didn’t know it at the time, but Wetjen was about to start his pursuit toward an Iowa record that had been standing for over a quarter century.

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The next week against Northwestern was his true arrival onto the scene at Iowa. The moment that everyone started to notice what the Hawkeyes had in Wetjen. With a 19-7 lead halfway through the third quarter, Wetjen received a punt on his own 15-yard line and created magic. He burst up the middle, weaved around numerous would-be tacklers, and hit the gas down the sidelines to take it 85 yards to the house.

A sold-out Kinnick Stadium erupted, as every single person there knew that Iowa had found its next special teams star. In the span of a few weeks, Wetjen had gone from the relatively obscure reserve wide receiver and return man to the talk of the town. He was no longer just Cooper DeJean’s replacement. He was the next big thing.

Wetjen wound down the 2024 regular season with a few more nice returns, but he would save his best act for last. In the Music City Bowl against Missouri, the Tigers made a decision that they instantly regretted. Following a first-quarter touchdown that tied the game at seven apiece, Missouri inexplicably kicked the ball right to Wetjen. He made them pay for that mistake.

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He grabbed the ball a few yards inside his own end zone, found a crease, followed his blockers, tiptoed down the sidelines, and hit his signature jets to find the end zone. A 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. It was the longest kickoff return touchdown for Iowa since Charlie Jones, a guy that Wetjen learned some of his tricks of the trade from, also notched a 100-yard touchdown return against Illinois in 2021.

While Iowa would ultimately lose that bowl game against Mizzou, it was still a great way to cap off Wetjen’s junior campaign. He ended the 2024 season with 26 kickoff returns for 727 yards and a touchdown, while also adding 26 punt returns for 328 yards and a score. He was named the Jet Award winner for his efforts, given to the best return specialist in the country, as well as numerous first-team All-Big Ten nods.

With one more season of eligibility left, Wetjen would return to Iowa City for his senior season. This time, he wouldn’t sneak up on anyone. Opposing special teams coaches spent weeks devising game plans solely predicated upon keeping the ball out of his hands. And in the early portions of the 2025 season, it looked like those game plans might be working.

In the season opener against Albany, he had just one punt return for 17 yards. In Week 2 against Iowa State, he had three kick returns for 55 yards, but only one punt return, this one totaling -7 yards. That game in Ames was one of the toughest games in Wetjen’s career, as he struggled to find momentum as a wide receiver and returner. Desperately in need of a bounce-back performance, Wetjen recalled a conversation with head coach Kirk Ferentz that turned his season around.

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“I had one of my worst games against Iowa State in my own opinion,” Wetjen said. “He (Kirk Ferentz) kind of talked with me that week… went over what happened and what he thought was going on. Just having a coach like that who’s willing to take one of their players and be honest with them and tell them what they think I should do better was super special.”

Ferentz’s words worked wonders, as Wetjen would immediately respond the following week. Against UMass, he was unbelievable. Wetjen ended the night with four punt returns for 182 yards and a touchdown. His score came off a 95-yard return, tied for the longest punt return touchdown in program history and the longest ever at Kinnick Stadium. It was a dazzling return and helped Wetjen make history on a record-breaking evening in Iowa City.

Fans wouldn’t have to wait long for the encore.

Just six days later, the Hawkeyes found themselves in the middle of a rabid SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J. It was the Big Ten opener against an undefeated Rutgers team starving for a signature victory. The sold-out crowd, all dressed in black, was ready to make life very difficult for an Iowa offense that was riding the struggle bus.

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Iowa won the toss and elected to receive, something they did often last season. It was at that point, on the very first play of the game, that Rutgers committed a pair of egregious mistakes. First, they decided not to kick the ball out of the end zone for a touchback. Then, they decided to kick it straight to Wetjen, who was standing on his own goal line. And you all know what happened next.

Wetjen raced down the sidelines practically untouched, followed his blockers, and made his way into the end zone. Touchdown Iowa. The crowd fell silent, stunned at what they had just seen. In a flash, the Hawkeyes had secured the lead, and after a high-scoring back-and-forth affair, it was Iowa who walked away with the win. Wetjen looked back on that return and what made it so special to him.

“The Rutgers one to start off the game… That environment was way crazier than what we were expecting for sure and just to do that on the very first play of the game and hear the crowd go silent was awesome,” Wetjen said.

Wetjen’s next three games were relatively quiet, as teams were quickly reminded what happens when you give Wetjen return opportunities. He had just five total punt returns for 76 yards against Indiana, Wisconsin, and Penn State. But while he wasn’t getting many return opportunities, Wetjen was getting a chance to be more involved in the offense as a wide receiver.

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He had a season-high four catches for 29 yards against the Hoosiers and scored the game-winning touchdown on the ground against the Nittany Lions. He would continue that success within the offense into a key rivalry showdown with Minnesota, as he caught three passes for a season-high 49 yards in the win. That would be far from his only highlight of the afternoon.

Iowa had raced out to a 24-0 lead by the early minutes of the second quarter. They had already scored an offensive and a defensive touchdown. And they were about to complete the trifecta. The Gophers decided to punt the ball to Wetjen, who grabbed it at midfield, sprinted outside, and accelerated through a crease for his third return touchdown of the season.

It was the fifth return touchdown of his Hawkeye career, which tied the legendary Tim Dwight for most in program history. It was also a cathartic moment for many Iowa fans, who felt robbed two seasons prior when DeJean had a potential game-winning punt return touchdown against Minnesota ruled off for an invalid fair catch signal. There was no controversy this time. Wetjen scored, and the Hawkeyes romped over the Gophers.

With the program record now in sight, every single return opportunity Wetjen got became even more must-watch TV. In Iowa’s next two games against Oregon and USC, he didn’t have a punt return, but did add three kickoff returns for 76 yards. That meant he would enter his Senior Day and final game at Kinnick Stadium with a chance for history.

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And one of the greatest return specialists in the history of the game had one more treat for his home fans.

Late in the first quarter of an early defensive slugfest, Wetjen would get the opportunity to return a punt. He caught the ball at his own 38-yard line, 62 yards away from the record book. There wasn’t a single soul on the Michigan State special teams unit who was going to stop him that day.

In what he described as his favorite return touchdown of his career, Wetjen danced his way around Spartan defenders as he raced toward the end zone. With just one man to beat, he delivered a nasty stiff arm before trotting in for a record-breaking score. It gave Iowa the lead, and a few hours later, Drew Stevens nailed a game-winning field goal to cap off a perfect Senior Day.

Wetjen now holds the Iowa program record for career return touchdowns with six, one ahead of Dwight. He took some time to reflect on his relationship with Dwight and the extra motivation he got on the day of his record-breaking return.

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“I have a great relationship with him [Dwight], he actually texted me the day of the Michigan State game telling me to go break his record,” Wetjen said. “Having a legend like that communicate with you and give you a little extra motivation to go break his own record is super awesome. I’m grateful to have that relationship with him.”

Strong games against Nebraska and Vanderbilt sealed Wetjen’s career as a Hawkeye. In his senior season, he would accumulate 1,269 all-purpose yards, including an incredible 1,039 combined return yards.

Wetjen was named a consensus All-American and won the Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year award for the second straight season. He also claimed the Jet Award for the second season in a row, becoming the only player ever to accomplish that feat.

Wetjen’s explosive return ability, paired with high-upside receiving traits, has NFL scouts very intrigued. He played in the East-West Shrine Bowl, flashing elite route-running as a receiver. Recently, he wrapped up workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine, the premier opportunity for college prospects to show the next level what they’re capable of. Wetjen spoke about the chance to compete at the combine, and how the process went for him.

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“It was a great experience meeting all those guys who are the top players in college football. It was an honor to be there with those guys and see how they operated and carry themselves throughout the week,” Wetjen said. “Making connections with some of the coaches in the NFL and trying to get your name out there as best as you can was one of the main things for the week and I think it went really well.”

If drafted, Wetjen would join the man he passed for Iowa’s career return touchdowns record as an NFL draft pick. Dwight was drafted in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He would spend 10 seasons in the league, making some huge plays on returns in Super Bowl XXXIII.

While it may have seemed unlikely when he packed his bags at Iowa Western Community College five years ago, there’s a real chance that Wetjen hears his name called on draft weekend. Whether it’s as a wide receiver, return specialist, or both, people would be foolish to count out his ability to make a real impact in the NFL.

Regardless of what happens at the next level, Wetjen’s impact on the Iowa football program, and it’s record book, will not be forgotten.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Kaden Wetjen’s journey: From JUCO to the Iowa football record books