A two-time Jet Award winner who broke Tim Dwight's Iowa return touchdown record and became college football's most feared return man.
Kaden Wetjen turned a modest receiving role into one of the most dangerous return games in college football, breaking Iowa legend Tim Dwight's school record for career return touchdowns. A back-to-back Jet Award winner and consensus All-American in 2025, the Iowa City native was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft to bring that same explosiveness to special teams.
Path to the league
Wetjen starred at Williamsburg High School in Iowa before playing two seasons at Iowa Western Community College and transferring to Iowa in 2022. He redshirted his first year with the Hawkeyes, then carved out a role that grew from special teams depth into the centerpiece of Iowa's return game, leading to his selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 121st overall pick in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Wetjen set Iowa's career record with six combined kickoff and punt return touchdowns, surpassing the mark held by program legend Tim Dwight. He won the Jet Award as college football's top return specialist in both 2024 and 2025, was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection and two-time Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year, and earned consensus All-American honors in 2025.
2025 season recap
In his final season, Wetjen posted career-best numbers with 20 receptions for 151 yards while averaging big returns on special teams, 16 kickoff returns for 476 yards and a touchdown, plus 21 punt returns for 563 yards and 3 touchdowns. That production earned him a second straight Jet Award and cemented his status as a fourth-round pick for the Steelers.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Kaden Wetjen
- Steelers.com: Steelers select Wetjen in fourth round
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Wide Receiver
- Group
- offense
- College
- Iowa
- Hometown
- Williamsburg, IA, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
