A year ago, Reece Vander Zee was doing everything right. Entering his sophomore year with Iowa Hawkeyes’ he had switched from his high school No. 2 to No. 15, a new chapter in his life. After putting up 176 receiving yards as a freshman in 2024, he looked ready to take that next step. But just when the season was about to begin, everything changed.
Just a week before the season opener, he suffered a “freak foot injury” and missed the first four games. Although he recovered, head coach Kirk Ferentz started him in just two games, and he managed to notch just 219 yards. Now he is rooting for a comeback, but for that he is now relying on his high school number and God.
“I wanted to go back to my high school roots. Get back to playing free, and I just always have wanted to keep God first and keep everybody else first,” Reece said about adopting the #2 jersey again in an interview yesterday. “I’m the second person in the equation now. So that’s kind of my inspiration behind it, and I learned a lot from last year through my injury and leaned on my faith, and that was a big reason for the change.”
Faith has always played a big role for Vander Zee throughout his recruiting and college journey. Oldest of six siblings in a Christian household, Reece’s parents, Joe and Meredith, run Soul Strong, a ministry focused on spiritual direction and helping individuals grow in faith and relationships. And that foundation was on full display during the 2024 freshman debut.
Following Iowa’s spring practice this morning, Reece Vander Zee was asked about his recent number change from #15 to #2:
“It’s a reminder that I’m always second in the equation. Keep God first, my family, my teammates — keep them all first.” pic.twitter.com/X3ONJYdv6Z
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) April 9, 2026
As Iowa steamrolled Illinois State 40-0, Reece making his first start for Iowa against Illinois State exploded for 66 yards and two touchdowns. Rather then taking that limelight, he chose to shine the spotlight upwards.
“I credit my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me this opportunity,” Reece said about his debut performance. “A lot of things fell into place for me to be here, and I get all my confidence from him. I just prayed that [Jesus would] give me confidence. And I went out there and showed that today.”
“Seeing him be able to be an ambassador for Christ in that avenue — I’m not surprised,” Meredith said after Reece credited Jesus after his debut game. “He is … humble enough … and so his ability to speak from the heart is pretty [impressive] for a kid his age.
Reece started eight games as a wide receiver in 2024 and became a reliable WR for the Hawkeyes’ run-heavy offense. Though both his seasons were plagued with injury issues, Reece is still brimming with talent, which he showed in his high school career. In his 2023 season, as a QB, he passed for 1,288 yards and rushed for another 1,767 yards, and led his high school to a 12-1 record. Those performances earned him two-time All-State honors, and he can easily roll back those performances at Iowa this year. Faith in God is helping him do exactly that.
Vander Zee wants to take inspiration from his high school days, when he was the leader at Central Lyon Little Rock High School. As a senior quarterback in 2023, the Lions were trailing by three points with just five minutes to go in the 2A state title game. Vander Zee led his team to the 3-yard line and called a play change on fourth down.
His center mistook that call and fired the snap as Vander Zee stood unaware of it. The ball went down, and the hopes for a state title also went down with it. But Vander Zee didn’t let that calamity affect him and radiated accountability instead. “He had a special gift that way. [There are] definitely some God-given abilities there,” Meredith said about her son. By adopting that #2 again he wore in high school, Vander Zee wants to take up that leadership role again.
Reece Vander Zee opens up on remaining a Hawkeye for the 2026 season
“I’m not gonna leave. I’m not gonna do anything else besides be a Hawkeye,” Reece Vander Zee said. ” I think the thing that keeps people around and keeps me around is just the community. I really believe that the people are special here, and everybody believes that too. That’s what makes a team a great team, and I think that will separate us. Teams will go out, and they’ll get transfers, but are they going to have the team aspect? We’re going to have it stronger than them.”
Reece, by rolling back to his jersey #2, is not only coming with a renewed attitude but also extreme reliability. The Hawkeyes notched an exceptional 9 wins last year and even defeated Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl. With help from players like Reece Vander Zee, the team can easily pull off those performances again.
