The college football transfer portal has run rampant in the sport for the past couple of years.
It’s affected every college football program in the country, including Iowa, who has seen talented players come and go over the past few years.
But, not every player is like that. Some players still have a lot of love and respect for the Hawkeyes’ approach and track record of development. These are players who stick around despite not playing much early in their tenure with the program, but who then get rewarded for their patience.
Koen Entringer is one of those guys.
The 6-foot-1, 211-pound junior safety out of Ypsilanti, Mich., has appeared in 30 games as a Hawkeye, with only one start to his name. Entringer has recorded 27 tackles and an interception across those 30 games. The Michigan product is very talented and could’ve easily left early in his career to go somewhere for more playing time. But, Entringer stuck it out and was able to represent Iowa at Big Ten media days in Las Vegas on Thursday.
Entringer spoke about his decision to stay at Iowa, even when the playing time wasn’t there.
“I think the main reason I didn’t leave is just because I’m committed to the team and I’m committed to the players. I knew that Quinn (Schulte) coming back was going to help the team and if I was good enough to beat him out, I would’ve beat him out. Coach (Phil) Parker is a fair guy and he found a way for me to be on the field.
“I know it’s not common for a lot of guys. They want to play right away. But, I just looked at it in the long term. Playing at Iowa is just a tremendous opportunity,” Entringer said.
Koen Entringer on why he didn’t enter the transfer portal despite facing limited playing time: “I know it’s not common for a lot of guys — they want to play right away. But I just looked at it in the long term. Playing at Iowa is just a tremendous opportunity.” pic.twitter.com/tDHivJQHLK
— Tyler Tachman (@Tyler_T15) July 24, 2025
Entringer’s comments say a lot about him as a player and as a person, and speak to Iowa’s overall approach. Guys like Jay Higgins, Luke Lachey, and Sebastian Castro are good examples of sticking around the program, even when playing time isn’t there early, and being rewarded for it. Entringer is hoping his name can be added to that list of successes, as he’s projected to start at safety in 2025.
Fans will get their first glimpse at Entringer and the Hawkeyes when Iowa hosts Albany in the season opener on Aug. 30.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football safety reveals reason he didn’t transfer from program