IOWA CITY -- Kaden Wetjen first began to return punts for Iowa when Cooper DeJean went down with an injury that ended his junior campaign, and his career with the Hawkeyes. Though the Williamsburg native performed well, his ability to return the ball never matched the electricity that filled Kinnick Stadium when DeJean went back to return punts.
This season, Wetjen hasn't had to live in the first-team All-American-sized shadow of the now-Philadelphia Eagles defensive back -- and he's carved out some excitement of his own, posting 13 returns for a total of 100 yards (third-best in the Big Ten, tied for 18th-best in the nation), or 7.7 yards per return.
"I think first and foremost, anytime Kaden Wetjen has the ball in his hands, it's good for the Hawks," special teams coordinator LeVar Woods said on Tuesday. "The guy has the ability to go the distance whenever he has the ball in his hands."
A transfer from Iowa Western Community College, outside expectations for Wetjen after joining the program as a walk-on were relatively modest, despite the confidence Woods shows in him now.
Wetjen himself had no doubts about what he was capable of.
"I knew I could make an impact right away," Wetjen said in the spring. "It's a different level when you come in from junior college. You've just got to learn a bunch of new stuff and a certain maturity to you. Once I had that, I knew I was going to play."
He knew from the jump that special teams could be a calling card for him in Iowa City.
"[I knew I could compete] especially in the return game," he said prior to the start of the 2024 season. "I feel like I can give us such a big advantage off that."
"He's always been fast," Kirk Ferentz said of Wetjen at Iowa's media day in August. "I've always said for us to be successful, we need good stories. It'd be wonderful if this is his time to just kind of bust out and play with confidence."
So far this season, Wetjen appears to be playing with more confidence than he ever has before. In addition to returning punts, he's returned four kicks for 89 yards, an average of just over 27 yards per return. He's also taken one carry and recorded his first catch in black and gold -- a 33-yard reception against Troy.
Wetjen's numbers, already nationally significant as a punt returner, could be significantly larger if it weren't for penalties that brought back some of his larger plays this season -- including what would've been a 65-yard touchdown return against Illinois State that was called back due to a block in the back.
Avoiding the loss of big plays was an emphasis for Woods and the special teams unit prior to the start of the season, thanks to a couple big plays Wetjen made last year as the Hawkeyes' return man.
"If you recall the Big Ten Championship game, we had two huge returns brought back because of penalties -- just dumb penalties," Woods said. "Those are things we're addressing, and things we're focused on. How can we be better in that regard?"
How the unit fixes those issues going forward starts with determining how and why they happened in the first place.
"Is it a silly lack of judgement? Or is it an effort penalty?" Woods said. "Effort penalties, you're able to live with. Like TJ Hall against Minnesota -- to me, that's effort. He's working, hustling, scrapping and next thing you know he ends up in front of the guy when we want him to be slightly behind, and then you get tangled up and fall down."
Understanding where officials are watching closely is important, too.
"In the old days, people would get their heads knocked off, and that was part of the deal," Woods said. "You'd set walls, you'd knock people off and blindside block them, which is now illegal. Now, it's like any time someone is on the ground, it's a flag. ... We're constantly focused on trying to keep guys up and off the ground to eliminate those penalties."
The bye week is a perfect time to get those off the board.
"Through technique, we're working on that," Woods added. "That's something we're trying to clean up."
As things progress this season, there's one characteristic that Wetjen shares with DeJean that will continue to bode well for him in the return game.
"As a punt returner, you've go to have nerves of steel back there," Woods said. "He's pretty fearless, and that's one of the first traits you look for in a punt returner."
Wetjen embraces the possibility for a big hit -- and the opportunity to make a big play.
"I love returning," Wetjen said with a smile. "I don't care if people are coming full-speed at me. I'll run full-speed right back at them. Hopefully, I'll make them miss and score some touchdowns."
