5′10″ · 170 lb · Apopka, FL · Leesburg
He has 176 punt return yards, 7th among FBS wide receivers who returned a punt.
He has catches in 5 of Iowa’s 6 games: none against Ohio State.
“I know he has a TD this year but Evan James has to stop being our #1 punt returner, that’s like his second or third time muffing a punt this year.”
4 stories in the last 30 days, from 4 outlets.
One-on-one with Iowa wide receiver Evan James
The Daily Iowan Oct 22
Evan James
On tape: 35 receiving yards and 3 receptions against Northern Iowa, Week 3, 2026.
58 receiving yards · 7 catches · 0 receiving TD
Against Washington on Oct. 9: 1 catch for 6 yards. In the 4 games drawn here: 7 catches for 58 yards. Iowa has thrown to him 8 times in 106 passes.
Each game is split into its four quarters, so the columns line up from game to game; inside a quarter, plays keep their order. Third and fourth downs are marked under the line, bold when he moved the chains.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Iowa | 7 | 58 | 8.3 | 0 |
| Career | 7 | 58 | 8.3 | 0 |
| Season | Team | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Iowa | 176 | 1 |
| Career | 176 | 1 |
Last game (Wk 6): 6 receiving yards, 1 catch.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 6 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 40-0vs Northern Illinois | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Wk 2 | W 16-13vs Iowa State | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Wk 3 | W 55-0vs Northern Iowa | 3 | 35 | 11.7 | 0 | 18 | Season-high 35 yds |
| Wk 4 | W 20-19@ No. 18 Michigan | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 0 | 11 | |
| Wk 5 | L 14-31vs No. 5 Ohio State | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Wk 6 | W 41-24@ Washington | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | |
| Total | 7 | 58 | 8.3 | 0 | 18 |
Week 3 · 2026
W 55-0
3 rec · 35 yds
Dominant 55-point win at home against Northern Iowa.
With B. Everitt — 44.5 yards per punt · 4 punts · 3 inside the 20 · B. Jackson — 125 rush yds (11 car) · 1 TD · 1 rec · 24 yds · 1 TD
Ratings of the games shown run from -25 to +27 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 6 games
Home vs Road
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home4g | 1.0 | 9.5 | 7.3 | 0.0 |
| Road2g | 1.5 | 10.0 | 6.5 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 1.2 | 9.7 | 6.9 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Kirk Ferentz
Pass share
48.4%
179 pass / 191 run
Plays / game
61.7
6 games
Team sack rate
2.6%
191 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2026
Fewer catches a game than most FBS receivers who play every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Three-star recruit. Now #462 at the position.
The No. 1,738 recruit in the country is starting at receiver in the Big Ten.
from 4 outlets
One-on-one with Iowa wide receiver Evan James
The Daily Iowan Oct 22 · 1 outlet
Iowa Hawkeyes AthleticsEvan James Named To Jet Award Midseason ListOct 14from 9 outlets
Iowa football's Evan James returns punt 77 yards for touchdown
FOX Sports +1 Sep 5 · 2 outlets
Locked OnIowa's Tradon Bessinger, Brevin Doll, Evan James Poised to make waves This SeasonAug 11
Hawk CentralEvan James' breakout shows depth of Iowa wide receivers | LeistikowAug 18
Roundtable8 Days Until Iowa Football: Evan JamesAug 28Iowa Hawkeyes AthleticsEvan James Named To Jet Award Midseason ListOct 14FOX Sports +1Iowa football's Evan James returns punt 77 yards for touchdownSep 5
Colorado Springs GazetteHawkeyes intend to stick with Evan James at punt return after first half of seasonOct 15The Daily IowanColorado Springs GazetteFOX Sports +1RoundtableHawk CentralEach week: his team’s game, the stories about him that week, and the week’s biggest news headline.
Stories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Oct 24.
Fans first named him vs Northern Illinois.
2026 is in progress.
His career
