Iowa Hawkeyes Lose Transfer DB to Hated Big Ten Rival

The Iowa Hawkeyes have lost a player to the transfer portal, and to make matters worse, they lost him to a hated Big Ten rival.

Defensive back John Nestor entered the portal late last month and has finalized his destination, taking his talents to the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Nestor announced on social media.

Nestor actually played in 10 games for Iowa this past season, logging 14 tackles and a fumble recovery in a limited role. However, with the departures of defensive backs like Jermari Harris and Sebastian Castro to the NFL Draft, Nestor could have carved out a much larger niche in 2025.

Obviously, he won't be doing that with the Hawkeyes, as he has decided to head to one of Iowa's most prominent rivals.

Nestor arrived at Iowa City in 2023 and recorded just two tackles during his freshman campaign, so after two low-usage years to begin his collegiate career, the Chicago native clearly wanted a more significant opportunity elsewhere.

The Hawkeyes have seen a handful of their players walk via the transfer portal this offseason, but they have also used the portal to their advantage, landing quarterback Mark Gronowski, wide receiver Sam Phillips and some offensive linemen.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has stated that he isn't a big fan of the transfer portal, but if he wants to keep up with the times, he needs to consistently utilize it.

The Hawkeyes went 8-5 this past year and fell to the Missouri Tigers in the Music City Bowl, concluding a rather underwhelming campaign.

Read More Iowa Hawkeyes Coverage