Somehow, someway, the Iowa Hawkeyes always find an answer in the secondary each year. One of the defensive backs steps up and becomes the go-to guy for Phil Parker’s defense. This year, Zach Lutmer has been blossoming into a star.

Ahead of the Hawkeyes’ game against the USC Trojans, head coach Kirk Ferentz was asked about Lutmer’s development not only on the field, but as a leader for Iowa.

“Like a lot of guys, Zach hasn’t started a lot of games going into this season. Now he’s playing at a really high level. As a coaching staff, we’re not surprised because we thought he was really good when we recruited him, probably under recruited, and then certainly we’ve gotten to watch him on a daily basis.

“A lot of guys on our defense are easy to cherry pick, you think about Karson Sharar, Zach, guys that have been here a little bit, Koen, and now that they’re playing, they’re playing smarter each and every week because they have a better feel of angles and just how to play and doing it in game conditions. So none of us were surprised. He’s a very respected guy too just because of his work ethic and what he does every day.

“Yeah, he’s part of the group that’s really given us good leadership this year,” Ferentz said of Lutmer becoming a leader for the Hawkeyes.

Starting in all nine games this year, Lutmer has shattered his career bests in tackles, pass breakups, and interceptions to become a lockdown cornerback for the Hawkeyes who can play outside, in the slot, and get in the mix defending the run.

Zach Lutmer has tallied 49 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, six pass deflections, two interceptions, and one touchdown on an interception return.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football DB Zach Lutmer growing into leader on Hawkeyes’ defense