Iowa Western Reivers football player wearing a blue uniform and white helmet runs down the field carrying the ball during a game, with sideline players and yard markers visible in the background.

April 10, 2025

Kaden Wetjen Honored as The Jet Award Winner

OMAHA, Neb. (Thursday, April 10, 2025) - Former Iowa Western Wide Receiver Kaden Wetjen was honored as the 14th recipient of The Jet Award for the nation's top returner at the annual The Jet Award Gala at Baxter Arena.

This past season for the Iowa Hawkeyes, Wetjen averaged 12.6 yards per punt return 28.0 yards per kick return, and two total touchdowns. For his efforts, Wetjen earned FWAA and Phil Steele first-team All-America honors as well as Sporting News second-team All-America accolades and was the Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year. He was also named first-team All-Big Ten and a Burlsworth Trophy semifinalist.

Before his time with the Hawkeyes, Wetjen spent two seasons at Iowa Western in 2020-21 and 2021 where he was a two-time NJCAA All-American and two-time ICCAC All-Conference returner for the Reivers, helping the team to their first of four straight NJCAA National Championship Game appearances. He posted 875 career punt return yards and 201 kick return yards; his 459 punt return yards in 2021 are the Iowa Western single-season record and his four return touchdowns are also the IWCC career record. Wetjen's two 72-yard scores against Southern Shreveport in 2020-21 and Ellsworth the following season are 2nd to Wes Smith's 87-yard return against Harper JC in 2010.

Named for former University of Nebraska Cornhusker Johnny "The Jet" Rodgers, The Jet Award is given to the nation's best return specialist and is voted on by a group of experts and professionals in college football who review the performances of the three finalists and consider various factors such as statistics, impact on games, and overall skill level to determine the award winner. The Jet Award Foundation raises money to provide scholarships to students majoring in trades at Iowa Western Community College and Metro Community College and since 2017, more than 400 students have received aid from the foundation to go towards tuition, books, and fees.

Also being honored at the Gala is former Utah Ute Erroll Tucker who received the Legacy Award which was created to salute the great return specialists of college football. In 1985, Tucker led the NCAA in punt returning with an average of 24.3 yards per return. He also returned two punts, two kickoffs, and three interceptions for touchdowns that season, leading to first-team All-American honors.

Award Winners
2024 Kaden Wetjen (Iowa)
2023 Zachariah Branch (USC)
2022 Derius Davis (TCU)
2021 Marcus Jones (Houston)
2020 Avery Williams (Boise State)
2019 Joe Reed (Virginia)
2018 Savon Scarver (Utah State)
2017 Dante Pettis (Washington)
2016 Adoree' Jackson (USC)
2015 Christian McCaffrey (Stanford)
2014 Tyler Lockett (Kansas)
2013 Ty Montgomery (Stanford)
2012 Tavon Austin (West Virginia)
2011 Joe Adams (Arkansas)

Legacy Honorees
Erroll Tucker
Billy Cannon
Rick Upchurch
Billy "White Shoes" Johnson
Cliff Branch
Dante Hall