2023 SEASON: Played in all 17 games, recording 32 tackles (24 solo), eight tackles for a loss (tied for No. 2 on the team), a pass defensed, four sacks and 10 QB hits (No. 5 on the team)…Appeared in both postseason contests, recording five tackles (four solo), a sack, a tackle for a loss and a QB hit…At Chicago (Sept. 10): Played 35 snaps on defense and 11 on special teams, posting two tackles (both solo) and a sack in his NFL debut. Recorded his first career sack when he brought down Fields for a loss of 7 yards to force a third-and-long and help hold Chicago to a field goal…Vs. Minnesota (Oct. 29): Appeared on 26 defensive snaps, recording his first career pass defensed…Vs. L.A. Rams (Nov. 5): Played 20 defensive snaps, registering two tackles (both solo), a tackle for a loss and a quarterback hit. Made back-to-back tackles, stopping RB Darrell Henderson for a loss of 5 yards on first down and tackling Henderson again to force third-and-long for the Rams…At Pittsburgh (Nov. 12): Played 19 snaps on defense, recording three tackles (two solo) and a tackle for a loss. Tackled RB Jaylen Warren for a loss of a yard on the first play of the second quarter…At Detroit (Nov. 23): Appeared on 28 defensive snaps, posting three tackles (all solo), a tackle for a loss and two QB hits. Got after QB Jared Goff on a first-down play in the second quarter, forcing Goff to throw the ball away as he was called for intentional grounding. In the fourth quarter, stopped TE Sam LaPorta for a loss of 2 yards on a first-down reception…Vs. Kansas City (Dec. 3): Played 25 defensive snaps, registering two tackles (both solo), a sack, a tackle for a loss and two QB hits. Sacked Patrick Mahomes for a loss of 9 yards on first down to help hold the Chiefs to just a field goal on that drive…Vs. Tampa Bay (Dec. 17): Played 26 snaps on defense, recording four tackles (three solo), a sack, a tackle for a loss and a QB hit. Sacked QB Baker Mayfield for a loss of 9 yards on a first-down play in the second quarter that helped hold Tampa Bay to a field goal…Vs. Chicago (Jan. 7): Logged 19 snaps on defense, posting two tackles (both solo), a sack, a tackle for a loss and a QB hit. Sacked Fields for a loss of 6 yards on a first-down play on Chicago's first drive of the game…At Dallas (NFC Wild Card, Jan. 14): Played 50 snaps on defense, recording three tackles (two solo), a sack, a tackle for a loss and a QB hit. Sacked QB Dak Prescott for a loss of 5 yards on a second-down play in the fourth quarter.
COLLEGE: Appeared in 27 games on the defensive line during his two seasons with the Hawkeyes (2021-22), recording 71 tackles (34 solo), 19½ tackles for a loss, 13½ sacks, seven QB hits and a pass defensed...Majored in finance…2022: Appeared in all 13 games, playing both end and tackle and posting 38 tackles (17 solo), a team-high 11 tackles for a loss, 6½ sacks (tied for team lead) and four QB hits…Earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the league's coaches and media as well as The Associated Press and Phil Steele's College Football…Was part of an Iowa defense that ranked No. 2 in the country in points allowed (13.3 ppg), No. 6 in passing defense (169.5 ypg) and No. 12 in rushing defense (101.3 ypg)…Helped the Hawkeyes limit their opponents to 10 points or less in nine of 13 games on the season, the most in the country in 2022…Tied the single-game school record with two blocked punts vs. Iowa State (Sept. 10), earning Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week recognition for his performance…Blocked a Tyler Perkins punt on the Cyclones' opening drive of the game, giving the Hawkeyes the ball at the Iowa State 16 to set up a TD three plays later and then blocked another Perkins punt midway through the third quarter to give the Hawkeyes the ball at the Iowa State 20…Added two tackles (one solo), including a stop of RB Jirehl Brock for a 1-yard loss on a third-quarter run…Finished No. 2 on the team with a career-high eight tackles (three solo) while adding 2½ tackles for a loss and 1½ sacks vs. Nevada (Sept. 17)...Shared a sack of QB Shane Illingworth for a 2-yard loss early in the second quarter on third down to force a punt and then brought Illingworth down again for a 6-yard sack in the third quarter…Registered three tackles (two solo), including a 2-yard sack of QB Evan Simon in the third quarter at Rutgers (Sept. 24)…Also pressured Simon on a first-quarter pass that was picked off by DB Cooper DeJean and returned 45 yards for a TD…Recorded four tackles (three solo) and a sack at Purdue (Nov. 5), bringing down QB Aidan O'Connell for a 15-yard loss on third-and-goal at the Iowa 2 in the second quarter as the Boilermakers were forced to settle for a field goal…2021: Played in all 14 games as a redshirt freshman, earning Freshman All-America recognition from the Football Writers Association of America and the Maxwell Football Club after finishing with 33 tackles (17 solo), 8½ tackles for a loss, seven sacks and three QB hits…Was tied for the team lead in sacks and led the Hawkeyes in tackles for a loss…Posted a sack in his collegiate debut vs. Indiana (Sept. 5), bringing QB Michael Penix Jr. down for a 6-yard loss early in the third quarter on third-and-8 to force the Hoosiers to settle for a field goal…Recorded a season-high seven tackles (one solo), a career-high 2½ tackles for a loss and a career-best two sacks vs. Kent State (Sept. 18)…Shared a sack of QB Dustin Crum in the end zone for an Iowa safety in the first quarter…Sacked Crum again on a third down in the second quarter to force a punt and then shared another sack of Crum in the fourth quarter…Racked up six tackles (five solo) and a sack at Nebraska (Nov. 26), bringing down QB Logan Smothers for a 6-yard loss in the Nebraska end zone for a fourth-quarter safety to cut the Cornhuskers' lead to 21-18 as the Hawkeyes rallied for the 28-21 win…Posted four tackles (two solo) and a sack, bringing down QB Will Levis for a 7-yard loss in the fourth quarter Vs. Kentucky (Citrus Bowl, Jan. 1).
PERSONAL: Given name Lukas Reed Van Ness…Born in Elgin, Ill. …High school: Earned first-team all-state honors from the Champaign News Gazette as a senior in 2019 at Barrington (Ill.) High School after posting 67 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, five sacks, 17 QB pressures, a forced fumble and a blocked punt…Was named the Mid-Suburban League Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, helping his team to the state playoffs as a junior and senior…Earned first-team all-conference honors as a senior and all-area recognition from the Daily Herald and Pioneer Press…Also lettered three times in hockey…Community involvement: Took part in Huddle for Heroes, a military-appreciation event that involved a Q&A session, writing letters to active-duty military members and mingling with veterans through interactive sports games...Has supported the Luke Harrod Hutson Foundation, named after a childhood friend of his, which was founded to provide annual athletic, educational and mission-trip scholarships to support local area athletes and teens in Barrington, Ill. …Visited children's hospitals while he was in college.
