Sebastian Castro

Sebastian Castro can easily identify why he's considered one of the most physical and toughest players in the country. Forceful, fearless tackles are nothing new for Castro, who “grew up like that” as he played with older kids in his Oak Lawn, Illinois, neighborhood long before his days in college football. The cul-de-sac in front of Castro’s childhood home was the informal playing field for the pick-up games. The weather, even if there was “eight inches of snow,” was not a deterrent. “We would all play sports from the morning to night,” Castro said. “Football was one of the sports we played, and they got rough sometimes. ... We loved every second of it." After playing sparingly early on in his career, "things clicked" for Castro and he developed into one of the top safeties around. In 2023, Castro racked up 67 tackles with eight tackles for a loss. He also had three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. "Once he figured things out, he took off," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "He's one of the most players on our team and in the entire Big Ten. We know we can count on him."