2019 Iowa Hawkeyes Spring Practice Primer
Offense
The Iowa Hawkeye football team has started spring practice and they do so having to replace some key seniors and four excellent underclassmen who left early for the NFL Draft. There are some areas of the team that are pretty set and in solid shape; QB, OT, CB. There are some positions that are clearly in a state of flux; TE, S, interior OL, second string DL. Spring practice might give some clarity to a few of these positions but given the fact that Iowa may need some of the incoming freshmen to contribute, it certainly won’t answer all of the questions. The program released its pre-spring two-deeps, they will likely look different by the end of spring and will almost certainly look different in the fall by week 1.
On offense Iowa returns its starting QB Nate Stanley for year three under center. That should help stabilize things as other areas are in flux. Also, both starting OTs return and they are top-notch players Alaric Jackson and Tristan Wirfs. The team also returns its top three players at RB; Mekhi Sargent, Toren Young and Ivory Kelly-Martin along with FB Brady Ross. The team needs more production out of them but that might be more about health and picking one of them to be the primary back as opposed to their talent. The interior of the offensive line is a mystery with only Cole Banwart a for-sure starter and even where he starts is a question mark. The receiving corps has to replace the productive Nick Easley and the TE group is almost a complete mystery minus Nate Wieting’s blocking.
Let’s take a look at where the Hawkeyes stand right now and where things could potentially end up.
Quarterback
Starter: Nate Stanley
Backup: Peyton Mansell
Spring Roster Notables: Spencer Petras, Alex Padilla
Nate Stanley returns for his third year as the starting QB and while that gives the offense an experienced hand running things it’s time for Stanley to show more consistency game-to-game. He’s put up very solid stats each of the last two seasons when you look at them at the end of the year but he’s inconsistent week-to-week. He looks like an NFL caliber player one or two weeks at a time and then he has a game where you think he should be benched. As a third-year starter this season he needs to be the better player every week and with some question marks on offense around him he needs to raise the game of the players around him. Peyton Mansell enters spring listed as the backup all by himself. Last year freshman Spencer Petras was often listed with him and while he retained his redshirt, he did play a few plays. Petras should give Mansell a run for his money for the backup job but it’s highly unlikely either sees significant action unless something happens to Stanley. Iowa has some creampuffs on the non-conference schedule and it would be wise for Ferentz to give both these guys some reps. True freshman Alex Padilla is already on campus so he’ll get to learn the offense starting now but it would take something crazy to happen for him not to redshirt this year.
Running Back/Fullback
Starters: RB Mekhi Sargent FB Brady Ross
Backups: RB Toren Young FB Joe Ludwig
Spring Roster Notables: RB Ivory Kelly-Martin, RB Henry Geil, RB Shadrick Byrd
Potential Impact Fall Freshman: RB Tyler Goodson
Iowa returns much of its backfield from last year’s team and that’s both good news and bad news. Mekhi Sargent took over as the starter at the end of last season after the position sort of rotated through three guys; Sargent, Toren Young and Ivory Kelly-Martin. Kelly-Martin was supposed to be the starter last season but he ended up with a nagging injury he seemingly never got over. Young is the bigger back of the three and brings a power game and I was glad to hear Kirk Ferentz acknowledge in his spring press conference that Young gave them more than they gave him credit for (I’m paraphrasing). Young was underappreciated and the team would be better off using him more to establish the power running game early. Kelly-Martin isn’t listed on the spring two-deeps because he is recovering from an injury (it’s a theme). He’s a talented back but if he’s playing at anything less than 100%, they are doing a disservice to him and to the team if they use him. Brady Ross returns at FB and he’s a bruiser that can actually get some yards and catch a pass, he’s a sneaky weapon when used right. That’s four guys with plenty of playing time experience, it would be good for the Hawkeyes if one of them seized the job. Henry Geil is a bigger back who redshirted last season and now he’s going to have to fight off some young guys while trying to break through the top trio of established runners. Shadrick Byrd is an incoming freshman already on campus, he was a late add to the recruiting class but he’s getting a head start on learning the offense. Tyler Goodson is the one we should be waiting for. He’s a talented back with the ability to hit the home run and make big plays. I think Goodson finds a role in the fall and I also think Iowa loses a RB to transfer between the end of spring practice and the start of fall camp.
Wide Receiver
Starters: Brandon Smith Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Backups: Tyrone Tracy Jr. Nico Ragaini
Spring Roster Notables: Max Cooper, Calvin Lockett, Samson Evans
To say that this team needs production from its WRs this season would be a massive understatement. With Nick Easley, TJ Hockenson and Noah Fant gone Nate Stanley is going to have to find some new targets to rely on. Brandon Smith started to show his talent last year and became a legitimate receiving threat. Ihmir Smith-Marsette showed he’s a valuable returner and can be very dangerous with the ball in his hands. They need these two to step up and be the primary playmakers in the passing game. The rest of the WR group has produced virtually nothing on the field at this point so their contributions are pure speculation. Kirk Ferentz mentioned Nico Ragaini as the leading contender to take over the slot position vacated by Easley. While he only played sparingly last year as a true freshman, he was an early enrollee so this is his second spring practice with the team and that should help. Max Cooper played some but he’s banged up at the moment so he may lose some ground. The real wildcard is Tyrone Tracy Jr. Tracy is an electric athlete with playmaking skills the team absolutely has to find a way to use. They tried a little last year but he didn’t play much and they never found the right opportunity to use him. If he can find a rhythm with Stanley, he could be an important part of the offense. Calvin Lockett is a big WR who redshirted last year and I’m listing Samson Evans as a WR even though he was a RB last year and I have no real idea where he ends up playing. It’s possible Lockett finds himself a role as a backup on the outside due to his size. I would be a little shocked if Evans plays this year with Ragaini, Tracy and Cooper all likely to find time in the slot.
Tight End
Starters: Nate Wieting Shaun Beyer
Backups: Tommy Kujawa Drew Cook
Potential Impact Fall Freshmen: Josiah Miamen, Sam LaPorta
No position lost more this off season than TE. TJ Hockenson and Noah Fant are irreplaceable but that doesn’t mean Iowa won’t line up in two TE formations plenty this season. The unenviable task of taking over for Fant and Hockenson is going to mainly fall on senior Nate Wieting, who has the most playing experience and junior Shaun Beyer, who has the most potential to be a playmaker. Wieting has mainly been a blocking TE when he plays and he’ll continue to be counted on to excel but he will be asked to contribute more in the passing game. He can catch so he should be fine. Beyer is the more athletic pass catcher but he’s coming off an injury that kept him out a lot last season so no one knows for sure what he’ll bring. For now, senior Drew Cook, a former QB and the son of former Iowa legend Marv Cook, will get a chance to be the third TE. The other TE listed on the depth chart is walk-on Tommy Kujawa which is why TE is the position most likely to see an incoming freshman find playing time this fall, the spring roster doesn’t provide much confidence. Josiah Miamen might be a dynamic enough pass catcher to find playing time if no one steps up in the passing game. Sam LaPorta is a bit undersized and he probably needs some time to fill out before he should be counted on to contribute. One name I mentioned last year at this time was walk-on Ben Subbert as a potential future contributor at TE but he has since been moved to defensive line, I would guess due to the lack of bodies on that side. (Last minute change, it looks like true freshman Logan Lee is coming in as a DE in the fall not at TE).
Offensive Line
Starters:
LT Alaric Jackson, LG Landan Paulsen, C Cole Banwart, RG Levi Paulsen, RT Tristan Wirfs
Backups:
LT Mark Kallenberger, LG Cody Ince, C Tyler Linderbaum, RG Kyler Schott, RT Jack Plumb
Spring Roster Notables: Coy Kirkpatrick, Jeff Jenkins, Ezra Miller, Justin Britt
The edge is set with starting OTs Alaric Jackson and Tristan Wirfs returning to start for a third year. Both guys are All-Conference level guys and even potential All-American candidates. Backup OT Mark Kallenberger is one of the more talked about talents on the offensive line and Jack Plumb made the two-deeps at RT as a redshirt freshman, that’s impressive. With incoming freshman like Ezra Miller and eventually Tyler Endres the OT position is a deep as it has been in a long time at Iowa.
It’s the interior of the offensive line that has some sorting out to do. It might come down to whether or not Tyler Linderbaum is ready to step in at center after having only played the position during bowl prep and this spring. He was a DT last year until bowl prep and now he could take over in the pivot. If Linderbaum can secure the position than Cole Banwart can return to playing guard, if Linderbaum isn’t ready Banwart will have to hold down the middle and the both guard spots are up for grabs. Levi Paulsen is the most likely player to start at one guard spot simply because he has the most experience. He has started once at guard and once at tackle in his career and played many other times. His twin brother Landan will compete for one guard spot and likely backup at both. It’s possible Kallenberger gets in on the competition at OG but he’s built more like an OT and with plenty of options on the inside, if he’s not comfortable playing there the team won’t have to force him.
Jeff Jenkins is the third OC for now and he’s still developing there. Cody Ince and Kyler Schott have the backup OG spots for now but these things are fluid. I’m interested to see what happens with Coy Kirkpatrick because he was listed as a backup at OG last spring but never saw the field. With the team needing depth on the defensive line and some more talented freshmen o-linemen coming in I wonder if Kirkpatrick could be a candidate to move over. True freshmen Ezra Miller and Justin Britt are already on campus but Britt won’t compete because he’s coming off an ACL tear. Miller already looks like a college OT so if he picks up the offense and gets his technique down the OT position will get even deeper. It’s unlikely Miller makes an impact but it’s not impossible.
Kicker
I don’t usually talk about kickers but Iowa is losing Miguel Recinos who was very good for the last two years. It’s a competition between one-time hero Keith Duncan (remember the Michigan game) and Caleb Shudak. I don’t care who wins the competition as long as they are better at kicking than our current punters are at punting.
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