2019 Iowa Hawkeye Football Preview
It’s about that time of year again, the Hawkeye will start fall camp in just a few weeks. Big Ten Media Day was just held in Chicago last week and we got a new updated depth chart for the Iowa Hawkeyes. This season is going to be interesting with Iowa’s offense having their QB, Nate Stanley, returning for his third season as a starter and a defense led by a guy who is a legitimate candidate to be a top 5 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, DE AJ Epenesa.
The Hawkeyes have a tough schedule for the 2019 season and while it’s very possible the team will be better overall the record may not reflect it at the end of the season. The first four games include Miami (OH) in week 1, Rutgers in week 2, Iowa State in week 3 and Middle Tennessee St in week 4. The Iowa St game is on the road and that’s always a tough test but the other three games shouldn’t be all that challenging. October brings the gauntlet, at Michigan, home against Penn St., home against Purdue, and at Northwestern. That is going to be an extremely challenging month. November doesn’t open easily on the road at Wisconsin, even if the Badgers don’t look quite as good as they have been recently. Then Iowa has three games that will likely decide whether the season is an overall success or not. Home against Minnesota and Illinois back-to-back and ending the season on Black Friday at Nebraska. The Big Ten West is going to be a crap shoot this season as Iowa, Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Nebraska all expect themselves to win the division while Purdue and Minnesota hope to build on last season and make a move to the top of the division. With the exception of Illinois, a team that needs a whole lot to go right this season to exceed expectations, there are no easy games against the west division. The fact that Iowa has to face two tough opponents from the East this season in Michigan and Penn St. makes this schedule a fight almost every week. Iowa’s defense is always good and I’ll get to them later, this season’s success is likely to hinge on the Iowa offense. Let’s take a look at Iowa Hawkeye Offense.
Quarterback
Starter: Nate Stanley
Backup: Peyton Mansell
Notable Depth Chart: Spencer Petras, Alex Padilla
Nate Stanley is going to be in his third year as the starting QB and he has a chance to put himself in the Iowa record books along side players like Chuck Long and Drew Tate. Stanley has had two successful years as a starter but he has lacked week-to-week consistency. If he can manage to play up to his considerable talent, especially against Iowa’s toughest opponents, Iowa can win the Big Ten West and compete for the Big Ten title. He brings all the physical gifts you want in a QB and he’s a smart player, he just has to put it all together.
Stanley is in no danger of losing his job considering his overwhelming experience over the rest of the QBs on the roster. Peyton Mansell is listed as his backup but he will have to hold off Spencer Petras during fall camp and even true freshman Alex Padilla can’t be completely counted out after he enrolled early and went through spring practice. The backup battle is likely less about this season, unless something happens to Stanley, and more about setting up the competition to replace Stanley next year.
Running Back/Fullback
Starters: RB Mekhi Sargent FB Brady Ross
Backups: RB Toren Young FB Joe Ludwig
Notable Depth Chart: Ivory Kelly-Martin, Henry Geil, Shadrick Byrd, Tyler Goodson
Mekhi Sargent took over the role of starter at the end of last season and had a few very good performances. He can handle all three major roles a RB must fill; he can run the ball, he can catch out of the backfield and he can handle the blitz pickup. That makes him quite valuable. The hope this season is that the RBs get on the same page as the offensive line a little sooner than the did last year and get rolling early and often. Sargent isn’t a power back but he’s not small at 212 lbs. Iowa is unlikely to ask him to carry a huge workload given the depth at the position but the other guys are going to have to take carries away from Sargent, he’s not going to just give them up.
Toren Young is listed as the backup and in my opinion, he needs to get more carries. Young is the power back and Iowa would be wise to use him as the hammer early in the game. He can wear on a defense and make everyone more effective in the run game. Young is a player that needs more consistent touches to maximize his usage and I think the coaches understand that after watching last season’s film. No disrespect to Mekhi Sargent but Young is my pick to be the breakout offensive player this season.
Ivory Kelly-Martin was supposed to be the starter last year but he ended up hurt and he never really looked healthy even when he played. His bad luck continued in the spring as he still wasn’t really healthy enough to make up ground on Sargent or Young so for now, he’s the third guy. Iowa knows all too well that you need depth at RB and they seem to have it this year. Redshirt freshman Henry Geil will try to hold off the challenge of the two true freshmen while trying to find any playing time he can. Shadrick Byrd was an early enrollee in the spring and he looks like a pretty solid back. The X factor could be the other incoming freshman Tyler Goodson. He’s an extremely talented player out of Georgia and while there are a lot of players ahead of him in the pecking order, he may be too good to keep off the field.
Brady Ross is your typical Iowa fullback. He’ll do the dirty work and not get enough credit. He’s backed up by Joe Ludwig and a number of other walk-ons. The unsung heroes of Iowa’s offense will remain unsung.
Wide Receivers
Starters: Brandon Smith Ihmir Smith-Marsette Nico Ragaini
Backups: Tyrone Tracy Jr. Calvin Lockett
Notable Depth Chart: Max Cooper, Desmond Hutson, *Oliver Martin
If Toren Young isn’t the breakout offensive player of the year for the Hawkeyes it’s going to be Brandon Smith. He really started to come on at the end of last year and he brings a physical presence to the position Iowa hasn’t had in quite some time. He’s a big, physical player who isn’t afraid to go up and compete for the ball, and he’ll win plenty of those competitions. If he and Stanley can find a rhythm, he could have a huge year. Ihmir Smith-Marsette is the outside speed receiver. He has the deep speed to open things up for the offense and Stanley has the arm to get it down the field to him. He needs to be consistent and he has to get off the line cleanly when teams try to slow him up by being physical. Nico Ragaini is the starting slot receiver. He takes over the role vacated by Nick Easley so there will be plenty of opportunities at the position. I really like the complementary skill sets of these three WRs and I think they give Stanley some weapons to use in the passing game.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. is listed as a backup at two spots but he really could line up at any of the three receiver spots and make some plays. That makes him a valuable piece as a back up but hopefully Brian Ferentz has come up with some creative ways to get him involved in the offense so his playmaking skills don’t go to waste. Calvin Lockett redshirted last year but he is a bigger receiver in the Brandon Smith mold and Iowa doesn’t have a lot of those guys so he could find some playing time. Max Cooper is coming off an injury but the coaches have seemed to like him in the past so once he’s healthy he’s a viable option for playing time. Desmond Hutson is an incoming freshman who is likely to redshirt unless something drastic happens.
*There is an X factor in the WR group too. Iowa City native and prodigal son Oliver Martin returns to his hometown after transferring back from Michigan. Martin was a 4-star recruit who spurned the Hawkeyes the first time around but after some time away and a change at offensive coordinator in Ann Arbor he decided to come home. He has reportedly submitted a waiver to the NCAA to become immediately eligible but given the inconsistency in the NCAA’s handling of eligibility waivers it could go either way. If the waiver is granted Martin is talented enough to push for playing time. It’s unlikely he unseats any of the top four guys right away but he will play if he’s eligible. It will be an interesting story to follow whether it happens this season or next but I have a feeling eventually Oliver Martin will be significant piece of the Iowa offense.
Tight End
Starter: Nate Wieting
Backup: Shaun Beyer
Notable Depth Chart: Drew Cook, Josiah Miamen, Sam LaPorta
Wieting is the starter and he’s earned it by being a steady presence who has only gotten better even with his limited playing time. Even playing behind TJ Hockenson and Noah Fant he was still able to carve out a role as a blocker and while he hasn’t had the opportunity to flash his receiving skills, I think there is more there than we have seen. Iowa’s latest depth chart made a change from last season where they listed two TEs and two WRs to listing one TE and three WRs. This probably isn’t really a philosophical change so much as using the personnel they are most comfortable with. Iowa isn’t very deep at TE this season and certainly doesn’t have the top end talent they had last year.
Shaun Beyer continues to be a tease as he simply hasn’t been able to stay healthy enough to show off his skills. Beyer should be a bigger pass catching threat than Wieting given his athleticism. Now he just needs to stay healthy enough to actually get on the field. He was in line to get playing time last year behind Hockenson and Fant until he got injured and was never able to get back into the picture.
Drew Cook is the son of former Hawkeye TE legend Marv Cook but he’s taken the long route to playing TE as he started out as a QB at Iowa. He has good size and athleticism but he needs to show he can actually compete on the field. The other TEs on the roster that will get a look are true freshman Josiah Miamen and Sam LaPorta. Neither of whom are necessarily ready to compete full time in the Big Ten but either one could find themselves having a role in Iowa’s offense.
Offensive Line
Starters: LT Alaric Jackson, LG Landan Paulsen, C Tyler Linderbaum, RG Cole Banwart, RT Tristan Wirfs
Backups: LT Mark Kallenberger, LG Cody Ince, C Jeff Jenkins, RG Levi Paulsen, RT Jack Plumb
Notable Depth Chart: Kyler Schott, Coy Kirkpatrick, Ezra Miller, Noah Fenske, Tyler Endres, Justin Britt
The starting lineup looks pretty solid. Alaric Jackson and Tristan Wirfs are two of the best OTs in college football and they are only going to get better as they mature. They both have a lot of starting experience for young guys and both are potential early entry candidates for next years NFL draft. Iowa couldn’t be in a better position at OT than they are with these two. The interior of the line is where things get tricky. Cole Banwart should start at RG and he’ll be good there, he was pretty solid last year even splitting time. He could be the starting C but the coaches didn’t move Tyler Linderbaum over from d-line to have him sit. He’s still trying to get a little bigger but for now the center job is his to lose. Landan Paulsen is the starting LG for now which is good for him because he’s fought injuries throughout his career. For now, it’s his more experienced twin Levi Paulsen who coming off an injury which is probably the main reason he’s not a starter.
Mark Kallenberger is probably good enough to start at OT but he’s got two huge roadblocks in front of him in Jackson and Wirfs. There is no shame is having to wait your turn behind those two. Kallenberger will get his shot eventually, for now, he’s simply a really nice insurance policy behind both guys. Cody Ince is a redshirt freshman the coaches must like as he’s stepped into a backup role without any playing time to speak of. Levi Paulsen is listed as Banwart’s backup at RG but he is most likely the backup at either guard spot and he has shown he can step in at OT if needed. Once he gets healthy, he’s an invaluable piece for Iowa. Redshirt freshman Jeff Jenkins is listed as Linderbaum’s backup at center but if Linderbaum goes out of the game the most likely scenario is Banwart slides over into the center spot and Levi goes in at RG. No disrespect to Jeff Jenkins but that’s just what I see Ferentz doing if need be. Jack Plumb is listed as Tristan Wirfs backup but Kallenberger is the most likely fill in as the third OT, he can play either side. Even if Iowa needs two OT replacements Levi Paulsen has played at RT in the past and he may be the most likely player to be the fourth tackle. Plumb has potential but he’s still a bit undersized given he’s a redshirt freshman.
The depth consists of Kyler Schott, a walk-on who has held his own enough to make a depth chart here and there and Coy Kirkpatrick, a guy who has been passed by some younger guys. The rest are true freshman. Ezra Miller may need the year to transform his body into that of a Big Ten offensive tackle but he is the future at the position. Noah Fenske and Tyler Endres will spend this year redshirting and finding their best position on the line. Justin Britt will spend the year rehabbing a knee injury from high school and then be ready to compete for playing time next year.
Kicker
Caleb Shudak and Keith Duncan will fight for the kicker job. Anybody got a coin we can borrow?
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