2020 Iowa Hawkeye Football
With the exception of the NFL continuing their off season in the midst of the current Covid-19 pandemic, all other sports are shut down and that includes college football’s spring practice. This would normally be about the time we hear about the Iowa Hawkeyes progress during spring practice and we get ready for their spring scrimmage. That’s not happening which means I will just have to make an educated guess about the 2020 team and how it’s shaping up, assuming of course we actually get to have a 2020 college football season. In case you’re wondering I just really have nothing better to do so I’m doing this. (This depth chart is conjecture at this point, it’s all subject to change)
Offense
Quarterback
Starter: Spencer Petras (Sophomore)
Backup: Alex Padilla (RS Freshman)
Depth: Deuce Hogan (Freshman)
There’s good news and bad new for Spencer Petras. The good news is that Kirk Ferentz named Petras the starter as soon as last season ended and with no spring practice Alex Padilla won’t have any opportunity to compete for the job until the fall. The bad news is that without spring practice he can’t lock down the starting job and begin to really develop his chemistry with Iowa’s fantastic receiving corps. Petras is a big dude at 6’5 225 lbs., he’s not quite as big as Stanley but that’s not a bad thing. As good as Stanley was over the course of his career, it was the up and down nature of his work week-to-week that was frustrating. If Petras can be more consistent week in and week out he has an opportunity to have a fantastic career. He has all the weapons in the world to work with and plenty of talent to get it done.
Padilla came in last year as an early entrant and was the fourth string QB. With Stanley graduated and Payton Mansell transferring out he is the only other QB on scholarship this spring. That should have worked to his advantage as he would get the chance to compete with Petras one-on-one but that opportunity is gone. The likely scenario was Padilla ending up the backup anyway but now by the time fall camp rolls around he will have to compete with incoming freshman Deuce Hogan who will arrive with quite a bit of fanfare. It should be a spirited competition for the backup role next season.
Running Back
Starter: Tyler Goodson (Sophomore)
Backups: Mekhi Sargent (Senior) Ivory Kelly-Martin (Junior)
Depth: Shad Byrd (RS Freshman) Gavin Williams (Freshman) Leshon Williams (Freshman)
Goodson came in last year as a true freshman and while he didn’t start right away, he did play early. It took a little while but his talent took over once he really got a feel for the offense and he eventually took over as the starter. He became the first true freshman to lead Iowa in rushing and I’m looking forward to seeing what he does for an encore. Goodson has a different gear than most of Iowa’s other backs and he has great vision to find the holes and an uncanny ability to get through them. He’s going to be the featured player in Iowa’s offense as they break in a new QB and now that they don’t have the 15 spring practices to help get Petras more comfortable as the starter you may see Iowa lean on Goodson even more early in 2020.
Mekhi Sargent was the starter early last season and he just simply wasn’t as effective as he was in 2018 which opened the door for Goodson. Sargent never really was the work horse as he shared carries with Toren Young and to a certain extent, Ivory Kelly-Martin when he’s been healthy. With Toren Young not returning for his fifth year the team is looking to Kelly-Martin to be the third RB, he will be if he can stay healthy. That’s a big if considering Kelly-Martin’s last two seasons. The team will have other options with Shad Byrd coming off his redshirt season and two true freshman, Gavin Williams and Leshon Williams, joining the team. The team could be looking for a power back to replace Young and Shad Byrd has a shot to be that guy. I should probably mention fullbacks Turner Pallissard and Monte Pottebaum. They are both walk-ons who will get some time at the position but with the deep WR corps and an improving TE position the fullback has taken on less of a role in Iowa’s offense and with Brady Ross graduating that role will likely diminish even more.
Wide Receiver
Starters: Brandon Smith (Senior) Ihmir Smith-Marsette (Senior) Nico Ragaini (Sophomore)
Backups: Tyrone Tracy (Sophomore) Max Cooper (Senior) Oliver Martin (Junior)
Depth: Calvin Lockett (Sophomore) Desmond Hutson (RS Freshman) Diante Vines (Freshman) Charlie Jones (Junior)
If I had told you three years ago that the best position group at Iowa in 2020 would be the WRs you would have laughed your ass off. Well, here we are and this is the best position group at Iowa and it is really deep with talent. Both Brandon Smith and Ihmir Smith-Marsette had excellent years and both are looking to have exceptional senior seasons. Smith was a handful for opponents early last season until an ankle injury slowed him down later in the year. In the bowl game against USC Smith-Marsette broke out as the star on the national stage as he made USC’s defense look like they were standing still. These two didn’t do it alone as Nico Ragaini was masterful in the slot and that’s why Iowa now plays with a three-receiver set much of the time. It’s a little unfair to call Tyrone Tracy a backup because he started a number of games last season when others were hurt. He basically plays as many snaps as the other three even if he doesn’t technically start the games. Tracy can play any of the three spots so he’s an invaluable player because he rotates in and keeps everyone playing with fresh legs. He’s an exceptional playmaker with the ball in his hands and the only thing he has to work on is the consistency of his hands.
The real backups are led by Max Cooper, a guy who could start except for the fact that Ragaini is locked into the slot role and Tracy can fill in there if needed. Oliver Martin is a well-known name who has found the WR rotation hard to crack. He’s a talented kid but after transferring in last year from Michigan he just isn’t as well versed in the offense as the guys who have been here longer. Calvin Lockett and Desmond Hutson are talented youngsters who are just waiting their turn. I mention Diante Vines and Charlie Jones not because I expect them to really contribute as WRs this season (barring a whole lot of injury issues) but because they may compete as kick/punt returners. Vines is a playmaker coming in as a true freshman and Jones is a transfer from Buffalo who sat out last season. I could see the Hawkeyes using these guys in the return game just to get them on the field.
Tight End
Starter: Sam LaPorta (Sophomore)
Backup: Shaun Beyer (Senior)
Depth: Josiah Miamen (RS Freshman) Elijah Yelverton (Freshman) Luke Lachey (Freshman)
Sam LaPorta came on strong late last season and looks like the best TE on the team at the moment. He isn’t the blocker TJ Hockenson or George Kittle were when they were here but LaPorta was a true freshman last season who still has some physical maturing to do, I think he’ll be fine there. He really came on as a pass catcher in the back half of the season and having another weapon over the middle really helps Smith and Smith-Marsette work the outside. I think you are going to see a lot of 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 RB sets by Iowa as they get their best offensive playmakers on the field at once (Brandon Smith, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Nico Ragaini, Sam LaPorta and Tyler Goodson). This is the best group of skill position players Iowa has had in a very long time.
Shaun Beyer was supposed to be the breakout TE last season but once again he was slowed by injury and was passed up by LaPorta. Beyer will be a fifth-year senior looking to make a splash and contribute his last year and he wouldn’t be the first Ferentz player to have a great fifth-year. He is certainly capable if he can stay healthy. No one is going to mistake this TE group with the one led by Hockenson and Fant a couple of years ago but there is some young talent to be excited about. Josiah Miamen came in last year with LaPorta, played some but ended up redshirting. He’s a talented athlete who just wasn’t quite ready last year. This year’s freshman class features Elijah Yelverton and Luke Lachey. Yelverton was an Under Armor All-American and Lachey is the son of former NFL offensive lineman Jim Lachey who is most well known for being a member of the Redskins famed offensive line known as the “Hogs”. These two have plenty of talent and are fantastic athletes. I wouldn’t be surprised to see either of them earn playing time and the coaches didn’t shy away from using a true freshman last season I don’t think they will this year either.
Offensive Line
Starters:
LT: Alaric Jackson (Senior)
LG: Mark Kallenberger (Junior)
C: Tyler Linderbaum (Sophomore)
RG: Kyler Schott (Junior)
RT: Coy Cronk (Senior)
Backups:
LT: Jack Plumb (Sophomore)
LG: Justin Britt (Sophomore)
C: Cole Banwart (Senior)
RG: Cody Ince (Sophomore)
RT: Tyler Endres (RS Freshman)
Depth:
Mason Richman, Tyler Elsbury, Josh Volk (Freshmen), Noah Fenske, Nick DeJong (RS Freshmen) Coy Kirkpatrick (Junior)
One of the biggest issues that won’t be resolved is Iowa’s offensive line. Losing Tristan Wirfs is a major blow, having Alaric Jackson decide to return for his senior season is huge. Jackson was hurt early last season and even though he returned he was never completely healthy. He returns to try to get healthy and show how good he can be and this year he won’t be overshadowed by Wirfs. Tyler Linderbaum was fantastic at center and he returns as a rock in the middle. The guard positions will be a competition in the fall with Mark Kallenberger, Cole Banwart, Kyler Schott and Justin Britt all competing for time. Schott was a walk-on last year who stepped in and played really well. The offense was much better with him at RG and Schott earned a scholarship with his play. He seems like the most likely to start at RG. Mark Kallenberger was penciled in at RT until Coy Cronk transferred in from Indiana (more on him in a second). Kallenberger played guard last year and by the end of the season he was starting on the left side. He is the leader in the clubhouse for the job but he and Schott will have plenty of competition. I listed Cole Banwart as the backup at center for one reason, Jeff Jenkins was the backup but he gave up football and Banwart is really the only guy on the team with any experience playing the position since he has practiced there in the past. He will compete for a position at guard but unless the coaches identify a young guy they really like at center, Banwart will get some practice time there. He missed most of last season with an injury but he has started at guard before so he won’t go away quitetly. Justin Britt was a true freshman last season and he actually got quite a bit of playing time at OG. He will also compete for a job but Kallenberger and Schott are older and more experienced players so he’s really going to have to outplay them to start. Coy Cronk was a three-year starter at Indiana at LT before he was injured last season and missed the year. He transferred to Iowa and he looks like a good bet to start at RT in place of Tristan Wirfs. He played the left side pretty well at Indiana but the coaches wouldn’t move Alaric Jackson to the right side for Tristan Wirfs so I would find it hard to believe they move Jackson for Cronk. Cronk will likely get a challenge from Mark Kallenberger who looked like the heir apparent until Cronk showed up but Kallenberger can play LG and the coaching staff likes to get the five best linemen on the field.
Banwart and Britt are both going to compete to be starters so whoever ends up not starting at OG will make for fantastic depth on the interior of the line. I listed Jack Plumb and Tyler Endres as the backup OTs but that’s really just a place holder. There are a lot of guys who could end up being the back ups but the truth is the top three OTs are Jackson, Cronk and Kallenberger. If there is an injury the coaches will move these three around to fill the spots. Plumb could be the fourth OT, so could Endres, so could Nick DeJong who was a walk-on last year the coaches really like or it could be a number of other youngsters. Cody Ince is listed as the other back up at OG but between Schott, Kallenberger, Britt and Banwart he will either have to play out of his mind or there will need to be a number of injuries for him to get on the field. Iowa also has Mason Richman, Noah Fenske, Tyler Elsbury and Josh Volk. There is good depth and some nice developmental pieces coming up. There was a stretch of time where Iowa struggled recruiting offensive linemen, especially offensive tackles, those days appear to be over.
Defense
Defensive Line
Starters:
DE: Chauncey Golston (Senior)
DT: Daviyon Nixon (Junior)
DT: Noah Shannon (Sophomore)
DE: Logan Lee (RS Freshman)/Joe Evans (Sophomore)
Backups:
DE: Zach VanValkenburg (Senior)
DT: John Waggoner (Sophomore)
DT: Austin Schulte (Senior)
DE: Taajhir McCall/Jake Karchinski (Freshmen)
Depth:
Chris Reames (RS Freshman) Isaiah Bruce, Logan Jones, Deontae Craig, Lukas Van Ness, Yahya Black (Freshmen)
Okay, so there’s a lot of conjecture on my part when it comes to the defensive line. That’s going happen when you lose three out of the four starters from last season (AJ Epenesa, Cedrick Lattimore and Brady Reiff). That means Iowa is looking for one starting DE to play opposite the only returning starter Chauncy Golston and two new DTs. It would be helpful if Golston has a breakout year and becomes a dominant pass rusher. He’s a talented guy but opponents are going to focus on him up front until someone else proves to be a threat. Daviyon Nixon is a load inside at 6’3 and over 300 lbs. He played quite a bit last year so he’s not new to this but he needs to be more consistent and he’ll have to play more snaps. It’s a good thing Nixon is big because for now Noah Shannon feels like the other starting DT and he’s on the smaller side. Iowa has never shied away from starting an undersized DT (just last year Brady Reiff wasn’t the biggest guy around) but it helps if the other guy is Nixon’s size (kind of like Lattimore last year). Shannon has played some, but he needs to step up if he’s going to hold off his competition. There is no clear-cut starter at the other DE spot because Joe Evans is an undersized DE that is really just a pass rushing specialist at this point and Zach VanValkenburg is better suited to a utility role. I’m listing Logan Lee with Evans as a starter because while he spent last season practicing at DT there were reports the coaches planned to move him to DE and I think he’s talented enough to start. He won’t have spring practice to work out at DE but I like the idea of him playing there.
As far as the backups go, I mentioned VanValkenburg is better suited to a utility role. What I mean is he really isn’t a great pass rusher but he’s solid and he can slide inside on certain downs. I don’t think he’s as naturally talented as some of the other guys but he works hard and plays smart. Austin Schulte is another unspectacular player that works hard and gives the coaches everything he’s got. That makes the senior a solid backup but not much more. The interesting case is John Waggoner. He was a highly recruited DE who hasn’t really shown anything great so far and the reports were that the coaches were going to try him at DT in spring practice, that’s out the door, but I like the idea. I remember seeing Waggoner last season and thinking he looked really big, he reminded me of Matt Nelson. A wide-bodied player who is very tall. He might just find a home at DT and he might be the guy to give Noah Shannon a run for the starting job. The other DE spot is going to be a competition between two redshirt freshmen, Taajhir McCall and Jake Karchinski for now. They might have to fight off incoming freshman Deontae Craig come this fall. Craig looks like a guy who could give the Hawkeyes some juice as a pass rusher and while he might be a bit small to be a full-time starter, if the coaches think he can help they will play him. The other youngsters have to pack on some weight and figure out where they are going to play. Chris Reames is tall dude and Iowa has tried those guys at both DT (Matt Nelson) and DE (Anthony Nelson) with success. Isaiah Bruce and Logan Jones looked ticketed for the inside at DT and Jones should be excellent. Lukas Van Ness and Yahya Black look like DEs for now. Although there might be a fight over whether Black plays defensive line or offensive line.
Linebacker
Starters: Nick Niemann (Senior) Dillon Doyle (Sophomore) Djimon Colbert (Junior)
Backups: Jestin Jacobs (RS Freshman) Jack Campbell (Sophomore) Barrington Wade (Senior)
Depth: Seth Benson (Sophomore) Logan Klemp (Sophomore) Yahweh Jeudy (RS Freshman) Ethan Hurkett (Freshman) Jay Higgins (Freshman)
The LB position at Iowa is in a state of flux, not necessarily personnel wise but more in the way it’s used. Nick Niemann and Djimon Colbert bring plenty of experience and they are both talented players but two years ago Amani Hooker changed the game. Hooker stepped into a hybrid position that played like a LB with coverage skills or a safety with LB skills, take your pick. Hooker left for the NFL and Iowa looked to fill the spot now known as the Cash position, it wasn’t as easy as it looked. I’ll get to the Cash position in a minute. At LB, this left only two spots but last year when Iowa’s initial Cash candidate, DJ Johnson, failed to fill Hooker’s considerable shoes Iowa reverted a bit to a three LB alignment. Kristian Welch was the MLB but he graduated so now it’s up to Dillon Doyle to fill his spot when Iowa uses a MLB. Niemann and Colbert will both play when Iowa uses the Cash position but Doyle will fill in the middle when Iowa uses three LB. Niemann is a senior who has played quite a bit and can play all three LB spots and Colbert is a very athletic and talented player. This doesn’t mean there won’t be competition for these three and it’s sort of ironic that Iowa is sometimes only using two LBs when they are actually quite deep at the position.
Barrington Wade played quite a bit last season as he stepped in when there were injuries and when some guys struggled. It took Wade some time to find his way at LB but he proved to be pretty effective last year and if Niemann or Colbert faulter Wade can play either of their spots. If Doyle doesn’t step up and the coaches feel more comfortable moving Niemann inside and playing Wade that’s another way for him to get on the field. Jack Campbell got some playing time at MLB last season when Kristian Welch was hurt and he and Doyle filled in. He will give Doyle a run for his money, if Doyle leaves an opening Campbell could take the job. Jestin Jacobs redshirted last year while he got healthy and worked to fill out his frame a bit. He’s a tall, lanky kid with great athleticism that the coaches have to be excited about. I would guess he’ll spend the year learning the ropes from the veterans and contributing on special teams until the Hawks need him. Like I said before, Iowa has plenty of depth and it’s a pretty talented young group too. Seth Benson and Logan Klemp should be pushing for spots in the two-deeps this year and Yahweh Jeudy could too. Incoming freshmen Ethan Hurkett and Jay Higgins are more than likely going to redshirt unless either of them can really prove they can help on special teams.
Defensive Backs
Starters:
Cash: Dane Belton (Sophomore)
CB: Matt Hankins (Senior)
CB: Julius Brents (Sophomore)/Riley Moss (Junior)
SS: Kaevon Merriweather (Sophomore)
FS: Jack Koerner (Junior)
Backups:
Cash: DJ Johnson (Sophomore)
CB: Terry Roberts (Sophomore)
CB: Riley Moss/Julius Brents
SS: Sebastian Castro (RS Freshman)
FS: Dallas Craddieth (Sophomore)
Depth:
Daraun McKinney (RS Freshman) Jermari Harris (RS Freshman) AJ Lawson (Freshman) Brenden Deasfernandes (Freshman) Reginald Bracy (Freshman)
Last year the Cash position was a bit of a roller coaster. DJ Johnson started the year at the position and he was not very effective. The team moved to a more traditional three LB set until some injuries took their toll and then they inserted freshman Dane Belton into the role. Belton proved to be quite adept at it even as a true freshman and he should be the guy for the position this season, unless Iowa needs him elsewhere. This is where things start to get interesting. With the early departure of SS Geno Stone to the NFL the SS spot is a question mark. Belton would traditionally be looked at to fill the spot but if he’s the Cash then he won’t start at SS. For now, I have Kaevon Merriweather penciled into the SS spot. Merriweather started last year as the FS alongside Stone but he got hurt early and was replaced by then walk-on Jack Koerner. Koerner proved he was quite good there and with Merriweather never fully getting healthy he ended up redshirting since he actually played as a true freshman two years ago. Now I think it’s possible the Hawkeyes use Merriweather at SS and with Koerner keeping his FS spot. The CB position should be in good hands even without Michael Ojemudia as Matt Hankins returns for his senior season and Riley Moss and Julius Brents should battle it out for the other starting job. Brents missed almost all of last season and ended up taking a redshirt like Merriweather after he had to play as a true freshman two years ago. Moss was the third CB most of last year but he struggled with some injuries also. If they are both healthy Iowa should have three good CBs and I’m expecting a big senior year out of Matt Hankins. I also expect Brents to start if he’s healthy but that’s just a hunch. It is also completely possible that Brents or Moss moves to safety if the coaches aren’t keen on the idea of Merriweather at SS and if no one else steps up there.
The backup jobs should be interesting too. While DJ Johnson struggled at Cash last year and was replaced, I don’t think the coaches are giving up on him any time soon. If Johnson could step up there it would allow the team to move Belton to SS, I don’t see him making that kind of progress but he’s still young so anything is possible. Terry Roberts had to play some as the third CB last year due to injuries and he wasn’t great, hopefully this year he’s the fourth CB at best. He’s not bad there but if the team has to count on him more than that it would be a long year. Obviously, the loser of the Brents/Moss competition is the third CB, that’s a pretty good third CB. I have high hopes for Sebastian Castro at SS, his high school film was pretty impressive. I think he could give Merriweather a run for the SS spot and end up the starter if he plays up to his potential and proves his understanding of the defense, Phil Parker likes smart DBs. Dallas Craddieth is a third-year safety who came in with plenty of hype as a four-star recruit but has been passed up by younger players. The team has to hope the light comes on and he lives up to his considerable talent. Two redshirt freshman and three true freshmen are going to try to define their spots and move up the depth chart. Daraun McKinney was a late scholarship offer last year that Phil Parker liked, that’s usually a good sign. I like the potential of AJ Lawson as a CB down the road. Reginald Bracy looks like a solid safety prospect. I’m not completely certain where Harris and Deasfernandes will end up.
Punter
Ryan Gersonde or Tory Taylor
Either Gersonde finally gets healthy and wins the job or the 6’4 225 lbs. 26-year-old out of Australia, Tory Taylor takes the job. Hopefully one of them is worth a damn.
Kicker
Keith Duncan
Duncan got screwed out of the Lou Groza Award last year as the nation’s best kicker, I expect him to go out and win it this year.
The Hott Read 