The Iowa Hawkeye football season could go a few different directions and they all depend on how the offense performs. The defense is going to be elite; they have the talent and depth to be one of the best defenses in the country. The offense is going to depend on three things; the health of QB Cade McNamara, the play of the offensive line, and the play calling of Brian Ferentz (and Kirk Ferentz’s insistence on sticking with the same old same old). Iowa addressed the talent deficiencies on the offensive side of the ball when it comes to personnel. They added two QBs, two WRs, a TE, a fullback (who was a TE) and two offensive linemen. For good measure they grabbed a new starting LB just the defense didn’t feel neglected. Let’s look at the new and hopefully improved offense and the amazing defense.
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
Starter: Cade McNamara
Backups: Deacon Hill, Joe Labas
It’s clear that this offense is going to rely on Cade McNamara if it wants to be at its best. He’s the clear leader of the team, he commands the offense like no one else and his skill set is important. McNamara isn’t a running QB but he has mobility to escape the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield and making plays. His rollout game is light years ahead of where last year’s QBs were. McNamara seems to have recovered from a quad strain from a camp and is practicing leading up to week 1. Hill and Labas are still competing for the backup job but if McNamara goes down, this offense really suffers.
Running Backs/Fullback
Starters: Kaleb Johnson, Hayden Large
Backups: Leshon Williams, Jaziun Patterson
Kaleb Johnson has the skills and ability to be the best RB at Iowa since Shonn Greene. He’s an electric runner with balance and vision. He has the size to finish runs falling forward when he needs the tough yards and the speed to pull away if he gets some daylight. Johnson earned every yard he got last year behind an offensive line that was mostly terrible. His talent is undeniable, now it’s up to the line to give him a chance to showcase it.
Leshon Williams will be the backup who gets some carries to take some of the wear and tear off Johnson. Williams a talented back who runs hard and will get the tough yards too. Jaziun Patterson is the smaller pass catching back who can be a game breaker. He looked good in very limited action last year and he brings a different skill set than Johnson and Williams. Hayden Large is the one fullback for now. He came to Iowa as a walk-on TE from Dordt College but the TE position is more than full and the team needed a fullback. Large moved to the position and while Iowa might not use the position very much this season, they have an option.
Wide Receivers
Starters: Nico Ragaini, Diante Vines, Seth Anderson
Backups: Kaleb Brown, Jarriett Buie, Dayton Howard
Iowa is not usually a three-receiver set type of team and they are more likely to start the game with two WRs and two TEs than three WRs and one TE but I’m listing three because which two start may depend on the play. Ragaini is the most experienced receiver which makes sense since he’s a sixth-year senior. He’s also best in the slot and as long as Iowa has options on the outside, they should leave Nico there. Diante Vines has talent but he just hasn’t been able to stay healthy enough to get a lot of playing time. He seems to be healthy now and he has an actual QB so we may get to see exactly what he is. Anderson is a transfer who had a great year at Charleston Southern last year and has looked good in camp. He was an important addition to the unit because he has a complementary skill set to Vines and Ragaini and he has actual college experience.
The three guys backing up at WR are three guys who are young but have lots of potential and bring different skills this team may need. Everyone was excited when Kaleb Brown transferred from Ohio St. and it’s easy to see why. He has elite speed and the ability to add a vertical threat this team hasn’t had. He may end up a starter and he probably has more raw talent than any other WR on the roster. He’s underdeveloped and inexperienced at the moment and that will matter to Kirk. Buie and Howard are big receiver who can play as the tradition big, physical outside receivers who can win with their size. Iowa hasn’t had that in a while either.
Tight Ends
Starters: Luke Lachey, Eric All
Backups: Addison Ostrenga, Steven Stilianos
Luke Lachey returns after having a pretty good year playing complementary football with Sam LaPorta. Now that LaPorta is off to Detroit, Lachey gets a new running mate in Michigan transfer Erick All. Lachey and All are both big, athletic freaks who are matchup problems for every team they face. Lachey knows the offense well but All has a previous on-field connection to Cade McNamara. If there is one thing Iowa has proven over the years it’s that two TEs can both flourish in this offense. Lachey and All both have All-Conference talent and NFL futures.
Addison Ostrenga is the next guy in line and he should be an excellent third TE this season. Steven Stilianos was a transfer last year who took some time to get up to speed with Big Ten football but he’s had a good camp and give the team great depth.
Offensive Line
Starters: LT Mason Richman, LG Connor Colby, C Logan Jones, RG Nick DeJong, RT Daijon Parker/Gennings Dunker
Backups: OT Jack Dotzler, G Beau Stephens, C/G Rusty Feth, G Tyler Elsbury, OT Parker/Dunker
I’m going off my gut a bit here and not what we’ve been told through depth chart updates and what was seen at practice. The only sure things are LT Mason Richman and C Logan Jones are starting and starting at those positions. After watching the second half of last season I have a hard time believing Connor Colby won’t be the LG, he really stabilized the left side when he moved there mid-season. If someone is better than he was last year, Iowa is in good shape there. The right guard spot was a problem all last season which is why the staff took Rusty Feth as a transfer. Feth could get the job but Kirk Ferentz has been praising fifth-year senior Nick DeJong a lot. Now, DeJong has not been good the past few years when he has had to play and I’ve been very tough on him. The one thing he has going for him is Ferentz has a history of taking guys who have struggled and turning them into solid players their fifth year, DeJong could be that guy. He also has T/G versatility so he could end up the backup at multiple spots. Gennings Dunker is a young guy who has all the tools to be an OT but he looks inconsistent because he hasn’t played much due to injury. Parker has been battling injury since he showed up as a transfer in the spring. If Dunker can’t find consistency and Parker gets healthy, he could take the job. He transferred from Saginaw Valley St but he has a lot of playing time under his belt. If Parker was healthy, I think his experience would give him an advantage over Dunker’s inconsistency. For now, I’m expecting them both to play once Parker can get out there.
The backups are mostly going to be whoever doesn’t start at guard between Colby, Feth, DeJong, and Beau Stephens. Stephens was in over his head last season but he could take a leap and compete for a starting spot. The problem is the other three have more experience. Tyler Elsbury is versatile but so far that has meant he just hasn’t found one spot to excel. Feth was also brought in incase Logan Jones continued to struggle at center but he looks better. Feth will back up the spot just incase of emergency. Jack Dotzler is still a young guy trying to get physically ready to play at OT but he’s there if needed. DeJong or Parker can swing over to LT if Richman goes out. This unit must play better or nothing else will matter on offense.
DEFENSE
Defensive Line
Starters: DE Deonte Craig, DT Logan Lee, DT Yahya Black, DE Joe Evans
Backups: DE Max Llewellyn, DE Ethan Hurkett, DT Aaron Graves, DE Chris Reames, DE Brian Allen, DT Jeremiah Pittman, DT Anterio Thompson
Even without Noah Shannon this is the deepest position on the team and probably the most talented. Shannon being suspended for the year sucks for the Hawkeyes but they will be fine. DE Deonte Craig is a major breakout candidate after he had 6.5 sacks last year as backup, rotational player. He is a talented player and with more opportunities he’ll be even more productive. Joe Evans starts at the other DE spot after coming back for his sixth season. He’s always been a bit undersized but there is no quit in his pass rush. Iowa will rotate in plenty of guys at both DE and DT so there’s always fresh legs up front.
The DT rotation got a little thinner without Shannon but I’m not sure anyone will notice. It means more snaps for Yahya Black as he becomes the starter next to Logan Lee. Black is a huge man and gives Iowa a massive player at DT. Lee isn’t a big guy but he wins with leverage and technique and he never quits either. These guys are talented and impressive but they won’t be alone up front.
The backup DEs are Ethan Hurkett and Max Llewellyn. They haven’t played a ton because of injury and because Iowa has been stacked at the position. They are well built players with years in the system and are very good athletes. Chris Reames has barely played but he’s a senior who’s stuck it out so he might get some snaps. Brian Allen is a talented redshirt freshman who could surprise by earning some playing time.
At DT, Aaron Graves is more than a backup, he could start and he’ll be used heavily in the rotation with Lee and Black. Graves could also log time at DE but that seems unnecessary. Junior college transfer Anterio Thompson probably benefits the most from Shannon being out because he will get a little more time. The coaching staff also likes Jeremiah Pittman. Both Thompson and Pittman can play but they may have to wait their turn with Lee, Black, and Graves ahead of them.
Linebackers
Starters: MLB Jay Higgins, WLB Nick Jackson, Cash Sebastian Castro
Backups: Kyler Fisher, Karson Sharar, Jaxon Rexroth
Jay Higgins gets the unenviable task of replacing Jack Campbell at MLB for the Hawkeyes while Virginia transfer Nick Jackson gets Seth Benson’s old spot. Those are big shoes to fill but Higgins and Jackson look ready to do it. If you think it’s not possible to replace a legend like Campbell, just remember, Campbell replaced Josey Jewell who was also a legend. That’s setting the bar pretty high for Higgins but he doesn’t have to be a legend, he just has to be good, and he’ll be good. Jackson was extremely productive at Virginia and I would say he’ll fill Benson’s shoes quite well. Sebastian Castro took over the Cash role last season when Cooper DeJean had to move to CB and he was quite good. He found his spot and I think he’ll only get better at it.
Kyler Fisher is a former walk-on the coaches trust quite a bit. Karson Sharar is a young guy the coaches like a lot, he just needs to stay healthy. Jaxon Rexroth is an athletic guy who was a safety at one point but grew into a LB, he has plenty of athleticism to compete. Higgins and Jackson will get most of the playing time and the team will probably use the Cash plenty because it gets their best defensive players on the field together.
Defensive Backs
Starters: CB Cooper DeJean, CB Jermari Harris, SS Xavier Nwankpa, FS Quinn Schulte
Backups: CB Deshaun Lee, CB TJ Hall, S Koen Entringer
The starting group is really good and has one transcendent talent in Cooper DeJean, he was chosen as preseason Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and he’s a likely first-round draft pick next year, assuming he leaves early. Jermari Harris finished the 2021 season very strong when he was pressed into starting duty, then he missed last year with an injury, which is one of the reasons DeJean moved to CB full-time. Now Harris is back and looking to have a great year. There are some rumblings that Harris might miss some time to start the year and that would hurt because the backup CBs don’t have much experience.
Xavier Nwankpa was a five-star recruit who spent most of last year as a backup to Kaevon Merriweather and as a special team’s guy, then he finally got to start in the bowl game. He was excellent and he’s only going to get better with experience. Phil Parker normally takes walk-ons at safety and turns them into All-Conference guys, imagine what he can do with a guy with Nwankpa’s talent. Speaking of former walk-ons Parker has turned into top players, Quinn Schulte should quarterback this secondary from his FS spot and he’s really good. Parker loves a safety who knows what he’s supposed to do, where he’s supposed to be, and where everyone else should line up, that’s Schulte.
The backups are a little thin, the team’s depth will be tested if there are any injuries or if Harris misses significant time. Deshaun Lee has really shown up in camp and might be the third corner after overtaking TJ Hall. Hall played some last year when injuries struck and he struggled a lot in the Nebraska game. He’s a talented guy he just lacks experience. He should be fine eventually but this team just isn’t deep in the secondary unless some true freshmen really step up. Koen Entringer is the third safety and Sebastian Castro can also line up at SS if needed. Entringer is a guy the coaches like but Castro has more experience. Nwankpa has the versatility to move to FS if needed too. Also, DeJean can probably play any position on defense except maybe DT, I say maybe because I don’t want to underestimate him.
Specialists
Kicker: Drew Stevens
Punter: Tory Taylor
Punt Returner: Cooper DeJean
Kick Returner: Kaleb Johnson
Stevens was really good as a freshman and he should only get better. Tory Taylor is the best punter in the country and was our best offensive player last year (only slightly kidding). DeJean is a terror as a punt returner, no team wants to let him get his hands on the ball, ever. Johnson might not be the full-time kick returner considering he’s the starting RB but he wouldn’t be the first starter to return kickoffs for the Hawkeyes. That’s all I know about special teams, luckily LeVar Woods knows far more than most.
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