Out of all the positional groups to watch out for on the Iowa football team, the wide receivers room may be the one to keep an eye on.
After experiencing a ton of change over the offseason, Iowa has reloaded its pass-catching room with a bunch of young, up-and-coming talents. In Sean Bock’s superlatives for every position group ahead of fall camp for Hawkeye Insider of 247Sports, he listed wide receiver as the one with the “most potential improvement.”
Iowa used the transfer portal this offseason to fill missing pieces at wide receiver as it landed Charleston Southern transfer Seth Anderson and Ohio State transfer, Kaleb Brown.
Anderson was the Big South Offensive Player of the Year as a redshirt freshman while Brown was a former four-star recruit, and any wide receiver that is recruited heavily by Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline has the chance to be a game-changer in any offense.
Brown and Anderson were two missing pieces that Iowa needed. An X receiver would’ve been ideal, but Anderson and Brown both have big-time playmaking ability and that’s something Iowa needs. – Bock, Hawkeye Insider.
The wide receiver room is a good mix of these newly transferred in talents such as Seth Anderson and Kaleb Brown, and returning experience. The Hawkeyes bring back Nico Ragaini for his sixth year and will hope Diante Vines can stay healthy and make an impact.
As for returners, Nico Ragaini and Diante Vines will play big roles for the Hawkeyes. Ragaini is the team leader this fall, and could have a 2019-esque year with Cade McNamara under center. Vines has been hindered by injuries throughout his career, but he was one of the top performers in fall camp last year before going down with an injury. Jacob Bostick should also get a mention, too, but he needs to stay healthy. – Bock, Hawkeye Insider.
I think bringing up Cade McNamara is vital, because the quarterback plays a huge role in how effective the wide receivers are. There definitely was talent at the position last year, and I still think Keagan Johnson can be a breakout star for Kansas State this year.
It’s just really hard to show any of that talent when the quarterback cannot reliably make the throws. Combine that with injuries, and you have a wide receiver room that I think looked worse than what they really were. It’s no shock that Charlie Jones immediately became one of the best receivers in the nation the minute he left Iowa.
Iowa will undoubtably have talent at receiver again. We know Nico Ragaini is reliable, and Kaleb Brown has the potential to be the best receiver at Iowa since… ever. What they need is a quarterback who can get the job done, step up and make the throws, and not put a massive handicap on the offense.
If Cade McNamara can be that guy, then sure, this group of pass catchers could certainly make some noise in 2023.
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