After an 8-5 campaign that featured a 5-1 close to last season, Iowa heads into the spring looking to build upon the strong close and for more of the same defensively.
The Hawkeyes were elite defensively, ranking second nationally in both the total defense and scoring defense categories.
Of course, there’s some retooling to be done. Namely, Iowa replacing the Butkus Award-winning linebacker in Jack Campbell. Plus, fellow starters in linebacker Seth Benson, safety Kaevon Merriweather, cornerback Riley Moss and defensive lineman John Waggoner. Projected first-round 2023 NFL draft pick Lukas Van Ness also opted to forego his remaining eligibility for an early opportunity in the NFL.
A quick glance at the first depth chart shows us that there’s still plenty of talent in Iowa City, though. Here’s five initial takeaways from the first look at the Hawkeyes’ spring defensive two-deep.