It did not take long for Iowa Hawkeyes fans and the entire nation to see that linebacker Jack Campbell and his preseason hype was well-warranted. In just one game, it became very clear and evident that the senior linebacker and defensive leader has already exceeded those expectations.
In a game that was very much won due to the defensive effort, Jack Campbell was the catalyst that ignited the defense and it all came to fruition with his effort to take down South Dakota State’s offense in their own end zone for a safety that proved to be the game-winning points for the Hawkeyes.
Campbell picked things back up right where he left them last year. He was the leading tackler for Iowa in 2021 and retained that crown this past weekend by leading the way with 12 total tackles, 1.5 being tackles for loss.
SAFETY! 🙌@HawkeyeFootball now leads 5-3 thanks to Jack Campbell 👏 pic.twitter.com/ETzNLhx9fO
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 3, 2022
Kirk Ferentz had high praise for the linebacker as well when asked about his performance.
“He just does a great job of getting to the football. You use the word ‘instinct,’ but instinct is study and film and all that. He’s got an ability to really close fast. He just never seems to get tired. He just likes playing. He’s a great leader in his kind of quiet way, if you will, but boy, he goes hard,” said Ferentz.
For his part, Campbell just hopes to see how much he and this defense can keep improving throughout the rest of the season.
“The standard’s been set and we always talk about that with coach Parker and Wallace. All of these guys that have come before us have kind of laid the foundation and now it’s just like guys will recycle and they’ll just keep doing this, and that’s kind of our goal. We want to be the group that just continues to play coach Parker defense year in and year out. Nothing fancy, just a lot of effort and a great attitude no matter where we’re at on the field to start with. I’m just excited to continue to keep progressing this thing through the next 11 games,” Campbell said.
As Iowa gets ready for their annual Cy-Hawk meeting this coming weekend as they host the Iowa State Cyclones, it can be a safe assumption that Jack Campbell is going to once again be a key factor in the Hawkeyes’ success this week and the entire season.
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