Pretty much all offseason it has been assumed that Iowa sophomore defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness would slide over to defensive end. It just made too much sense.
Senior Zach VanValkenburg, the team leader in tackles for loss last season with 15, has graduated and is trying to crack the Las Vegas Raiders roster. Lukas Van Ness, while effective last year as a rotational defensive tackle, is a bit undersized for playing inside full time. He self admittedly played at 265 pounds last year, and while he is bigger this year (around 270-275 pounds), he still is light for a tackle. With his athleticism at his size, though, sliding over to defensive end was just a no brainer, right?
While everyone assumed the change was going to be made, and there was evidence in favor of that of course, there were still some lingering doubts. The biggest reason for doubt was the Hawkeyes’ own preseason depth chart, where he once again appeared as a backup defensive tackle.
Now, a depth chart doesn’t always accurately describe what the team plans to do. While senior Joe Evans, the co-leader in sacks last season with Van Ness, is listed as the starter at defensive end, he is more of a designated pass rusher. The preseason depth chart created a bit of confusion about Van Ness’ role in 2022, though, especially with all of the national media coverage of his potential breakout.
It seems that Van Ness himself has cleared up any questions about him sliding over to end in a recent interview with Hawk Central‘s Chad Leistikow.
“I guess you could call it home. I definitely do enjoy being outside,” Van Ness commented on his new position. “I like the space, and being able to use my abilities. I definitely do like defensive end.”
That quote certainly doesn’t sound like a player prepared to once again serve as a rotational defensive tackle.
Iowa can proceed forward with their defensive line in an incredibly interesting way. While they have a talented potential starting four with John Waggoner and Lukas Van Ness flanking tackles Logan Lee and Noah Shannon, they have the depth to get solid contributions out of multiple players in a more rotational system. Of course Joe Evans, as mentioned before, was extremely effective rushing off the edge last year with seven sacks. He will still see a significant amount of time, especially in passing down situations.
A trio of redshirt sophomores in Deontae Craig, Yahya Black, and Ethan Hurkett all have shown things to get excited about over the offseason. Both Craig and Hurkett were featured in a report a few weeks ago by Hawk Central’s Kennington Lloyd Smith. Craig is generating a lot of internal buzz. Don’t forget about true freshman Aaron Graves either, the 2021 Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year and Adidas All-American. Graves is already turning heads early on. There is a lot of potential future firepower on this defensive line.
Iowa has the ability to go multiple players deep on a defensive line that can be one of the best in the country. They should be fantastic against the run, and there’s even more room for improvement rushing the passer compared to last year. Not only is there a ton of depth, multiple players can slide into different positions, including Van Ness who should be used as a chess piece along the defensive line. Look for Van Ness to spearhead a dangerous Iowa defensive front.
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