It is rare to see a senior as a potential breakout star, but there is a ton of buzz around defensive end John Waggoner heading into the 2022 season. Waggoner started last year opposite Zach VanValkenburg and was overall inconsistent.
He had some impact that didn’t always show up on the stat sheet, like his edge setting which was extremely vital to the Hawkeyes’ defense. Waggoner just didn’t get to the quarterback as much as fans would have hoped. He finished the 2021 season with 25 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. Waggoner had seven quarterback hurries as well.
His running mate VanValkenburg is now gone. With VanValkenburg’s departure, his team-leading 15 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks need replacing. While many speculate that sophomore Lukas Van Ness will be the one to replicate that production, do not count out returning starter Waggoner. He stood out in spring practices and can be a veteran leader for what should be a very strong Iowa defense.
Preseason Player Profile
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
Ht: 6-5
Wt: 266
Class in 2022: Redshirt senior
247Sports composite ranking
2018 three star / No. 21 weak side defensive end / No. 1 Player in Iowa
Career Stats
| Tackles | Def Int | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF |
| *2019 | Iowa | Big Ten | FR | DL | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2020 | Iowa | Big Ten | SO | DL | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| *2021 | Iowa | Big Ten | JR | DL | 12 | 14 | 11 | 25 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Career | Iowa | 15 | 16 | 31 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
Depth Chart Overview
John Waggoner will once again start for Iowa at defensive end and will be looked at as a senior leader. With the departure of VanValkenburg, there will be a lot of eyes on Waggoner to see if he can take another step in his game.
Iowa has a reputation for producing top level defensive ends in recent years. Anthony Nelson, Chauncey Golston, and VanValkenburg have all made it to the NFL in recent years. The Hawkeyes need a leader on the line, and the stage is set for Waggoner to potentially fill that role.
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