Tag: 2022 Iowa Football

7 Iowa Hawkeyes make Senior Bowl watch list

Seven Iowa players made the Senior Bowl watch list, signifying there’s some NFL eyes watching these Hawkeyes.

The Senior Bowl watch list was released on Wednesday. Basically, the watch list is a who’s who of all the important soon-to-be graduated college football players. If they are on the list, it means there’s at least a few pairs of NFL eyes on them heading into the season. At the bare minimum, they are ones to watch out for in this upcoming college football season.

At seven players, Iowa features a good crop of prospects that may see themselves on the Senior Bowl roster. There are a few locks to make the final roster, and a few surprises to see included here.

Iowa Hawkeyes’ Lukas Van Ness appears to answer positional question in interview

After a recent interview, there appears to be no doubts about where talented Iowa defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness will play in 2022.

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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Michigan quarterback battle could run into clash with the Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa might see a split-quarterback situation from the Michigan Wolverines for the week five clash.

Michigan‘s quarterback situation may not be solved by their week five contest against the Iowa Hawkeyes.

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Big Ten this upcoming season is what to make of the Michigan quarterback position. Last year, Cade McNamara was a more than serviceable starter for the Wolverines in their Big Ten championship-winning campaign. The stats might not jump off the screen, 2,576 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, but he provided some much needed stability at the position. He might not have been “Jim Harbaugh’s quarterback,” but he did his job.

Peering over his shoulder all season was freshman J.J. McCarthy. Harbaugh’s superstar five-star recruit, McCarthy is seen by many as the future of the Wolverines’ offense. He was used sparingly throughout the season with more to come. He is going to give McNamara a run for his money for that starting spot in 2022.

Just a few weeks before the season, we still don’t have any clarity on the position battle. There’s a very good shot Michigan trots out another timeshare at the spot before giving McCarthy the keys next year. In a report by Aaron McMann of MLive.com, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is open to playing both well into the season.

“This is a very good unique situation. We have two quarterbacks that are playing at a high starter level and we’re gonna keep competing and it’s possible there’s a starter by the first game, and then possible that it plays into the season.” Harbaugh said last Wednesday. “Then we pick the one that’s gonna help the team win, who’s gonna be the best person to play quarterback to win the game.”

Michigan figures to once again be a national contender heading into the 2022 season, fresh off of their Big Ten Championship campaign in 2021. The Wolverines were recently ranked No. 6 in the preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll. Michigan was also featured eighth in both the Associated Press and ESPN’s preseason power rankings. Iowa will host the Wolverines in week five, looking to avenge their 42-3 defeat in the Big Ten Championship game.

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Iowa Hawkeyes hopeful that youthful offensive line sheds 2021 criticisms

Injuries forced several into action in 2021. Now, Iowa’s offensive line youth movement has the Hawkeyes headed back on the right track.

If you watch any of the Hawkeyes in 2021, you know that the offensive line was very un-Iowa like. Typically the motor that guides the high-powered black and gold rushing attack, Iowa’s front five were undermanned and overmatched for much of the season. The rushing attack was sub-par, averaging 3.4 yards per carry.

This was with a 1,000-yard rusher in Tyler Goodson, a back who has possibly earned a roster spot with the Green Bay Packers this preseason. There was also far too much pressure on Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras. The deficiency really held Iowa back from what they do best, leading through their offensive line play.

In Chad Leistikow of Hawk Central’s latest report, there is a ton of optimism internally regarding the O-line.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz relayed his optimism that things would be better in 2022. Offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz remarked that “we’ve seen results” when it comes to improvement. Quarterbacks Spencer Petras and Alex Padilla have been enthusiastic about concept changes in the passing game. And in the “Kids Day at Kinnick” scrimmage on Saturday, the offense looked crisper than usual at this time of year.

Why the bullishness across the board?

Because of the horses up front. – Leistikow, Hawk Central.

It will be a very different unit than the year prior, something that has caused alarm for some. Of course, losing super center Tyler Linderbaum is a massive loss. His impact carrying the offensive line last year cannot be overstated.

There is a reasonable logic that since the Iowa line underperformed last season and lost their best player heading into this season that it could pose a massive problem to the offense once again. However, there is now a massive injection of youthful energy up front.

“It’s awesome. The kids’ ability to come out every day with an energy to them, just the way they’re working and the physicality they’re playing with right now,” Barnett said with Hawk Central of the Hawkeyes’ youth. “They’re going to make mistakes. But, man, they’re doing it at full speed. The meetings have been great. They’re thick in that Iowa camp development phase, and it’s been enjoyable.”

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz remarked after Kids’ Day that he saw a jump with last year’s offensive line before and during the Vrbo Citrus Bowl against Kentucky.

“I thought all season long last year that—again, we have access to practice, you guys get to see our team on Saturdays, so I saw that growth. I think in the bowl game, that was probably as close as we were to looking like we want to look,” Ferentz said.

Left tackle Mason Richman also commented that they are looking a lot better as a whole this year. While they lost some experienced players, they are on to “better and newer things.”

Richman leads the charge for the new generation of Hawkeye bullies. As a redshirt freshman, Richman got his feet wet starting at left tackle. There were some growing pains, but it was valuable experience going against some of the best pass rushers in the nation. He’s added some mass during the offseason, self-reportedly up to 315 pounds now, and has the makings of the next great Iowa offensive tackle. He’s a boulder who’s light on his feet but still packs a punch.

Connor Colby also received starting time as a freshman last season, filling in at right guard. Colby is another rangy, athletic lineman who has filled in at right tackle over the offseason. He has that inside-outside potential and is another lineman to keep an eye on. Left guard Tyler Elsbury and defensive tackle turned center Logan Jones have also impressed.

This line is bigger and younger than last year, and is hungry to prove that Iowa is still the crown jewel for the big guys up front in the Big Ten.

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Iowa Hawkeyes seeing multiple freshmen impressing in 2022 fall camp

It’s great news for the present and the future. Several freshmen have been making a statement throughout fall camp for the Hawkeyes.

Fall camp is the perfect venue to gauge where young players stand heading into the season. While much of the attention will be placed on the projected starters, camp presents a unique opportunity for growth and exposure for the next generation of Hawkeyes. Through injury replacement and general rotation, several young players have shown the potential for an early impact this season.

As Hawk Central’s Kennington Lloyd Smith touched on, multiple freshmen have already shown flashes despite the abrupt adjustment to the rigors of Big Ten competition. Due to an injury that has kept likely starting running back Gavin Williams off the field the past week, redshirt sophomore Leshon Williams has received a bulk of the first team carries. Leshon Williams’ stock is reportedly rising internally amongst the Hawkeyes.

Freshman running backs Kaleb Johnson and Jaziun Patterson both took advantage of the opportunity, combining for an unofficial 21 carries during the Kids’ Day scrimmage. Both have sparingly received first-team reps in practice. Gavin Williams is back at practice but it would be reassuring to know there are capable runners behind him, whether it is in relief or to complement his play.

Wide receiver Jacob Bostick is another seizing his opportunity, learning multiple receiver positions.

Due to low numbers, Bostick is playing all three of Iowa’s receiver positions during camp. Wide receivers coach Kelton Copeland said Bostick has shown promise over the last few practices, and he worked heavily with the team’s second and third units on Saturday’s scrimmage. When healthy, the Hawkeyes feel good about their top three options. But if injuries continue, the speedy Bostick could be counted on to play early. – Lloyd Smith, Hawk Central.

While the availability of field time might not be as frequent on the defensive side of the ball, a trio of freshmen look to be in the Hawkeyes’ future plans. Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz said after the Kids’ Day scrimmage that the Hawkeyes would be silly to redshirt defensive lineman Aaron Graves. Defensive backs Xavier Nwankpa and T.J. Hall have taken advantage of their early start with Iowa so far, too.

The benefits of Hall and Nwankpa early enrolling were two-fold: They got a head start on learning the system and they arrived at a time when there were injuries in the secondary, allowing for more reps during spring practice. Both feel like they’re much more comfortable in fall camp. – Lloyd Smith, Hawk Central.

Hall currently figures to be in the second group of cornerbacks, while Nwankpa continues to develop as a safety behind veterans Quinn Schulte and Reggie Bracy. Safety is one of the key positions for the Iowa defense. The CASH position, a role that Nwankpa easily projects to in the future, has seen some of the biggest stars on defense in recent years.

Amani Hooker and Dane Belton were both first-team All-Big Ten members in that role. The CASH spot requires not only high-level skill and athleticism, but communication, the key adjustment for Nwankpa in his first offseason in Iowa City.

Iowa is bringing back a ton of starters this year, especially on the defense. It is why there is a lot of buzz around the team as a contender for the Big Ten West division yet again. It is not just about the experienced players, though. If the new blood of the Iowa program can find ways to contribute right away despite the massive adjustment to Big Ten play, the Hawkeyes will be better off from it both now and in the coming years.

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State of the Union: 2022 Big Ten West football players, games and predictions to watch

It is officially football season. With the Big Ten getting underway Saturday, it is time for a State of the Union regarding the West.

We have made it, Iowa fans. College football season is finally upon us. This weekend we will get our first full slate (yes, I know the teams playing; they still get me juiced up) of football from noon until midnight. It isn’t a Big Ten game, but something about Vanderbilt playing at Hawaii with a 9:30 p.m. CST kickoff encapsulates college football. There is no chance this game goes normal. Weird stuff is happening here.

The games this upcoming Saturday, Aug. 27 are “Week 0” and we will see three Big Ten West teams in action. The day gets going with a conference matchup of Northwestern and Nebraska kicking off in Dublin, Ireland, at 11:30 a.m. CST. The Illinois Fighting Illini follow it up by hosting the Wyoming Cowboys at 2 p.m. CST.

With college football and the Big Ten West getting underway, it feels right for a State of the Union. This will be a bite-sized glance at each team in the West including a few names to watch and why, what this team’s biggest question mark may be, a game that could ultimately become the most important one on the calendar, and a quick prediction on each team’s record.

Iowa Hawkeyes left out of ESPN’s preseason top 25 power rankings

Should Wisconsin be in the preseason top 25 power rankings but not the Iowa Hawkeyes? That’s how ESPN sees it in their preseason top 25.

There’s something special about a rankings release. Even though it is preseason with not a down of football played yet, we as football fans still cannot get enough of a new set of rankings. A certain childlike excitement can wash over fans simply to see someone’s opinions on where teams stand, and it was the same case for ESPN’s preseason top 25 power rankings. Unfortunately for Iowa fans, that fervor quickly washed out for a new wave of despair and anger.

If you scroll through ESPN’s top 25 power rankings, you will be surprised to find not a mention of the Iowa Hawkeyes. Despite finishing last season with a 10-4 record and making it to the Big Ten Championship game—not to mention finishing No. 23 in last season’s final USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll—Iowa is nowhere to be seen this time around. Only four Big Ten squads were deemed worthy of a top 25 distinction, including West division rival Wisconsin.

Once the initial wave of frustration passes over after seeing Iowa snubbed, you start to understand the logic a little bit. There still are a ton of question marks on the offense, from the quarterback play to the offensive line. There is a potential for turnover regression as well, and, of course, the Big Ten is never a cakewalk. Iowa has the gauntlet of West division rivals in Purdue, Wisconsin, and Minnesota (Nebraska, too, if you’re inclined to believe in them) as well as a double date with Michigan and Ohio State. Both the Buckeyes and Wolverines are top-10 ranked schools.

However, besides the fear of turnover regression, it’s still a bit hard for those following the Hawkeyes to see a legitimate regression as a whole. Yeah, there’s question marks on offense, but the unit was already bad last season. They only scored a hair over 23 points per game. They weren’t the reason they were winning games, and they almost threw away great defensive performances in multiple games. Think back to the 23-20 win over Penn State for example.

On defense, however, Iowa returns nearly everybody. Of course, they do lose some valuable pieces such as Dane Belton, Matt Hankins and Jack Koerner, but few units ever stay 100% intact. There are impact players back from last year at every level of the defense, as well as some youngsters primed for breakouts.

Maybe Wisconsin is the better team, but as they mention in the rankings, there are question marks on their defense.

Coordinator Jim Leonhard’s defenses have been reliably elite, but cornerback features new faces after multiyear starters Faion Hicks and Caesar Dancy-Williams depart. – ESPN staff.

It isn’t just cornerback either, both linebackers Leo Chenal and Jack Sanborn are off to the NFL. There’s a good shot that Wisconsin can replace both the linebackers and cornerbacks. They’ve done well in the transfer portal and Jim Leonhard is great at adapting players to that defense, but why is that already assumed? You can still feasibly question whether or not their defense will be as great as it was last year. For Iowa, most of the top stars are back on the defense.

The key difference is how Wisconsin have to replace players in an area of strength, their defense that carried the team to a 9-4 record, while Iowa has to really worry about improving their weakest area on offense. Maybe I’m being a bit of a homer here, but it just doesn’t seem right to me. I think both teams deserve to be in the top 25 or neither deserve it.

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ESPN lists Xavier Nwankpa on preseason true freshman All-America team

Xavier Nwankpa was named to ESPN’s preseason true freshman All America team by both Tom VanHaaren and Tom Luginbill.

Tom squared loves the potential of one of Iowa‘s freshmen. ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren and Tom Luginbill both named Xavier Nwankpa to their preseason true freshman All-America teams.

The Southeast Polk High School product has been highly-regarded ever since he committed and signed with the Hawkeyes. According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Nwankpa was the No. 25 player nationally, the No. 1 safety and the top player from the state of Iowa.

Nwankpa has been a popular pick as one of the top true freshmen in all of college football. ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren recently included Nwankpa among college football’s top 50 newcomers.

With that in mind, it makes sense that VanHaaren also includes Nwankpa here as one of his true freshman All-America team members.

Typically, Iowa recruits take a few years to develop, but Nwankpa is an ESPN 300 safety the staff fought hard to get because he can impact the game right away. Safety Jack Koerner is gone from last season, and Nwankpa should have an opportunity to play his way onto the field this season. – VanHaaren, ESPN.

Here’s what Luginbill had to say on Nwankpa’s inclusion on his true freshman All-America team.

The Hawkeyes return a great player in Riley Moss at corner, but the rest of the secondary is gone, and Iowa rarely picks up a prospect at the skill positions the likes of Nwankpa. Expect him to occupy one the two safety spots immediately. – Luginbill, ESPN.

Based on Kirk Ferentz’s spring comments and some of his thoughts after Nwankpa picked off a pass during the open Kids’ Day at Kinnick practice, it definitely looks and sounds like the Pleasant Hill, Iowa, native is fitting in nicely early.

“All the guys that got here in January, it’s coming at them fast in the spring. And, it’s a credit to them, they do a good job, but it’s still, it’s like a different language. Now, he had all summer to digest things. Now, he’s had 10 practices underneath his belt, so my guess is we’ll see him start to gain ground with each and every day. He’s a good football player, great young guy and he’ll be a good football player for us,” Ferentz said.

247Sports also included Nwankpa as one of the Big Ten’s top 25 incoming freshmen, while SB Nation tabbed him as the Hawkeyes’ freshman to watch.

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Mountain West Wire predicts comfortable win for the Iowa Hawkeyes over Nevada

Mountain West Wire likes the Iowa Hawkeyes to beat Nevada handily in week three of the college football season.

This could be a long day at the office for the Wolfpack. It seems everybody has the Iowa Hawkeyes handily defeating the Nevada Wolfpack to finish out their out-of-conference schedule. All of us at Hawkeyes Wire have Iowa winning by blowout proportions, and in Matthew Kenerley’s recent opponent breakdown for Mountain West Wire, he has the Hawkeyes taking down Nevada with ease 24-9.

It doesn’t seem likely that the Wolf Pack will be overrun by an Iowa team that’s more than happy to sit and wait for breaks to come their way, but it also doesn’t seem clear that they’ll have enough answers on offense to get the best of what looks like, on paper, one of college football’s best defenses. – Kenerley, Mountain West Wire.

A bulk of the preview does focus on the defensive strength the Hawkeyes possess, both linebacker Jack Campbell and cornerback Riley Moss featured as key players. Kenerley acknowledges the level Iowa played at last year, seventh in the country by allowing just 4.72 yards per play, ninth in points per drive allowed, and fourth in available yards percentage allowed, and points out the big pieces they bring back.

Behind them, Campbell and Seth Benson (105 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, two sacks) will patrol the middle with help from Jestin Jacobs.

In the secondary, Moss is the veteran leader but the unit isn’t without experience otherwise. Strong safety Kaevon Merriweather (42 tackles, four passes defended) made seven stars last year while cornerback Jermari Harris (34 tackles, four INTs) made six. – Kenerley, Mountain West Wire.

On the offensive side of the ball, it’s pretty much the standard preview. Iowa’s offense disappointed last year on all accounts. Spencer Petras needs to step it up a notch at the quarterback position, Iowa needs to figure out how to replace Tyler Goodson’s rushing production, and the line needs a bounce-back year in 2022. Kenerley makes a comparison of Iowa to Mountain West contender San Diego State, a team who also struggled on the offensive side of the ball but were more than able to make it up with their defense.

Overall, 24-9 is a pretty simple victory for the Hawkeyes. The Wolfpack are kind of a mess, losing pretty much their entire offense in the span of one offseason. From coaching to personnel, this is an almost entirely new Nevada offense. They are facing one of the best defenses in the country, and will struggle to score points.

That matches with our predictions. Nobody is projecting the Wolfpack to score over two touchdowns. There is a difference of faith in the Iowa offense for this season, though. All three of the Hawkeyes Wire crew predict the Hawkeyes to score over 31 points, making it even more of a lopsided win.

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