Tag: 2023 Iowa Hawkeyes Football

Jay Higgins stars in 2023 debut against Utah State

Hawkeyes linebacker Jay Higgins shined in the win over Utah State. For Higgins, it’s all about living up to the standard of Iowa football.

Jay Higgins entered the 2023 season with one of the toughest tasks on the Iowa football team. Not only was he being asked to step in as the full-time starting middle linebacker, he was to replace one of the program’s legends.

A player like Jack Campbell only comes around every so often. He was the heart and soul of the Hawkeye defense over the past two seasons. He won nearly every award available to a linebacker, including the Butkus Award. He was a first-round NFL draft pick, no small feat for a linebacker in today’s game.

Defensive coordinator Phil Parker has placed a lot of trust in Higgins, a senior finally earning his spot as the starter in his defense. With the elevated role, Higgins shined in his season debut against Utah State.

Higgins had himself quite a day against the Aggies, totaling 16 total tackles. He led the Hawkeyes with 12 solo tackles. Cooper DeJean was second with four solo tackles.

“It’s what you would expect,” Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz said about his star linebacker after the game. “Not 16 maybe, but he is a guy that even though, quote, unquote, wasn’t a starter last year, we’ve always considered Jay to be a starter. He is a strong leader. Just a tremendous young guy. Totally committed.

“So, yeah, we’re counting on him. And the same thing with Nick. For us to be good on defense, our linebackers, our safeties have to be good tacklers and just really happy about Jay’s play. Also his leadership is invaluable.”

When asked about his big performance after the game, the senior from Indianapolis gave an answer that would make Kirk Ferentz blush.

“Expectations are external and the standard is internal. I feel like if you put any linebacker that wears the Tiger Hawk (in the situation) he would have did the same thing,” Higgins said.

According to the senior linebacker, it’s all about trying to live up to the standard of Iowa football. Leading the Big Ten in solo and total tackles after the first week is certainly doing just that for Higgins.

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247Sports tabs Iowa wide receivers as position group with most potential improvement

Iowa’s wide receiver room could experience a big breakout in 2023, but only if given the right play from quarterback Cade McNamara.

Out of all the positional groups to watch out for on the Iowa football team, the wide receivers room may be the one to keep an eye on.

After experiencing a ton of change over the offseason, Iowa has reloaded its pass-catching room with a bunch of young, up-and-coming talents. In Sean Bock’s superlatives for every position group ahead of fall camp for Hawkeye Insider of 247Sports, he listed wide receiver as the one with the “most potential improvement.”

Iowa used the transfer portal this offseason to fill missing pieces at wide receiver as it landed Charleston Southern transfer Seth Anderson and Ohio State transfer, Kaleb Brown.

Anderson was the Big South Offensive Player of the Year as a redshirt freshman while Brown was a former four-star recruit, and any wide receiver that is recruited heavily by Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline has the chance to be a game-changer in any offense.

Brown and Anderson were two missing pieces that Iowa needed. An X receiver would’ve been ideal, but Anderson and Brown both have big-time playmaking ability and that’s something Iowa needs. – Bock, Hawkeye Insider.

The wide receiver room is a good mix of these newly transferred in talents such as Seth Anderson and Kaleb Brown, and returning experience. The Hawkeyes bring back Nico Ragaini for his sixth year and will hope Diante Vines can stay healthy and make an impact.

As for returners, Nico Ragaini and Diante Vines will play big roles for the Hawkeyes. Ragaini is the team leader this fall, and could have a 2019-esque year with Cade McNamara under center. Vines has been hindered by injuries throughout his career, but he was one of the top performers in fall camp last year before going down with an injury. Jacob Bostick should also get a mention, too, but he needs to stay healthy. – Bock, Hawkeye Insider.

I think bringing up Cade McNamara is vital, because the quarterback plays a huge role in how effective the wide receivers are. There definitely was talent at the position last year, and I still think Keagan Johnson can be a breakout star for Kansas State this year.

It’s just really hard to show any of that talent when the quarterback cannot reliably make the throws. Combine that with injuries, and you have a wide receiver room that I think looked worse than what they really were. It’s no shock that Charlie Jones immediately became one of the best receivers in the nation the minute he left Iowa.

Iowa will undoubtably have talent at receiver again. We know Nico Ragaini is reliable, and Kaleb Brown has the potential to be the best receiver at Iowa since… ever. What they need is a quarterback who can get the job done, step up and make the throws, and not put a massive handicap on the offense.

If Cade McNamara can be that guy, then sure, this group of pass catchers could certainly make some noise in 2023.

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Iowa Hawkeyes 2023 Snapshot Profile: No. 13 Joe Evans

Joe Evans exemplifies part of what we love about Iowa football. A look at the former walk-on turned Big Ten standout entering 2023.

Pass-rushing specialist Joe Evans is everything we all love about Iowa football.

Iowa isn’t as glamorous as some of the other schools in the country. We may not have the great weather of Miami or the NIL influence of USC, but what Iowa does have is a strong culture of over-performing. Every year the Hawkeyes take undervalued recruits, show them the way and turn them into top Big Ten players.

Joe Evans wasn’t a highly-touted recruit coming out of Ames, Iowa. He wasn’t even ranked at all. A quarterback and linebacker coming out of high school, Evans took his shot as a walk-on at the University of Iowa in 2018. By 2020, he earned a scholarship after transitioning to defensive end. Now entering 2023, Evans is a prolific super-senior looking to boost Iowa’s chances at making it back to the Big Ten Championship.

Evans enjoyed a great amount of success over the past two years as the Hawkeyes’ pass-rushing specialist. Evans has 13.5 sacks over the past two seasons, leading the Hawkeyes in the category back in 2021. He has a relentless rushing style that makes him a terror off the edge, a perfect complement to some of the other pieces on the Iowa defensive line.

Returning for one final season, here’s a last preview look at a true Hawkeye in Joe Evans.

Iowa Hawkeyes 2023 Snapshot Profile: No. 85 Luke Lachey

Luke Lachey demonstrated he’s ready for stardom when Sam LaPorta was sidelined. Lachey’s 2023 snapshot profile.

There were very few bright spots on the Iowa offense last year. Unsurprisingly, of course, the tight end position was one of the few areas of light in a very bleak unit.

Current Detroit Lion Sam LaPorta led the way last year for the Hawkeyes with a team-high 657 receiving yards. This is the second-straight year that the Lions’ newest second-round pick led the Hawkeyes in both yards and receptions.

However, Sam was not the only tight end on the roster who was turning heads. As “Tight End U” always does, Iowa had another waiting in the wings, slowly building a name for himself as the next big thing. We saw a brief glimpse at just what Luke Lachey can possibly do in 2022. The Cleveland, Ohio, native led the Hawkeyes with four touchdowns. That was more than every other Hawkeye receiver combined.

It wasn’t just his work as a secondary tight end to the league-bound LaPorta that was most impressive. When he had to step up as a starter due to injury, Lachey excelled. Just look at some of the plays he made against Nebraska! He has some serious talent, and can be another star at the position for Iowa. Here’s a look at potentially the next great Iowa tight end, Luke Lachey!

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Iowa Hawkeyes 2023 Snapshot Profile: QB No. 5 Joe Labas

Joe Labas directed the Black and Gold to a bowl victory over Kentucky. Does he wind up as QB2? His 2023 snapshot profile.

When looking at the quarterback position for the Iowa Hawkeyes, do not forget about sophomore Joe Labas.

While much attention has been given over the offseason to transfer additions Cade McNamara and Deacon Hill, the Hawkeyes still have a returning backup candidate in Labas. Though his playing time wasn’t extensive over the past few seasons in Iowa City, Labas has been able to learn the offensive system. He’s spent more time with Brian Ferentz than any other quarterback on the roster and has been groomed into his system over the past couple of seasons.

Also, this goes without saying, but Joe Labas is the only quarterback currently on the roster who has actually thrown a pass for the Black and Gold. He started and saw his first career action in the Hawkeyes’ 21-0 Music City Bowl victory over Kentucky. While his stats were not spectacular in his first outing for Iowa, he did manage to throw a touchdown and limit the bad plays.

Much of what Iowa asks from their quarterbacks is to game manage and simply not mess up. Labas sort of already showed that he can do that, albeit in some weird circumstances. Kentucky really looked like they were just there for a scrimmage in that bowl game.

With the competition for the backup quarterback slot behind Cade McNamara heating up, here is a look at Joe Labas.

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Iowa Hawkeyes once again searching for running game answers in 2023

The Iowa Hawkeyes are still looking to find that patented Iowa rushing attack this spring. Brian Ferentz detailed the progress.

Something has been quite off with the Iowa offense over the past two years, and it’s quite easy to see.

Of course, Iowa’s offense as a whole has suffered a down two years now under offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz. In the past two seasons, the Hawkeyes have averaged 23.4 points per game and most recently an abysmal 17.7 points per game.

While the Hawkeyes are never going to be mistaken for a Big 12 squad with an air-it-out offense, it is a mistake to assume that the offense has always been this pedestrian. Three times since 2015 Kirk Ferentz’s squad has averaged over 30 points per game, most recently in 2020. Something has changed, and it certainly isn’t the team’s philosophy when it comes to moving the football.

“I’m going to approach my job the same way I’ve approached it the last 11 seasons. My job is to help us win football games,” offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz said in his recent press conference. “We have a tried and true method, we know how we win, we know who we are. My job is to make sure we play to those strengths and on Saturday, we’re winning games, not losing them.”

The idea at Iowa is still the same as it ever was: run the football and demoralize the opposition. Unfortunately, the past two years have seen the Hawkeyes struggle to run the football. Like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar if he suddenly wasn’t able to hit his signature sky hook, the Hawkeyes have simply been unable to play the way they want to. To Ferentz, that inability to run the football is what will lose you games.

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“I think for anyone to have success, you have to run the football. I think the game is pretty simple in that you need to block and you need to tackle.”

To get Iowa’s offense back on track, it’s going to all start up front. Iowa needs a committed team effort to run the football.

“When we’re running the ball effectively, I don’t care what the year is, the offensive line is a big part of that. It’s a team effort, too. Are we in the right play? That starts with me, then it goes to the quarterback. Are we blocking the right guys? That’s important. We need the offensive line playing well, we need the tight ends playing well, we need the receivers blocking on the perimeter.

“We need to make sure we’re exchanging the ball at the right depth, we need to make sure we’re on the right track. If we get guys into space, we’re out there, and we have 11 guys. I figure that if we’re optioning, we can block more than nine, but for the most part, we’re going to be able to block more than nine guys however we choose to do it. At some point, we’re going to have the ballcarrier on someone even if we block everything perfectly. What is he doing with it? I bring that up, if you want to look backwards, which I prefer not to, but 2020, I think it was a team effort,” Ferentz said.

In a pivotal season for the Hawkeyes, with the fanbase extremely restless given the current state of the team, we’ll see if a return to the old style of Iowa football can yield better results for this current Hawkeyes team.

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Xavier Nwankpa looking to become a leader in 2023

Though he may only be a sophomore, Xavier Nwankpa looks ready to lead a new generation of Iowa Hawkeyes football.

At this time last year, Iowa safety Xavier Nwankpa was the new wide-eyed baby face on the team.

One of Iowa’s highest-ranked recruits in recent years, Nwankpa entered Iowa City with a star-like aura around his name. This was the future of the Hawkeyes’ secondary. This was the man to lead the new guard of Iowa’s defense.

While he didn’t play a ton as a freshman, Nwankpa was impressive when given his chance. During his lone start in the Music City Bowl, Nwankpa recorded eight tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown. It was a star-making performance and just a taste of what fans could get from Xavier in 2023.

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Iowa’s defense was one of the best in the nation in 2022, lead by various experienced stars. Now, those stars are heading to the NFL. In the secondary specifically, the Hawkeyes lose two leaders in Riley Moss and Kaevon Merriweather.

Nwankpa detailed recently that his goal for this year is to transition from a baby-faced youngster to a true leader.

“Really trying to lead, help all the young guys. Get to the level that we need to be at as a defense just to keep what we’ve been doing,” Nwankpa said.

Of course, Nwankpa is doing his part this offseason to improve his overall game. The Pleasant Hill, Iowa, native is busting his backside to become the player he knows he can be.

True to the Iowa mentality, though, it is not just about one player. Everyone holds not only themselves, but their teammates around them to a high standard. It’s a true team effort, a brotherhood of Black and Gold lifting each other up.

While Nwankpa is only entering his sophomore season, it’s clear that he just gets it. He’s played with players like Moss and Merriweather who know what it takes to win in the Big Ten. He’s learned from a defensive coordinator in Phil Parker who knows the results that a true 11-man defense yields.

Nwankpa may not have played a ton his freshman year, but early in the offseason, that year in Iowa City has done wonders. He may be young, but Xavier Nwankpa is ready to lead a new generation of Iowa football.

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5 Iowa Hawkeyes poised for a breakout in 2023 college football season

A look at five Iowa Hawkeyes who can become the next stars of the Iowa football program during the 2023 college football season.

A new spring season of Hawkeyes football is upon us, folks! If you know anything about Iowa ball, they have an established pipeline to the NFL. You’ll rarely find a draft without Hawkeye representation and this year is no different.

Iowa has five candidates for the upcoming 2023 NFL draft in defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness, linebacker Jack Campbell, tight end Sam LaPorta, cornerback Riley Moss, and safety Kaevon Merriweather. Van Ness, Campbell, and LaPorta have been the talk of the NFL Draft community after their stellar NFL Combine performances.

Van Ness in particular featured highly in recent mock drafts. Moss and Merriweather also have a number of fans in the football world as well.

Despite being known as a program greater than the sum of its parts, every year Iowa football manages to produce stars who go on to the NFL. That team-first mentality really aids in preparing players for the next level. Five key stars are moving on, but who will be the next breakout stars in Iowa City?

With the depth charts released for the spring season, we now have a better idea of how these players are viewed by the coaching staff. With that in mind and combined with what we already saw last year, here are five breakout candidates to keep an eye on throughout spring ball.

5 burning offensive questions for the Iowa Hawkeyes heading into spring football

It’s almost time for spring football in Iowa City. What are five burning questions about the Hawkeyes’ offense heading into spring football?

Slowly but surely we are escaping the pit that is the college football offseason. Full of transfers and coaching changes, the offseason can feel like a real slog to get through. This isn’t aided by the weather being bad either, just heightening our offseasonal depression.

It’s been a turbulent one for the Iowa Hawkeyes to say the least. Iowa brought in two big transfers from Michigan, but also saw multiple talented players depart as well. It is going to hurt to see Jestin Jacobs in an Oregon uniform next year, and I’m fully prepared for Keagan Johnson to be a star in the Big 12.

While Iowa managed to put together a good recruiting class, it all felt overshadowed by the guy they weren’t able to bring in. While many will try to criticize Proctor’s decision calling it short sighted, mind you Alabama also routinely sends linemen to the NFL, it’s really hard for me to envision anything but success for the young man. I truly do wish him the best, unless it’s in a national championship against Iowa to which I hope he gives up four sacks.

What else was there? Oh yeah, there was the entire “will they fire him” situation with offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz. If it were up to most of the fanbase, the coach’s son would’ve been out the door a long time ago. Even before Iowa’s offense put up horrendous numbers this past season. Iowa did issue him an “ultimatum” though: bring the offense to passable levels and you sir get a raise and a pat on the back.

It still does feel like a bad dream.

It’s felt like all offseason the fanbase has received just kick in the pants after kick in the pants. I’m not sure if the same feeling of optimism is there that I noticed last year. So, how do you fix that? Well, it’s easy folks.

Win.

Winning is the remedy to literally any problem in sports. All of the down moments of the offseason will seem like little blips on the radar if Iowa football gets back to doing what they do in winning.

Of course, the biggest factor in that is the offense. Anyone who is familiar with last year’s team can tell you just how bad it is, and looking back on some of the box scores it truly is the stuff of nightmares. It cannot go on that way. No more wasting Phil Parker’s fantastic defensive efforts and no more wasting the fans’ time!

With the offense in mind, here are five questions about Brian Ferentz’s unit that should be on the minds of every single Iowa football fan.