Tag: Dane Belton

Iowa Hawkeyes tied for the most returning starters among Big Ten programs entering the 2022 season

Athlon Sports took a look at returning starters among Big Ten programs. Iowa has the most returning starters, which sets up well for 2022.

Among Big Ten teams, Iowa has the most returning starters. Athlon Sports’ Steven Lassan took a look at returning starters on Big Ten teams and Iowa is tied for the most returning starters.

According to Lassan, Iowa has 17 returning starters. That number for the Hawkeyes is actually 15 returning starters. Iowa is replacing three starters offensively: running back [autotag]Tyler Goodson[/autotag], All-American center [autotag]Tyler Linderbaum[/autotag] and left guard [autotag]Kyler Schott[/autotag].

Goodson rushed for 1,151 yards on 256 carries with six rushing touchdowns. He also caught 31 passes for 247 yards and a score. Linderbaum started each of the team’s 35 games over the past three seasons and Schott started the final 10 games of last season and 18 over his Hawkeye career.

Defensively, Iowa will replace defensive end [autotag]Zach VanValkenburg[/autotag] who started all 14 games and 35 in his career. VanValkenburg had 15 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks last season. The Hawkeyes are also replacing linebacker [autotag]Dane Belton[/autotag], cornerback [autotag]Matt Hankins[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Jack Koerner[/autotag].

Koerner finished third on the team with 88 tackles in 2021. Meanwhile, Belton had 46 tackles, seven pass breakups and five interceptions. Hankins added 44 tackles, five pass breakups and three interceptions. That trio combined to start 95 games over the course of their Iowa careers.

Although the Hawkeyes are in good shape, the losses – center Tyler Linderbaum, running back Tyler Goodson, defensive end Zach VanValkenburg, safety Jack Koerner, defensive back Dane Belton and cornerback Matt Hankins – are significant. – Lassan, Athlon Sports.

The production that Iowa is replacing offensively and defensively is certainly notable. Goodson was Iowa’s leading rusher and Koerner and VanValkenburg were the Hawkeyes’ third and fourth-leading tacklers. Still, there should be optimism that Iowa returns its top two tacklers in linebackers Jack Campbell and Seth Benson who racked up 143 and 105 tackles last year, respectively.

Offensively, Iowa has both quarterbacks [autotag]Spencer Petras[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Padilla[/autotag] returning. While fans have good reason to want to see more production from both, returning experience at the quarterback position can never be overstated. The Hawkeyes also return five of their top six receiving yardage leaders in tight end [autotag]Sam LaPorta[/autotag] and then wide receivers [autotag]Keagan Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Nico Ragaini[/autotag], [autotag]Charlie Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Arland Bruce IV[/autotag].

Iowa’s 15 returning starters matches Maryland and Purdue. Michigan State returns the next-most starters with 14.

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247Sports lists Iowa Hawkeyes as team to sell in 2022

247Sports writer Brad Crawford says Iowa is one of the top 25 teams to sell stock of in 2022.

Iowa enjoyed a fast 6-0 start in 2021 and rode a four-game winning streak to close the regular season to a Big Ten West division title. A scoring offense that ranked just 99th nationally kept the Hawkeyes from soaring to greater heights, but, all in all, it was a very successful 2021 season.

Now, as Iowa replaces its top running back, a pair of talented offensive linemen and several key defensive players, there’s mixed feelings about what kind of team the Hawkeyes will field in 2022. 247Sports writer Brad Crawford listed Iowa as one of his top 25 teams to sell in 2022.

With an average preseason ranking of No. 17 (across six major polls), it may be hard for the Hawkeyes to live up to outsiders who obviously labeled Kirk Ferentz’s team as a contender in the Big Ten. Iowa plays top 10s Michigan and Ohio State in 2022 after missing both during last year’s 10-win campaign. Schedule favorability means a great deal in one of college football’s competitive leagues and this fall, that’s not an advantage for the Hawkeyes. Iowa’s core of linebackers will rank near the top of college football, but there are questions elsewhere in key spots. – Crawford, 247Sports.

Looking at the schedule, the dates versus Michigan on Oct. 1 and at Ohio State on Oct. 22 do ratchet up the difficulty meter. Ohio State is one of the most popular picks to reach the College Football Playoff and Iowa knows all too well that Michigan is the defending Big Ten champion. The Wolverines beat the Hawkeyes 42-3 in the Big Ten championship game last season.

Crawford mentioned Iowa’s linebackers. The Hawkeyes return arguably the nation’s best tandem in seniors [autotag]Seth Benson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jack Campbell[/autotag]. Campbell finished last season with 143 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a pair of interceptions and one sack. Meanwhile, Benson added 105 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and one interception.

Iowa will be replacing one of its best players up front defensively in defensive end [autotag]Zach VanValkenburg[/autotag]. The Zeeland, Mich., product registered 15 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in 2021. On the back end of its defense, the Hawkeyes are replacing [autotag]Dane Belton[/autotag], safety [autotag]Jack Koerner[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Matt Hankins[/autotag].

Offensively, Iowa will turn to either [autotag]Gavin Williams[/autotag] or [autotag]Leshon Williams[/autotag] to step in for running back [autotag]Tyler Goodson[/autotag]. The interior of the Hawkeyes’ offensive line will be something to watch. Iowa lost the Rimington Trophy winner in center Tyler Linderbaum and its left guard Kyler Schott.

If Iowa is to match its 10-win feat from a season ago, the offense needs to take a big step forward even after losing several key cogs along its offensive line and its leading rusher. Defensively, Iowa figures to be stout once again. The Hawkeyes ranked 13th nationally in scoring defense, surrendering just 19.2 points per game last season.

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Iowa Hawkeye Tyler Linderbaum is Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded 2021 college football player

Pro Football Focus graded Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum as its top 2021 college football player.

Iowa center [autotag]Tyler Linderbaum[/autotag] is going to be an excellent addition for somebody in the 2022 NFL draft. That much is evidenced by his Pro Football Focus grade.

Linderbaum had the highest grade of any college football player in 2021. The 6-foot-3, 290 pound center earned a grade of 95.4.

That mark was well clear of the next-closest center. Missouri’s Michael Maietti finished the 2021 season with a PFF grade of 89.1, Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz earned a grade of 88.5, USC’s Brett Neilon registered a grade of 86.2 and Wyoming’s Keegan Cryder recorded a grade of 85.5 to round out the top grades for Division I centers.

According to PFF, Linderbaum had a run blocking grade of 96.6 and a pass blocking grade of 79.8. His run blocking grade was tops among all Division I players, while his pass blocking grade checked in at No. 15. Linderbaum was also recently listed among Bucky Brooks of NFL.com’s top five interior blockers.

Iowa’s top ten offensive players during the 2021 season according to PFF looked like this: Linderbaum at No. 1 with a grade of 95.4, left guard [autotag]Kyler Schott[/autotag] with a grade of 86.1, offensive lineman [autotag]Tyler Elsbury[/autotag] with a grade of 80.4, offensive guard [autotag]Justin Britt[/autotag] with a grade of 78.5, center [autotag]Matt Fagan[/autotag] with a grade of 75.8, running back [autotag]Gavin Williams[/autotag] with a grade of 75.1, offensive guard [autotag]Cody Ince[/autotag] with a grade of 75.1, quarterback [autotag]Spencer Petras[/autotag] with a grade of 73.9, tight end [autotag]Sam LaPorta[/autotag] with a grade of 72.5 and right guard [autotag]Connor Colby[/autotag] with a grade of 71.5

The Hawkeyes’ top 10 defensive players in 2021 via PFF went as follows: defensive end [autotag]Zach VanValkenburg[/autotag] with a grade of 84.2, cornerback [autotag]Riley Moss[/autotag] with a grade of 80.1, cornerback [autotag]Matt Hankins[/autotag] with a grade of 80.0, safety [autotag]Dane Belton[/autotag] with a grade of 77.1, safety [autotag]Quinn Schulte[/autotag] with a grade of 75.3, safety [autotag]Kaevon Merriweather[/autotag] with a grade of 73.1, cornerback [autotag]Jermari Harris[/autotag] with a grade of 72.9, defensive tackle [autotag]Noah Shannon[/autotag] with a grade of 70.6, defensive tackle [autotag]Lukas Van Ness[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Jack Campbell[/autotag] with a grade of 69.8.

Iowa’s top-five graded specialists according to PFF were defensive tackle [autotag]Logan Lee[/autotag] with a grade of 89.0, cornerback [autotag]Terry Roberts[/autotag] with a grade of 84.6, cornerback [autotag]Cooper DeJean[/autotag] with a grade of 76.3, cornerback [autotag]Xavior Williams[/autotag] with a grade of 76.1 and defensive back [autotag]Henry Marchese[/autotag] with a grade of 74.2.

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5 takeaways from Iowa’s spring depth chart reveal

Iowa gave us our first glimpse of the depth chart. What are the takeaways from the Hawkeyes’ spring starting point?

Football is back! At least a taste of it is anyways. Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz met with reporters and shared his excitement to get the spring slate underway.

“Certainly good to be back and it’s good for us as coaches to be able to focus on the 2022 team now, so it’s good to be back in the office and into it. As I said last time, you know, any time we get together, get started in January, it’s a new team, certainly a new season and a new opportunity on top of that, so it’s always good. As you approach spring football, there’s always promise and hope with the new season, a lot of excitement about that. I think that’s something that players and coaches both share. So it’s one of the great things about spring ball I think,” Ferentz said.

With the Hawkeyes underway with their spring practices, Iowa released its spring depth chart.

There’s certainly plenty to dissect from our first glimpse at a working two-deep for the Hawkeyes, so let’s take a peek at several quick takeaways.

ESPN selects Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Jack Campbell to have biggest defensive presence in 2022

ESPN writer Tom VanHaaren chose Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell as his defensive player to have the biggest presence in 2022.

Iowa enters the spring slate off a 10-4 season that included a Big Ten West division championship. Hawkeyes defensive coordinator Phil Parker and assistant defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Seth Wallace have reason to be excited about what Iowa returns defensively.

One of the biggest reasons for excitement is senior linebacker Jack Campbell. The 6-foot-5, 243 pound linebacker enjoyed a monster 2021 season. The Cedar Falls, Iowa, native racked up 143 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries, six passes defensed, a pair of fumble recoveries, two interceptions and one sack.

It’s no surprise then that Campbell is receiving national attention. In ESPN’s college football roundtable, a panelists of writers were asked to pick which defensive player not named Will Anderson Jr. would have the biggest presence in 2022. ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren chose Campbell.

Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell played in only five games of the 2020 season, but he had 29 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and one interception in those games. He was healthy in 2021, and all he did was lead all FBS defenders with 143 tackles. He also had two interceptions and three tackles for loss last season.

He could have made the jump to the NFL, but decided to return for his senior season and is one of the unquestioned leaders on the Hawkeye defense. If we’re talking about presence, Campbell’s return to Iowa was a huge deal, and he has a chance to improve on an excellent season in 2022. – ESPN, VanHaaren.

Campbell’s return provides Iowa with defensive star power. Campbell is joined by another talented starting linebacker’s return. Senior Seth Benson is back as well after registering 105 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, eight quarterback hurries, three passes defensed, two sacks and one interception.

Defensively, Iowa was one of the nation’s best a season ago. The Hawkeyes finished ranked No. 13 in scoring defense, surrendering just 19.2 points per game. That was thanks to a total defense that ranked No. 17 nationally and allowed just 328.8 yards per game.

Campbell and Benson helped anchor the country’s No. 13 rushing defense in 2021 as the Hawkeyes allowed just 3.15 yards per carry and 114.4 rushing yards per game. Iowa also led the nation with 25 interceptions and finished tied-third nationally with 30 total takeaways.

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Iowa earns No. 6 seed in ESPN’s fictional 64-team college football bracket

ESPN’s Chris Low took a crack at what a 64-team college football bracket might look like for the 2022 season. How far would the Hawkeyes go?

Recent reports indicate that the College Football Playoff won’t be expanding any time soon. In fact, according to CBS Sports reporter Barrett Sallee’s report from last month, the CFP will remain at four teams for the duration of the current contract through the 2025 college football season.

Still, that can rain on our parade as we enjoy the festivities of March Madness and wonder what if college football had a 64-team bracket like college basketball. ESPN’s Chris Low took a stab at what that might look like for the upcoming 2022 college football season.

With help from ESPN’s 2022 SP+ projections, Low put together a 64-team team tournament field for college football. Iowa ranked No. 26 in ESPN’s 2022 SP+ projections. That projection for the Hawkeyes checked in as just the seventh-highest ranking among Big Ten teams.

Ohio State was ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s 2022 SP+ projections, Michigan No. 4, Wisconsin No. 10, Penn State No. 16, Michigan State, No. 17 and Minnesota No. 19.

Using the SP+ projections as a tool to help create the 64-team bracket, Iowa ended up as the No. 6 seed in the South region playing No. 11 seed North Carolina. Low predicted the Hawkeyes would win their first-round matchup against the Tar Heels, 27-20, and wrote this about the matchup.

Between them, Kirk Ferentz and Mack Brown have 58 years of head coaching experience in college football. The Hawkeyes’ experience, though, is the difference in this one, as their defensive line takes control of the game in the second half. – Low, ESPN.

North Carolina State earned the No. 3 seed in the South region. The Wolfpack got a test from 14th-seeded Oregon State, but North Carolina State scored three unanswered touchdowns to top the Beavers, 28-14. That set up Iowa’s second-round matchup against N.C. State. Low predicted that Iowa would bow out of the tournament in a close, 20-17, loss to the Wolfpack.

Played in rainy, sloppy conditions, this slugfest goes down to the final minutes when N.C. State star linebacker Drake Thomas, one of several talented Wolfpack linebackers, makes a diving tackle inside the 5-yard line on fourth down. – Low, ESPN.

The No. 1 seeds in Low’s 64-team college football bracket included Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State and Georgia. Low predicted that Alabama would top North Carolina State in the South region final, 41-21. The Midwest region champion was Ohio State after a 34-17 win over Cincinnati, the East region champion was Texas A&M after a 24-23 win over Georgia and the West region champion was Oklahoma beating USC, 35-28.

Low had Alabama beating Oklahoma 41-21 and Ohio State topping Texas A&M 38-24 to set up the national championship game between the Crimson Tide and Buckeyes.

In Low’s fictional national championship game, Ohio State captured the crown in a classic, beating Alabama, 34-30.

Obviously, there’s nothing to this outside of a fun exercise in imaginary December and January Madness. Still, it’s nice to see that Iowa was safely inside the tournament field and expected to win a game.

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