Tag: Hawkeyes Football

Top 5 Iowa Hawkeyes to use in EA Sports NCAA Football who never got a game

EA Sports NCAA Football was last released in 2013. Let’s look at the Hawkeyes who didn’t get a game that would be the most fun to play with.

Almost a decade to the date since the best video game of all-time was released, college football fans will soon be rejoicing as the momentum towards a new EA Sports NCAA Football game is full steam ahead.

NCAA Football ’14 released on July 9, 2013, and is still played to this day by many avid fans as it was the final college football game released amidst conversations of compensating players in the game for usage of their likenesses.

Fast forward to now, it appears that EA Sports will be bringing back NCAA Football in July of 2023. The 10-year wait for fans of all ages is almost at an end.

It has been rumored that EA Sports already has 120 FBS schools on board with the game and have begun working with them to get realistic stadium noises, music, and even chants. These schools will be paid out on a tiered basis depending on their top-25 finishes.

All of that said, there was an era from 2014-2021 that saw no NCAA Football games released. There is a large group of big time players that never saw themselves in a game. Joe Burrow from LSU’s title run in 2019, Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray in Norman, Okla., Christian McCaffrey at Stanford, and many more.

The Iowa Hawkeyes also had some guys who were like real life video game characters. Who would be the five most fun Hawkeyes to play with in NCAA Football that never got a game over the past decade? Let’s discuss!

2023 offensive tackle Cannon Leonard commits to the Iowa Hawkeyes

One day after receiving his offer, 2023 offensive tackle Cannon Leonard announced his commitment to the Iowa Hawkeyes.

One day after receiving his offer from Iowa, class of 2023 offensive tackle Cannon Leonard announced his commitment to the Hawkeyes. The 6-foot-9, 265 pound offensive tackle is out of Iroquois West High School in Gilman, Ill.

According to 247Sports, Leonard is a two-star talent, the nation’s No. 149 offensive tackles and the No. 73 player from the state of Illinois. Meanwhile, Rivals ranks Leonard as a three-star offensive tackle.

“After taking time to talk with my family, I have decided that I will be committing to further my academic and athletic career at The University of Iowa #SWARM23,” Leonard wrote in his Twitter announcement.

Leonard joins three-star Leighton Jones as an offensive line commit in the Hawkeyes’ 2023 class. Jones is regarded as the country’s No. 31 interior offensive lineman and the No. 5 player from Indiana by 247Sports.

Leonard also joins athlete Zach Lutmer out of Central Lyon High School, athlete Aidan Hall out of Harlan Community High School, edge rusher and defensive end David Caulker out of North High School, and running back Kendrick Raphael out of Naples High School as Iowa commits over the past two months.

Ahead of his commitment today to Iowa, HawkeyeReport editor Blair Sanderson of Rivals caught up with Leonard to discuss his offer from Iowa and the relationship Leonard has been able to foster with Hawkeye offensive line coach George Barnett.

“The main thing that impressed him and the rest of the staff was when I really showed out and had an amazing performance at their camp two weeks ago,” Leonard said. “I was amazed. Iowa has always been a school I have looked at, especially with how important offensive line play is to them.”

Leonard chose the Hawkeyes over other offers from schools such as Army, Ball State, Florida Atlantic, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois and Western Illinois.

With the commitment, Iowa’s 2023 class has grown to 12 commits overall. Here’s a look at Leonard’s Hudl highlights from his junior season at Iroquois West High School, his recruiting profile and the Hawkeyes’ full list of 2023 commits.

Pair of Rivals experts list it as ‘fact’ that Iowa is the team to beat for 5-star OT Kadyn Protcor

A pair of Rivals experts listed it as “fact” that Iowa is the leader for five-star offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor.

About a month ago, there was a panic among the Iowa fanbase. They had been heavily linked with five-star offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, and when the Hawkeyes were not listed as one of his summer visits, it blindsided fans.

The panic was premature, though. Recently, Proctor cancelled his other summer visits, added a final visit to Iowa City and narrowed his potential college choices down to Iowa and Alabama.

Now, Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney and national recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove both believe that it is Iowa’s race to win. The pair listed it as “fact” that the Hawkeyes should be considered as the team to beat for Proctor.

Counting out Alabama is foolish, but I still think Iowa is in the best position by far to land the five-star offensive lineman. Proctor sort of messed around with his official visit schedule before – putting Arkansas State on it for example – but now that he’s focused on only Alabama and Iowa it puts his recruitment in focus again. The Crimson Tide have done such a good job developing players across the board, but Iowa has done a great job with offensive linemen. It’s the in-state school, his friend and teammate, Xavier Nwankpa, plays there and Proctor could be the next Tristan Wirfs in Iowa City. That’s probably too much to turn down. – Gorney, Rivals.

Cosgrove echoed those sentiments, highlighting Proctor’s relationship with Nwankpa as one of the primary reasons why he’s confident the ultimate decision is the Hawkeyes.

Proctor has now canceled all of his other official visits and announced that Iowa and Alabama are the final two in his recruitment. While I see Alabama having a chance here, my gut says Proctor stays home with the goal of building something special with Nwankpa. – Cosgrove, Rivals.

It should be a great feeling for any Hawkeye fan to know that Iowa is in a two-school race for a prospect with Alabama. Iowa has never traditionally been a recruiting powerhouse, typically developing and elevating talent.

However, now Iowa has a chance to get a premium player at a position they specialize in. It shows a trend of Iowa focusing more on recruiting than in past years. Five-star saftey Xavier Nwankpa showed a potential turning point for Iowa as a destination school, and a big time recruitment such as Proctor would be a massive statement to the rest of college football.

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Iowa Hawkeyes ranked as the No. 3 defensive back room nationally

Iowa finds itself among the cream of the crop when it comes to defensive back rooms across the country, coming in at No. 3 per CBS Sports.

It seems as if every other day there is another list that the Iowa Hawkeyes or members of their secondary find themselves on. That points to the sustained success the group has had.

From dominating the entire country in interceptions to pumping out defensive backs to the NFL, Kirk Ferentz and Phil Parker have built a machine at Iowa that continues to create turnovers. Most recently, that machine called the Iowa secondary has been ranked the No. 3 defensive back room in the country by CBS Sports’ David Cobb.

After leading the nation with 25 interceptions last season, Iowa brings back All-American cornerback Riley Moss. With Jemari Harris and Kaevon Merriweather also returning after holding down key roles in 2021, this group is guaranteed to be stingy again. A wild card to watch is true freshman Xavier Nwankpa, who is Iowa’s highest-rated defensive back commitment of the 247Sports era. Even if he needs some time to develop, there is enough here to make this group one of the nation’s best once again. – Cobb, CBS Sports.

Ahead of Iowa is Georgia at No. 1 and Texas A&M at No. 2. Following the Hawkeyes is North Carolina State at No. 4 and fellow Big Ten member Penn State at No. 5.

As Cobb mentioned, this is spearheaded by Moss returning for the 2022 season following an All-American performance that saw him consistently graded out as the best cornerback in the Big Ten and even sometimes the country.

Harris reeled in four interceptions last season and Merriweather snagged one of his own. These two do have experience. Along with them will be Terry Roberts who hauled in an interception and looks to expound on an already stellar special teams performance he has put on at Iowa. Five-star Xavier Nwankpa also looks to make his mark early and often with this group as he battles for playing time.

Last year saw 25 interceptions from the Hawkeyes and put the national spotlight on the group in the secondary. With the talent at each position this season, there should be a quiet confidence that the Hawkeyes defensive backs will once again prove sturdy.

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Tyler Goodson battling for Green Bay Packers’ running back spot

Tyler Goodson put on a show for his three years as the Hawkeyes’ running back. Now he looks to make his mark in Green Bay’s backfield.

Tyler Goodson had an electric career with the Iowa Hawkeyes. He posted a career that consisted of 2,551 rushing yards, 18 rushing touchdowns, 70 receptions, 565 receiving yards, and one more touchdown. Iowa has sustained success as of late and his offensive contributions are a large factor in that.

Goodson signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent. He joins a running back room that has two established members as incumbents. Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon are two locks to make the roster in this upcoming NFL season. Goodson is working to earn his position as the third running back.

Dillon is a much bigger back and utilized in the short yardage game with his size. Jones and Goodson have similar skillsets. Each of them are great in the passing game and have an ability to make people miss with the ball in their hands in space. The two of them have homerun ability to take any play the distance.

Goodson’s largest competition right now is the Packers’ seventh-round pick from the 2021 NFL draft, running back Kylin Hill. While he spent last season with Green Bay, he had just eight carries and only one catch prior to an ACL injury that sidelined him for the rest of the year and into this summer as he is rehabbing the injury.

Goodson’s rushing and receiving skillset gives the 5-foot-9, 197 pound back both to lean on as he gets ready to enter training camp. He has every opportunity in front of him to make a splash in practices and preseason games.

Hawkeye fans have seen it and Green Bay Packers fans would be wise to get used to the name Tyler Goodson. It wouldn’t be a shock for a handful of splash plays in the preseason on his way to a regular season roster spot.

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Former Iowa Hawkeyes safety Dane Belton vying for New York Giants starting job

Former Iowa Hawkeyes safety Dane Belton is showing the New York Giants what Hawkeyes fans know. He can play. He wants the starting job.

From the very first day that Dane Belton joined the Iowa Hawkeyes, he made an instant impact with his defensive play in the secondary.

It appears he may be doing the same with equal impact in the NFL. After being drafted by the New York Giants, Belton may be pushing for a starting job right out of the gates.

While at Iowa, defensive coordinator Phil Parker found a home for Belton as the “CASH,” which can be described as a hybrid position of safety and outside linebacker in layman’s terms.

He certainly proved he can play the safety position as he led the Hawkeyes with five interceptions during the 2021-22 season. As the leader in the secondary, Belton helped propel the entire defense to 25 interceptions, which led the country.

When Iowa ran into teams with a run-heavy offense, Belton was often rolling down into the box and filling the run alleys to provide support in the run game. This versatility is what makes his skillset so unique and intriguing to NFL staffs. The modern-day NFL requires players to be able to contribute in multiple ways and that may just be how Belton gets onto the field as a rookie starter.

The Giants have a decimated secondary after losing a handful of last season’s starters in the offseason. Belton’s versatility to play as a true safety, help in run support, line up against slot receivers, and even run with tight ends checks a lot of boxes for a defense looking to rebuild with youth.

Another advantage Belton has is that the Giants brought in Wink Martindale as their defensive coordinator. Rather than going to a system where the coordinator has spent time with guys, everyone is starting from the same spot.

Whether it be a starter or situational player that comes in for specific packages, the one thing that will hold true is Dane Belton getting considerable playing time next year in the NFL. Not only will he get the playing time, he will make the most of it as well.

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Iowa Hawkeyes have the most yards returning in 2022 by a Power 5 tight end

The Iowa Hawkeyes are “Tight End University” and no exception here as they have the most receiving yards returning among Power 5 tight ends.

The Iowa Hawkeyes. The University of Iowa. Tight End University.

All of those are really just synonyms for each other that get us to the same end point. The Iowa Hawkeyes football team. They are “TEU” and show no signs of that ship slowing down.

Sam LaPorta has already been tabbed as ESPN’s No. 2 tight end prospect for the 2023 NFL draft by Mel Kiper and was named to Pro Football Focus’ 2023 NFL draft watchlist throughout the 2022 college football season.

LaPorta likely could have been a late Day 2 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft if he declared after a big junior campaign with 53 receptions for 670 yards. He returned to up his stock even more, as the athletic 6-foot-4, 249-pounder has an all-around projectable NFL game. – Michael Renner, Pro Football Focus.

This time, LaPorta is recognized as the top tight end in the entire country with the most yards over the last two seasons that is returning.

LaPorta was Iowa’s leading receiver in 2021 with 53 receptions, 670 yards, and three touchdowns. Iowa’s tight end averaged 12.6 yards per catch and it was evident by how often he was targeted that he was a first down machine.

Iowa will undoubtedly look to build their passing game with Sam LaPorta as a key component of it, if not the main piece. With the added experience of playing with Spencer Petras and another year in Iowa’s program, LaPorta has all of the ingredients to take his status to the next level this season and join the Hawkeyes’ lineage of tight end greats.

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Updating 9 recent Iowa Hawkeyes football offers across the 2023, 2024, 2025 classes

Who has Iowa football extended offers to recently? Here’s a look at the Hawkeyes’ recent targets across the 2023, 2024 and 2025 classes.

As the summer and camp season rolls on for Iowa, a number of athletes have picked up offers and preferred walk-on opportunities with the Hawkeyes. Here’s a look at nine recent targets across the 2023, 2024 and 2025 recruiting classes.

Iowa Hawkeyes boast sizable lead over FBS with 89 interceptions over the past 5 seasons

Interceptions are game changing. No one does it better than the Hawkeyes. Over the last five years, they have handily outpaced the nation.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have intercepted more passes than any team in the entire country over the last five years by a large margin. Their ability to get takeaways in the passing game has continued to develop under Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz and defensive coordinator Phil Parker.

Over the last five seasons, the Hawkeyes have reeled in 89 interceptions. That provides them with a wide gap of the next best team. They have 10 more interceptions than any other FBS team does over the same stretch.

A large contribution of that can be accounted for in 2021 when Iowa was able to take the ball away via 25 interceptions. That was spearheaded by current New York Giant Dane Belton and returning All-American Riley Moss, who looks to build on a phenomenal 2021.

Iowa has a large contingent of defensive backs in the NFL that helped contribute to 89 interceptions over the last five seasons. Matt Hankins, Jack Koerner, Dane Belton, Geno Stone, Amani Hooker, Josh Jackson, Michael Ojemudia, and Desmond King all played a role.

This shows the “cheat code” that it is to play in the Iowa secondary on the way to the NFL that former Hawkeye Micah Hyde elaborated on.

Iowa is reloading their secondary and bringing in some serious talent. Terry Roberts, Cooper DeJean, and Kaevon Merriweather will look to stamp their impact on the program in 2022. Five-star recruit Xavier Nwankpa will look to add to the interception total early as he has been named a top incoming freshman in the Big Ten.

Takeaways and interceptions have been a staple of what makes Iowa who they are and the proof is in the pudding. There is not a single team in the country better at intercepting the ball than the Iowa Hawkeyes.

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7 Iowa Hawkeyes honored as Phil Steele preseason All-American, All-Big Ten selections

Seven Iowa Hawkeyes earned either preseason All-American or All-Big Ten honors from Phil Steele.

As the preseason awards season rolls on, seven Iowa Hawkeyes were tabbed as either All-American or All-Big Ten selections by Phil Steele. Four defensive players, two offensive players and a specialist comprise the selections by Phil Steele.

Let’s take a look at the full list of honorees that Iowa football’s official account released today.