Tag: Hawkeyes Football

Iowa Hawkeyes duo among CBS Sports’ top 100 NFL players

In Pete Prisco of CBS Sports’ top 100 NFL players for 2022, two Iowa Hawkeyes cracked the top 50.

Two Iowa Hawkeyes were recently featured in Pete Prisco of CBS Sports’ top 100 NFL players of 2022 rankings.

Unsurprisingly, star San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle didn’t last too long before coming off the board. Kittle, who has registered 350 receptions, 4,668 receiving yards and 21 touchdown grabs in his career thus far, checked in as the NFL’s No. 15 player overall according to Prisco.

In terms of being the best all-round tight end, he is it. He can run, catch and block. There aren’t many who can do all three at the level he does it. He was limited to 14 games last season, but still caught 71 passes. – Prisco, CBS Sports.

The only massive flaw to find in Kittle’s game is his struggles to stay on the field. He’s only played one full season back in 2018. When he is healthy, though, he is a game-changer for the 49ers.

In one of the best running schemes in the league, Kittle is an extra lineman for San Fran. He isn’t just a good blocker for the position, he’s a dominant blocker in general. As an Iowa tight end, this should come as no surprise. He is Jimmy G’s most reliable target and is extremely tough to bring down in the open field.

Despite being a relative newcomer to the NFL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs is already recognized as one of the league’s elite. The third-year tackle was ranked as the 32nd-best player in the league by Prisco.

He might be the best right tackle in the league, which is impressive since he’s entering his third season. He is outstanding in pass protection and should get better as he matures. – Prisco, CBS Sports.

Wirfs has been outstanding from the moment he stepped foot in the league. He’s started in all 38 games he’s appeared in so far. In just two years, he’s become a Super Bowl champion and a first-team All-Pro selection. He already has a career better than most and will continue to keep rising in the rankings.

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive guard Brandon Scherff was also listed by Prisco as an honorable mention selection.

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Iowa Hawkeyes’ Kirk Ferentz ranked as Big Ten’s top head coach

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz praised as the No. 1 Big Ten coach in Wolverines Wire’s head coach rankings.

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz is someone who many in Iowa City feel does not quite get his due. Sure, he gets some respect from the national media. Most rank him in the top 20 coaches nationally, but he’ll be ranked below some coaches that boggle the minds of Hawkeyes fans.

Lists will have him below fellow Big Ten coaches such as James Franklin, others somehow behind Iowa State’s Matt Campbell even though there’s not really much to support that argument. However, it seems that the perception may be starting to change, at least among those who watch the conference closely.

In Wolverines Wire’s latest ranking of all the head coaches in the Big Ten, the Iowa skipper ranked first, even above Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh.

How we determined these rankings are pretty simple: records, longevity, and highest AP finish in the polls. Also, some other factors came into play like recruiting — and recruiting challenges that teams run into like academic restrictions that a team like Michigan or Northwestern may face, or the challenges that teams like Iowa or Illinois may face to get recruits to come to play for them. If a coach can overcome those challenges, like Kirk Ferentz has done for 23 years at Iowa, that bolstered their ranking. – Trent Knoop, Wolverines Wire.

Ferentz versus Harbaugh and Ohio State’s Ryan Day is a very interesting argument, one possibly without a right answer. Between those three—and it absolutely should only be those three in the running for the top spot—how you judge a coach’s success plays a huge role in your ranking.

This list valued Ferentz’s longevity of success despite Iowa’s lack of top-tier recruiting as the most important factor. Others might disagree, arguing that he’s never brought Iowa atop the big dance as Day and Harbaugh have.

Ferentz’s highs have not reached the heights of Michigan or Ohio State’s in recent years. Of course, both Michigan and Ohio State pull in higher-ranked recruits, but many will see that as a boost to their rankings as well.

There’s an easier argument to be made for Ferentz over Harbaugh. The younger Harbaugh’s tenure before this year was seen as a bit of a disappointment, but the real debate is against Ryan Day.

Day has not been doing this nearly as long as Ferentz, only a head coach for three seasons now, but he’s already been to a College Football Playoff national championship game and has only lost four games total. Which do you value more? Being very good for a long period of time, or being elite for a few seasons?

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Why Kinnick Stadium is a top home field advantage in the Big Ten, nationally

Let’s take a look at what makes Kinnick Stadium special and one of the top home field advantages in the country.

Kinnick Stadium.  The home of the Iowa Hawkeyes. One of the hardest places in college football to play. Not my words. It has been said by others.

Penn State defensive lineman Shaka Toney echoed those sentiments back in 2019.

“That noise and that environment, that’s probably the toughest place to play on the road. You can feel the intensity in the air. I think Iowa is probably one of the toughest stadiums to play at in America. It is always going to be a challenge for anybody who goes in there. You know the history of them beating top teams there,” Toney said.

Iowa is not afraid of anyone stepping onto the turf at Kinnick Stadium. That can be said because it isn’t coming from them. Once it comes from another source, that proves the sentiment true.

That holds true based on statistics and evidence. Over the last five seasons, the Iowa Hawkeyes pride themselves on a 25-7 record on their home field. That comes out to a 0.781 winning percentage. Winning nearly 80% of home kickoffs is the definition of home-field advantage.

The year-over-year records for the last five seasons are:

  • 2021: 6-1
  • 2020: 3-1 (Pandemic shortened season)
  • 2019: 6-1
  • 2018: 5-2
  • 2017: 5-2

For those who are more invested in what has happened lately, if shrunk down to the last three seasons, the record moves to 15-3 and balloons to an 0.833 winning percentage.

The Hawkeyes have also taken down four top-20 opponents during this five-year run of domination in Kinnick Stadium. The wins have been rather convincing as well, further proving that they can play with anyone when they have to come to Iowa.

Starting in 2017, the nation saw a 55-24 Iowa rout over No. 6 Ohio State. The Hawkeyes began the day with a pick-six on the first play of the game and never looked back on their way to a resounding win.

In 2019, Iowa welcomed in undefeated Minnesota for a night kickoff at Kinnick that featured alternate blackout uniforms and encouraged fans to do the same in black Hawkeye gear.

The Golden Gophers were ranked No. 9 in the country. Iowa came out of the gates and rapidly scored on their first three drives. This propelled them to a lead that was enough to hold off Minnesota’s attempt at a comeback.

Iowa was able to not just put water in the boat, but take away P.J. Fleck’s oars and stop the Minnesota boat from any more rowing in 2019 with a 23-19 victory followed by a field storming.

The 2021 season saw two additional ranked foes fall at the hands of Iowa. The season started with an absolute dismantling of No. 17 Indiana. This game saw two pick-sixes by Riley Moss as Iowa discarded of the Hoosiers in a dominant 34-6 win.

The most memorable game of the 2021 season was Iowa welcoming in No. 4 Penn State. If there was ever a moment to describe the Kinnick Stadium crowd, it can be summed up by causing three consecutive false start penalties by the Nittany Lions. The crowd was deafening to the point Penn State couldn’t get the ball snapped.

This performance by Iowa that took guts to come back from a first-half deficit drew praise from national media. It put Kinnick on the map nationally and is giving Iowa the applause it deserves. Kirk Herbstreit from ESPN’s College Gameday spoke about the environment being one of the hardest to play in and how it changed the outcome of the game.

Iowa will welcome seven opponents to Kinnick Stadium this fall and should get another chance at one or two ranked opponents with Michigan and Wisconsin coming to town. Kinnick Stadium is loud. It is intimidating. It is where teams better be ready for a 12-round fist fight.

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4-star running back Kendrick Raphael commits to the Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa’s latest addition to its 2023 recruiting class is a ballyhooed one. Four-star running back Kendrick Raphael announced his commitment.

The Iowa Hawkeyes just won a big-time recruiting battle against North Carolina State to land four-star running back Kendrick Raphael out of Naples High School in Naples, Fla.

The 5-foot-11, 180 pound running back visited Iowa City over the weekend and Iowa running backs coach Ladell Betts and the Hawkeyes made the most of their opportunity to pitch Raphael on donning the black and gold. Raphael committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Monday night, becoming the 11th pledge in the 2023 class.

Raphael carried 126 times for 1,374 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns last season for Naples High School.

According to On3, Raphael is a four-star talent, the nation’s No. 252 player overall, the No. 14 running back and the No. 48 player from the state of Florida in the 2023 cycle. Rivals and ESPN also each list Raphael as a four-star running back.

Rivals ranks Raphael as the No. 15 running back in the 2023 class and as the No. 50 player from the Sunshine State. Meanwhile, ESPN lists Raphael as the No. 28 running back and the No. 79 player from Florida.

Lastly, 247Sports ranks Raphael as a three-star prospect, the country’s No. 31 running back and the No. 88 player from Florida. However, in the 247Sports composite rankings, Raphael again is listed as a four-star running back. The 247Sports composite rankings regard Raphael as the nation’s No. 343 player nationally, the No. 22 running back and the No. 64 player from Florida.

As mentioned, Iowa won out over N.C. State. The Hawkeyes also beat out offers from schools such as Boston College, BYU, Duke, Iowa State, Louisville, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Vanderbilt and West Virginia.

“I want to say how grateful I am to be blessed by God to be put in the position I am in, without him none of this would be possible. I am so very grateful for all the schools that have recruited me to be a part of their program.

“I want to thank my coaches, friends, teammates, family and especially my mom for making me the person I am today. The endless support from y’all means more than you ever know. With that being said… I am 100% committed to the University of Iowa,” Raphael wrote in his commitment announcement on Twitter.

Let’s take a look at Raphael’s Hudl highlights from his junior season at Naples High School, his full commitment profile and the rest of the Hawkeyes’ 2023 class below.

Riley Moss was Pro Football Focus’ highest-rated Big Ten cornerback in 2021

After an All-American performance in 2021, Pro Football Focus graded Riley Moss as the highest-rated cornerback in the Big Ten.

There is something special going on in Iowa City. It has been being built for quite some time. And it will continue to build for a while after. For now, though, the fruits of the labor are starting to be seen.

Another Iowa defender finds himself among the top. This time it is cornerback Riley Moss being graded out as the best cornerback in the Big Ten during the 2021 season.

This comes directly on the heels of PFF also sharing news that Riley Moss was the only cornerback in the country to have back-to-back seasons graded above 75 during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

Moss was a name to watch following the season as there was discussion of him making the leap to the NFL to join a long line of Iowa Hawkeyes defensive backs to make it to the next level. Moss ultimately chose to use his final year of eligibility and stick around Iowa City for one more season.

His decision relieved many Hawkeye fans and provides an experienced veteran on the back end that can anchor the secondary. His experience could prove to be invaluable after Dane Belton, Matt Hankins, and [autotag]Jack Koerner[/autotag] departed for the NFL.

With a more youthful secondary, Moss has the experience to act as a coach on the field and provide a steadying force to a defense that looks to stay stout.

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What type of challenge does the Iowa Hawkeyes’ nonconference football slate present?

How challenging is Iowa’s nonconference slate? Let’s take a look at the Hawkeyes’ dates against South Dakota State, Iowa State and Nevada.

Nonconference games are massive for a Big Ten team’s bowl hopes. With both teams knowing each other well and the fans bringing an extra layer of emotional charge, nearly every conference game is a tough one. There are no gimme games in the Big Ten.

Teams in the conference usually take one of two approaches to their nonconference schedule. Either they throw in some big games to help boost their stock for a College Football Playoff push, or they throw in some games to give them a tune-up for the season. See Ohio State opening up their season at Notre Dame for the former and Michigan against Connecticut for the latter approach.

Recently, Andrew Harbaugh of Nittany Lions Wire took a look at every nonconference game for Big Ten teams, and Iowa is sort of in the middle of those two approaches.

While South Dakota State is an FCS school, usually an easy tune-up for a team that just made the Big Ten championship game, they are a unique test. A routine contender for the FCS national championship, their offense will be a great test for the experienced Hawkeyes defense.

Iowa State always presents a challenge. While not a conference opponent, this will be one of the most emotionally charged games of the season with the Cy-Hawk Trophy on the line. These two fanbases do not like each other, and many Hawkeye fans believe Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell undeservedly gets more credit than Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz. It will certainly be a new-look Iowa State squad in 2022.

Speaking of a new look, Nevada pretty much lost everybody. We’re not just talking about a few key pieces, we really mean everybody. With the exit of former head coach Jay Norvell to Colorado State, Nevada saw some of their top returning talent transfer. The team also lost some of its best players to the draft as well.

Iowa certainly doesn’t face the most daunting nonconference schedule across the Big Ten or nationally, but it’s no cakewalk either. It’s a good three-game test prior to league play where the Hawkeyes will presumably be favored in each.

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Pro Football Network names Iowa Hawkeyes’ Jestin Jacobs as 2023 NFL draft breakout candidate

Pro Football Network can’t get enough of Iowa’s linebackers. Jestin Jacobs has been listed as one of the 2023 NFL draft breakout candidates.

The well-warranted hype around the Iowa Hawkeyes linebackers seems to be continuing to rise and garner more national attention prior to the 2022 college football season. After a myriad of accolades for Jack Campbell, the leader of the Hawkeyes’ defense, his comrade in the heart of the defense, Jestin Jacobs, is on the receiving end of the kudos this time.

Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network has named Jacobs as part of his 2023 NFL draft breakout candidates among linebackers across the country. Cummings reiterates the unique and translatable skillset that Jacobs brings with him.

Jacobs could be a perfect fit and a highly-coveted player in a modern NFL that’s trending more toward versatility on defense. He’s listed at 6’4″, 236 pounds, with an outrageously long and burly frame. Jacobs is a long-strider in space, but he also has enough short-area athleticism to shade outside as an overhang slot defender. Plus, he can blanket receivers and tight ends alike with his size. With another year of seasoning, he could take the next step. – Cummings, Pro Football Network.

With another strong season in 2022, Jacobs could find himself skyrocketing up draft boards to join Campbell in the earlier rounds of the draft as he isn’t a one-dimensional linebacker. Jacobs is a true three-down linebacker that is multifaceted and able to be a Swiss Army Knife for defensive coordinators.

As Jacobs gears up for the 2022 campaign, he will be a leader among the entire Hawkeyes team. Iowa will rely on him to duplicate his performance thus far and one could expect him to surpass that.

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Iowa Hawkeyes with two in 247Sports’ top 25 incoming Big Ten freshmen

247Sports listed two Iowa Hawkeyes signees among its top 25 incoming Big Ten freshmen.

The 2022 recruiting class for the Iowa Hawkeyes is packing some serious punch. The class that just arrived on campus is loaded with talent and features two individuals that could become household names quickly.

Those two are Xavier Nwankpa and Aaron Graves. Nwankpa is a consensus five-star recruit that will come in at defensive back and compete for reps right away. Graves is a consensus four-star recruit fresh off of being named MaxPreps National Athlete of the year.

The two of them have been placed in 247Sports’ top 50 Big Ten incoming freshmen list. The duo is not just in the top 50, but both crack the top 25. Nwankpa is listed at No. 9 and Graves at No. 23.

Nwankpa made a big splash in Iowa City when he committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes. Joining an experienced and talented secondary is something that can only help the freshman grow quickly. Joining the team early, Nwankpa began practicing with Iowa this past spring.

His time with the team showed during spring practices and was noticed during the open practice to cap off the spring. It has been noticed by fellow defensive back, Riley Moss, who spoke highly of Nwankpa’s physical attributes and how important the extra practices will be.

Graves is the second-highest rated member of the Iowa Hawkeyes’ 2022 recruiting class and comes in to join a defensive line that is always a stout unit of Phil Parker’s defense. Graves will have the chance to compete for time early and continue his development into a big contributor on defense.

Nwankpa and Graves are part of a 2022 signing class that has officially joined the Hawkeyes and will get their summer camp and training underway the second they get their dorm rooms set up.

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Why Iowa’s wide receiver group will survive, and even thrive, after Charlie Jones’ departure

Let’s analyze the Hawkeyes’ receivers after the departure of Charlie Jones and see why the group won’t just survive, but thrive post-Jones.

Yeah, Charlie Jones left the Iowa Hawkeyes unexpectedly and went to Purdue. So what? It happened. It’s over. No point in crying over spilled milk. Time to move on from his contributions to the Hawkeyes and take a look at the receiver group that can, and will, pick up that slack.

As Hawk Central discussed, the receiver group really can be sorted into three groups. More or less, it is the known contributors of Keagan Johnson, Arland Bruce IV, and Nico Ragaini in one group. After that, we find a group that could best be described as having the talent and potential yet just awaiting the opportunity. That includes sophomores Brody Brecht and Diante Vines along with incoming freshman Jacob Bostick.

Last, but certainly not least, and even more so in Iowa, there are walk-ons that could blossom. That group includes Jackson Ritter, who has seen time, Kaden Wetjen, who chose Iowa over scholarship offers, Jack Johnson, and Alec Wick.

Johnson, Bruce IV, and Ragaini will continue their ways of being the main guys in the offense. Johnson and Bruce IV saw significant playing time as last season went on and that may have been the writing on the wall for Jones to depart.

He may have been passed up by those two. Ragaini has been a consistent receiver for Iowa the last three seasons. Combined, the three contributed 69 receptions for 767 yards and seven touchdown grabs in 2021 and those numbers should only increase. This group will be more than fine.

Brody Brecht and Diante Vines have the luxury of a year in Iowa’s system and an understanding of the playbook. As it’s very well known, experience is important regardless of position on a Kirk Ferentz team.

Vines was a sparkplug in the open spring practice as he reeled in a long touchdown from Alex Padilla. Vines could join Johnson and Bruce IV as the next young receiver to have his number relied upon.

Bostick joins Iowa as the only incoming scholarship wide receiver. That alone shows a lot about his talent and what the staff thinks he can bring to the table. In no world would it be surprising for one or multiple of these receivers to prove themselves and provide some significant outputs to the Hawkeyes’ offense.

Lastly, but certainly not least, is maybe my favorite group: the walk-ons. This group is not just a bunch of guys who were good in high school. There is serious talent here.

Starting with Jackson Ritter, he’s seen live action and even contributed. He is no stranger to the field and the staff’s trust in him with his experience could be relied on if anyone goes down or he steps up, which he is more than capable of.

Kaden Wetjen comes to Iowa from Iowa Western where he spent two years. He averaged 25 yards per catch. Yes, that is correct. Seriously, 25 yards per catch.

He has big-play ability and one would be naive to think he chose to join Iowa as a walk-on over scholarship offers from Central Arkansas, Southern Illinois, and others. Wetjen believes he can play at this level and as has been shown many times before, Iowa is a place where walk-ons come to be great.

Alec Wick and Jack Johnson round out the receiving group. Johnson redshirted last year after a high school career that saw him earn All-State honors. Wick also redshirted. His senior year saw him haul in 75 receptions for 1,401 yards and 16 touchdowns. These two aren’t any walk-ons. They can play.

So, yes, Charlie Jones did leave. But, there is every reason to believe this group doesn’t need to reload. The Iowa Hawkeyes receivers have rebuilt. Rebuilt themselves stronger, more experienced, and ready to take the next step in 2022.

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Nebraska Cornhuskers listed as Big Ten defense projected for improvement in 2022

While the Cornhuskers were a good defensive team in 2021, there is reason to believe the Iowa rival can improve even more in 2022.

Not a ton of defenses in the Big Ten need improving. Defense is kind of the Big Ten’s thing. While not every defense fits the stereotype—Indiana and Northwestern were not able to do much of anything right last year—overall, most defenses in the conference rank in the upper half of the FBS.

Still, there is always room for improvement and in Saturday Tradition’s latest list of the five Big Ten defenses that are destined for improvement in 2022, one of the Hawkeyes’ division rivals was featured.

Nebraska’s defense should have put up better numbers a year ago. The Cornhuskers were 12th nationally with just 46 plays of 20-plus yards allowed. They were 20th in red-zone touchdown percentage, allowing opponents to cross the goal line on 32.4% of their trips inside the 20.

But a couple of factors did Nebraska in.

A mistake-prone offense was among the issues. Nebraska was 95th with a minus-5 turnover margin as the offense had 18 giveaways and the defense didn’t do enough to compensate.

Opponents also paper-cut the Huskers to death. Nebraska allowed first downs on 39.2% of its 3rd-down situations, which was 73rd in the country.

The scheme, it seems, is fine. It’s a matter of execution when the defense needs to get off the field. A strong pass rush will help the 3rd-down situation, and that’s where the Huskers will make their biggest leap.

Nebraska has a top-tier pass-rushing combo in outside linebacker Garrett Nelson and defensive end Ochaun Mathis, so the opportunity is there for this defense to make significant statistical improvement. – Saturday Tradition.

It is common knowledge that Nebraska was a lot more competitive in 2021 than their 3-9 record suggests. This is the team who took both Michigan and Michigan State down to the wire. If a few plays go differently, Scott Frost’s team likely finishes with a winning record. Such is football, though.

Their defense was one of the better defenses in the country, but with a few tweaks it can become one of the nation’s elite. That is the key for Nebraska in a must-win 2022 season. Fix the small things.

An improved offense with transfer quarterback Casey Thompson at the helm should help out the defense, and make it so they don’t have to will a win for the Cornhuskers. This will be key if Nebraska wants to snap their losing streak against Iowa.

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