Tag: Iowa Hawkeyes Football

CBS dives into biggest question facing the Iowa Hawkeyes entering spring football

Spring football is important every year. This year more so for Iowa. CBS dove into the biggest question that the Hawkeyes face.

Spring football is becoming more and more important in the college game. With the transfer portal and increased shuffling of coaches to new programs, it is often the first time to mesh new players and coaches on the field together.

These practices are vital for implementing new schemes, getting timing down, and starting to garner an identity ahead of the fall. For the Iowa Hawkeyes, this season’s spring practices have a renewed sense of importance with the hire of new offensive coordinator Tim Lester.

Iowa’s anemic offensive output the last few years led to the dismissal of Brian Ferentz and has now ushered in Lester. How the Hawkeyes can adapt to his offense, what it looks like, and how much control he has is CBS Sports’ biggest question for the Hawkeyes this spring.

What is the new offense going to look like? Longtime offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz is gone, replaced by former Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester. While that change itself is a significant one on the surface due to the kind of offense Lester has run at previous stops, it remains to be seen what Lester’s Iowa offense will look like.

In previous stops, Lester’s teams have run almost primarily out of the shotgun and featured plenty of RPOs. Will he be allowed to run his offense in Iowa City, or will coach Kirk Ferentz task him with running a more “Ferentz-like” version of the offense? This spring will be our first glimpse. – Tom Fornelli, CBS Sports

Does Kirk Ferentz enter the modern era of offensive football with run-pass options and more creativity than this offense has seen in recent years? That is the question Hawkeyes’ fans have been wondering since the moment that the hire was made.

There was a sense that the offense was watered down with Brian Ferentz as the offensive coordinator the last few years with the final say ultimately coming from Kirk Ferentz. Should Iowa want to improve offensively, they may need to hand the keys off the Tim Lester to implement and run his scheme to its fullest potential.

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ESPN calls Iowa Hawkeyes’ QB situation one of the most intriguing in the nation

The quarterback situation for the Iowa Hawkeyes is murkier than some would like. That has it as one of ESPN’s most intriguing QB situations.

The quarterback that will be under center for the Iowa Hawkeyes in Week 1 is a bit murkier of an answer and not as defined as some may think or like. The Hawkeyes have a new offensive coordinator in Tim Lester, but this spring will be the first time his offense is revealed and how it is handled by whoever takes first-team reps.

Should Cade McNamara return from his ACL injury and be healthy, the job is his and the question is answered. The murkiness here comes from two significant injuries suffered by McNamara. Can he return to full health? That question puts Iowa’s QB situation among ESPN’s most intriguing.

The key newcomer isn’t a quarterback but a playcaller in Tim Lester, hired to replace Brian Ferentz. Lester, who coached Western Michigan from 2017 to 2022, last served as a college coordinator in 2015 at Syracuse. He inherits a veteran in McNamara but also a quarterback who has dealt with injuries throughout his time at Iowa and in his final season at Michigan in 2022. McNamara, limited by a quad injury during preseason camp, sustained a torn ACL in a Week 5 win against Michigan State. – Adam Rittenberg, ESPN

Be it limited health, an offense set up for failure, or what have you, Cade McNamara and the Hawkeyes did not have things going early last season. Rittenberg also points out that McNamara not only has to return after a major injury but do so while learning an entirely new offensive scheme. Should things go awry, where does Iowa turn?

Hill replaced McNamara last fall and had a solid stretch in early-to-mid November before faltering in postseason play. He would need to show significantly more consistency as a passer to unseat McNamara. The young quarterbacks are worth tracking, especially given McNamara’s injury history. Lainez had 51 rushing yards in an otherwise miserable Citrus Bowl loss to Tennessee. Resar, a high three-star prospect from Florida, provides both size and dual-threat skills to an offense that could use both at quarterback. – Rittenberg, ESPN

Although he is rostered, the likelihood of Deacon Hill returning to the helm if it is anyone aside from McNamara has to be slim. The Hawkeyes won games in spite of him, not because of him.

James Resar has attractive intangibles and could garner some interest but the buck stops there. The likelihood of Iowa trotting out a freshman quarterback don’t exist. The curious name to watch here is Marco Lainez. He is a highly touted recruit that flashed in very limited time. If he can pick up the passing game, his name is one to watch if Iowa needs to fill in an injury or hand the ball over to a reliever to figure things out.

Projected Week 1 starter: McNamara. Lester might be new, but this is still coach Kirk Ferentz’s program. McNamara will get every opportunity to secure the top job. The bigger question is whether his health holds up and, if not, whether Hill or another contender can seize the opportunity. – Rittenberg, ESPN

As much as things change, they also stay the same. This is the Iowa Hawkeyes. Kirk Ferentz is the head coach. The boat never rocks too much and drastic moves simply don’t happen. However it is spun, the job is Cade McNamara’s to lose.

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Iowa Hawkeyes’ offense among CBS Sports’ biggest spring football storylines to watch

The looming question once again hang over the Hawkeyes. Iowa’s new offense is among CBS Sports’ biggest spring football storylines to watch.

New year, same question. What can the Iowa Hawkeyes do on offense?

It has been the question surrounding this team for nearly half of the last decade and remains the most significant unanswered question for this team in 2024. The new offensive coordinator Tim Lester has his work cut out for him, sure, but he may only need to get the Hawkeyes to tread water offensively to be successful.

What he can do and what head coach Kirk Ferentz lets him do is touted among CBS Sports’ biggest spring football storylines to watch for.

[Insert Iowa offense joke here]: His name is Tim Lester, and he has one of the heaviest lifts in college football this season: leveling Iowa’s offense, which has stunk out loud in recent years finishing dead last among 133 FBS teams in 2023. The 47-year-old veteran is known mostly for his six years as Western Michigan coach. The Broncos offense improved four straight seasons rising to 12th nationally in 2021. The former Western Michigan QB brings experience and capability. Nothing flashy, just like Iowa football itself. There are still minor miracles being performed in Iowa City thanks to Phil Parker’s defense. Iowa is coming off its third 10-win season since 2019. – Dennis Dodd, CBS Sports

Dodd nails it here. Lester doesn’t need to take the Hawkeyes to the top of the offensive ranks or put up gaudy numbers. The Iowa defense returns eight starters and Phil Parker is quite possibly the best defensive coordinator in all of America.

If Lester can simply bring Iowa to the middle-of-the-pack and up the scoring average just a bump, the Hawkeyes are not only looking like a competitor in the Big Ten, but have a real case to make an appearance in the inaugural expanded College Football Playoff.

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CBS Sports’ NFL mock draft keeps Cooper DeJean near the Iowa Hawkeyes

Cooper DeJean continues to be a staple in the first round of NFL mock drafts. CBS Sports slots the Iowa Hawkeyes’ DB close to home.

The state of Iowa is a bit of a melting pot for NFL fan bases. Without a pro team there ae a number of different ways NFL fandom can go. Up north, you have the Minnesota Vikings. Down south you get the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chicago Bears aren’t too far from the east side of the state. And the Green Bay Packers are close as well.

Those teams also get a good look at the Iowa Hawkeyes. They can easily scout them in-person and usually get a pretty good beat on what type of person and player they are looking at.

Could that play into where Cooper DeJean lands? In CBS Sports’ recent NFL mock draft, it could very well be a factor. They have DeJean going No. 20 overall to the Green Bay Packers.

The Packers are kinda-sorta in best-player-available mode here, and DeJean’s playmaking instincts get him selected this high to a team that hasn’t shied away from defensive backs early in the draft. – Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports

The fit makes sense. Last year saw the Packers snag Lukas Van Ness in the first round proving they like the Hawkeyes. He could join the Packers and help out in a multitude of ways from defensive back, to punt returner, to being a gunner on punt return. His versatility is attractive to teams that can only dress a 53-man roster on game days.

Interestingly enough, DeJean is not the first cornerback taken in this mock draft. Despite sitting at the top of ESPN’s big board as the top cornerback overall, this mock draft sees Kool-Aid McKinsty, Alabama Crimson Tide, taken before DeJean at No. 11 overall by the Oakland Raiders.

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Trio of Iowa Hawkeyes named to CBS Sports All-American teams

Winning 10 games in the regular season isn’t easy. It takes stars. Iowa has three Hawkeyes that are stars named CBS Sports All-Americans.

The Iowa Hawkeyes needed every single bit of individual effort this year to get to 10 wins in the regular season. It doesn’t happen by luck, but often rather comes from incredible individual efforts week in and week out.

The Hawkeyes could rely on a long list of players who provided tremendous effort every week and played key roles in winning games. Three of them stand out as they were named All-Americans by CBS Sports.

Tory Taylor, punter, and Cooper DeJean, cornerback were named first-team All-Americans by CBS Sports. DeJean was left out of the final two games of the regular season with a leg injury yet showed how vital he was in just 10 games to earn a spot on this team.

Tory Taylor was the best punter in America this year. One could say arguably but there is no argument. He flipped the field for Iowa each week and set Phil Parker’s defense up for success on most possessions. His booming leg paired with pinpoint accuracy cannot be overstated.

Jay Higgins finds himself as a second-team All-American by CBS Sports as a linebacker. Higgins was a monster on defense recording 155 total tackles in just 13 games, an average of nearly 12 tackles per game.

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Bama vs. Georgia, Washington vs. Oregon and more Championship Weekend Predictions

Championship weekend is finally here in college football, so let’s take a look at how we think it will play out.

While the Oklahoma Sooners finished their regular season at 10-2, they did not make it to the [autotag]Big 12 Championship[/autotag]. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t games that matter to the Sooners this weekend.

For instance, the [autotag]SMU Mustangs[/autotag], a team Oklahoma beat, will take on the [autotag]Tulane Green Wave[/autotag]. That matters because if SMU wins, they most likely will be ranked and represent the Group of Five in a New Year’s Six bowl game. That would go down as a ranked win for Oklahoma and boost their resume.

Also, if the Texas Longhorns win and then make the College Football Playoff, that could also boost Oklahoma’s resume and maybe get them into a New Year’s Six game as well. So, there is still a lot for Oklahoma fans to keep an eye on and cheer for this weekend.

So, let’s take a look at how I think the games will play out, and we’ll go in the order of when they will be played.

Cardiac Hawkeyes: Takeaways from Iowa’s thrilling win over Nebraska

It took every bit of 60 minutes, but the Iowa Hawkeyes did it. They hit the 10-win mark. Takeaways from the thrilling win over Nebraska.

The 2023 Iowa Hawkeyes have an uncanny knack for puling out the most improbable wins in ways that seem unbelievable. Each week seems to be a new way to win a football game and it has Iowa sitting at a 10-2 record.

This week’s 13-10 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers came on a game-winning field goal as time expired off of the foot of backup kicker Marshall Meeder. Iowa was set up for success due to an interception from an unlikely candidate, defensive lineman Ethan Hurkett.

The Hawkeyes spoiled Nebraska’s day by cementing their record at 5-7 and putting a big damper on any thoughts of a bowl game. Iowa also is taking the Heroes Trophy back home to Iowa City.

It was unlikely and might just be the Hawkeyes’ most improbable win yet, but a win is a win and no one can take away 10-2. Here are the takeaways from the exhilirating win.

Cooper DeJean to one of NFL’s most storied franchises in recent CBS Sports mock draft

It is a matter of when and where Cooper DeJean gets drafted. CBS Sports has him joining an Iowa Hawkeyes legend on a storied NFL franchise.

If Cooper DeJean declares for the 2024 NFL draft, which he should to the dismay of some Iowa Hawkeyes’ fans, he is putting together an incredibly strong case to be the next Hawkeye drafted in the first round.

His coverage is elite, his ability to make plays on the ball in the air is highly instinctual, and his electric playmaking when the ball gets in his hands is something you can’t teach. It doesn’t hurt that he is freakishly athletic as well.

All of those traits paired with his film are building for Cooper DeJean to be taken in the first round next April. CBS Sports’ most recent mock draft has DeJean headed to a storied NFL franchise, the San Francisco 49ers.

The ball-hawking DeJean can line up just about anywhere (and he’s an asset in the return game, too), and that versatility and rare athleticism are what make him such an enticing prospect. – Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports

The pipeline from Iowa City to San Francisco is already paved as well. It is a road that has been traveled and done so with great success. Should this move come to fruition, DeJean would join 49ers tight end and Iowa legend George Kittle, who would surely welcome the young playmaker with open arms.

DeJean would be joining a secondary room that currently features five cornerbacks with three or more years of experience. This would allow DeJean the opportunity to come in and learn as he transitions to the NFL.

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Iowa dominance! Takeaways as the Hawkeyes topple Rutgers to move to 8-2

The Iowa Hawkeyes have moved to 8-2 and are on the cusp of clinching the Big Ten West outright. Takeaways as they toppled Rutgers 22-0.

Oh, how sweet it is to be 8-2!

The Iowa Hawkeyes showed out today against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and poured on a dominant 22-0 victory inside Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes suffocated Rutgers defensively and had arguably their best offensive showing of the season against a defense that had been stout in 2023. The Iowa Hawkeyes topped the 400-yard mark offensively while holding Rutgers to just 127 yards.

Brian Ferentz called a good game. Deacon Hill played well. The defense continued to be dominant. And things broke Iowa’s way around the rest of the conference. This was an all-around showing for the Hawkeyes and if it is a sign of things to come, it is the perfect time to have things start coming together for this team.

As Iowa moves to 8-2 with a two-handed grasp on the drive to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship game, here are the biggest takeaways from their win over Rutgers.

The rightful heir: Tory Taylor named a Ray Guy Award Semifinalist

America’s favorite punter is up for the most important award in America. Tory Taylor has been named a Ray Guy Award Semifinalist

Some awards and decisions make themselves. There is no need for overthinking or questioning the final outcome.

It isn’t often we face that easy of a decision but when it involves the punter of the Iowa Hawkeyes, Tory Taylor, it becomes a clear-cut decision. The best punter in America deserves the recognition and it is clear the impact that he has on games.

After being snubbed in the eyes of many last year, Tory Taylor is among the finalists for the Ray Guy Award this year. The award is given out annually to the nation’s best collegiate punter.

Taylor hasn’t just been a great punter for the Hawkeyes, there is an argument that he has been the MVP for this team. His ability to not only boom long punts but also land them with precision has helped the Hawkeyes get out to a 7-2 record.

On the year, Taylor has punted 60 times for an average of 47.5 yards, almost a full yard and a half better than his previous best which came during the 2021-22 season. He has a long of 62 yards and has landed a whopping 23 punts (38.3% of all punts) inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.

Tory Taylor is Iowa’s MVP. Tory Taylor is the future Ray Guy Award winner. Tory Taylor should be the next Heisman.

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