Tag: Iowa Hawkeyes

Chiefs scouting report: Iowa Hawkeyes LB Jay Higgins

The Kansas City #Chiefs could target Iowa #Hawkeyes linebacker Jay Higgins on the final day of the 2025 NFL draft.

Linebacker is the weakest and thinnest position on Kansas City’s defense. Nick Bolton hitting free agency after this season won’t help the situation. The Chiefs need to take stock of the top linebackers in the 2025 NFL draft and invest in some depth pieces.

Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Jay Higgins projects as a mid-round selection who could slide to the late fifth or mid-sixth round of the draft. He led all FBS defenders with 171 combined tackles last season, serving as the fixer of Iowa’s talented defense. He totaled more than 500 career special teams snaps across five different units in college, which paved the way for him to see action early in his NFL career.

Higgins lacks elite physical traits. His open-field speed, agility, arm length and frame don’t turn heads, but he plays with an elite motor. Higgins races with urgency to get outside the numbers and make plays along the sidelines. He shows off some burst to close ground and help his defensive backs make plays in space.

Higgins operates in shallow zone drops and prefers to keep receiving targets in front of him. He occasionally matches up with tight ends in off-man coverage over the slot. Higgins quickly closes on pass catchers to limit opportunities after the catch. He arrives with nice power and is an efficient wrap-up tackler.

Higgins’ athletic concerns show up in man coverage. His footwork appears heavy in coverage, and he lacks the straight-line speed and twitch to match NFL-caliber pass-catchers in space. He projects best as a high-motor prospect who rotates into the formation on run downs.

The Hawkeyes face Wisconsin at home on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. The Badgers dropped their last game against Penn State last weekend, while Iowa defeated Northwestern.

Chiefs scouting report: Iowa Hawkeyes CB Jermari Harris

The Kansas City #Chiefs should have Iowa #Hawkeyes cornerback Jermari Harris on their radar for the 2025 NFL draft.

After dealing with the consequences of starter Jaylen Watson landing on injured reserve, the Kansas City Chiefs could add more cornerback depth in the 2025 NFL draft. The team’s third and fourth-round selections put it in a strong position to add complementary pieces to its defense this coming spring.

Iowa Hawkeyes cornerback Jermari Harris’ arms meet the league’s thresholds and help him deploy one-armed stabs in press coverage to re-route receivers. His quick and smooth feet help him patiently mirror wide receiver releases. He makes sharp and sometimes twitchy cuts to stay attached to advanced releases.

Harris accelerates quickly to carry receivers vertically but lacks the elite top speed to match burners. His recovery burst helps him get back into the second half of routes when he loses off the line. Harris is a smooth mover with limited tightness in his hips, but he allows some separation as he attempts to decelerate on intermediate comeback routes.

Harris anticipates routes well in both man and zone coverage. He excels at closing on short to intermediate routes to contest throwing lanes. Harris’ impressive ball production reflects how well he tracks and plays the football at the catch point.

Harris’ physical profile makes him a viable option in man coverage, and his processing helps him succeed in zone concepts. He seamlessly transitions between threats in zone and uses his understanding of route concepts to bait quarterbacks into bad throws.

Iowa welcomes Wisconsin to Kinnick Stadium for a 6:30 p.m. night game on Saturday, Nov. 2. The Badgers are on their second quarterback after starter Tyler Van Dyke went down with a season-ending knee injury earlier this year.

ESPN ‘College GameDay’ picks for Wisconsin Badgers vs. Iowa Hawkeyes

ESPN ‘College GameDay’ picks for Wisconsin Badgers vs. Iowa

The ESPN “College GameDay” staff all listed their pick to win Saturday’s primetime showdown between the Wisconsin Badgers (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) and rival Iowa Hawkeyes (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten).

The extended panel for the Week 10 edition of the show included Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, Desmond Howard and guest picker comedian Keegan-Michael Key.

Related: Wisconsin vs. Iowa: TV channel, radio station, matchup preview and betting line for Saturday’s rivalry game

Every panelist except one chose the Hawkeyes to prevail. Saban was the only one to pick Wisconsin, citing the Badgers’ better form over the last month.

Big factors in the rivalry matchup include a tough Kinnick Stadium atmosphere, Iowa’s new quarterback, Wisconsin’s offensive line play and a battle between two of the top running backs in the conference.

Iowa has won two straight in the series and three of the last four. The Badgers and Hawkeyes will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on NBC and available via stream on Peacock.

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Wisconsin Football Schedule: Are the Badgers playing today? 

Is Wisconsin playing today? Here’s a look at the schedule and the games to come. 

Will the Wisconsin Badgers be on the field today in Week 10 of the College football season?

After a 28-13 Week 9 home loss to No. 3 Penn State halted the Badgers’ win streak, Wisconsin hits the road in Week 10 for a critical rivalry matchup at Iowa.

Related: 10 keys to a Wisconsin Badgers victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes

Wisconsin and Iowa will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday night. The game will be broadcast on NBC and available to stream on Peacock.

The Badgers enter the primetime matchup with a 5-3 overall record and 3-2 mark in Big Ten play. Iowa enters with the exact same standing — 5-3 on the season and 3-2 in-conference.

Wisconsin has lost two straight to the rival Hawkeyes and three of the last four. It has not won at Kinnick Stadium since a 28-17 triumph in 2018.

Wisconsin schedule 2024

  • Aug. 30: vs. Western Michigan (W, 28-14)
  • Sept. 7: vs. South Dakota (W, 27-13)
  • Sept. 14: vs. Alabama (L, 42-10)
  • Bye Week
  • Sept. 28: at USC (L, 38-21)
  • Oct. 5: vs. Purdue (W, 52-6)
  • Oct. 12: at Rutgers (W, 42-7)
  • Oct. 19: at Northwestern (W, 23-3)
  • Oct. 26: vs. Penn State (L, 28-13)
  • Nov. 2 at Iowa
  • Bye Week
  • Nov. 16 vs. Oregon
  • Nov. 23 at Nebraska
  • Nov. 30 vs. Minnesota
  • Record: 5-3 (3-2 Big Ten)

Iowa schedule 2024

  • Aug. 31: vs Illinois State (W, 40-0)
  • Sept. 7: vs. Iowa State (L, 20-19)
  • Sept. 14: vs. Troy (W, 38-21)
  • Sept. 21: at Minnesota (W, 31-17)
  • Bye Week
  • Oct. 5: at Ohio State (L, 35-7)
  • Oct. 12: vs. Washington (W, 40-16)
  • Oct. 19: at Michigan State (L, 32-20)
  • Oct. 26: vs. Northwestern (W, 40-14)
  • Nov. 2: vs. Wisconsin
  • Nov. 8 at UCLA
  • Bye Week
  • Nov. 23 at Maryland
  • Nov. 30 vs. Nebraska
  • Record: 5-3 (3-2 Big Ten)

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Iowa Overs: CBS Sports picks Hawkeyes vs. Wisconsin Badgers to light up the scoreboard

CBS Sports is back on board with the Hawkeyes’ offense. They have picked Iowa vs. Wisconsin to be a game that lights up the scoreboard, kinda.

Are we living in a parallel universe? Just 12 months ago, the Iowa Hawkeyes were setting records for the all-time lowest point total set in college football games.

Fast forward to now and Iowa is among those that are hitting the over on their point totals with ease. The Hawkeyes have a competent offense that can churn up yards and find the endzone this year. They are lighting up the scoreboard much more than in past years.

That trend is one that CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli wants to rely on. He has picked Iowa versus the Wisconsin Badgers as his “Over of the Week.”

Wisconsin at Iowa: We’re back on the Iowa Overs Train! We left it out of the column last week because Northwestern has been killing overs all year, but they couldn’t derail the Iowa Over Train. The Hawkeyes put up 40 points for the third time this season against the Wildcats, and more importantly, they made a QB switch to Brendan Sullivan. Sullivan will start again this week, and while I won’t pretend he’s going to reinvent Iowa’s passing offense, his presence does make Iowa’s strength — its rushing offense — even stronger.

Kaleb Johnson has been mostly unstoppable with a statue in Cade McNamara at QB. Now that defenses have to account for the legs of Sullivan, too, it’ll cause linebackers to hesitate on those outside zone runs just a little longer, which will open lanes more frequently for Johnson to exploit. As for Wisconsin, yes, the offense came back to earth last week against a good Penn State defense, and now it’s on the road against a good Iowa defense. Still, this unit has shown an ability to hit big plays and should be effective enough to help us reach the betting over here. We’re not asking for a lot! The Pick: Over 40.5 – Fornelli, CBS Sports

Fornelli’s analysis is spot on and something we saw last week. Aside from one breakaway run in the first half, Kaleb Johnson was bottled up by Northwestern.

As soon as Brendan Sullivan entered the game, Johnson found two more creases to put the game away and continue his monster year. That can be partially credited to Sullivan’s mobility, which adds another wrinkle to Iowa’s offense, and the offensive line getting a push.

Wisconsin isn’t bad at defending the run, but they will give up some yards and that is how Iowa wants to make their hay. With Sullivan able to stretch the defense and always bring the threat of keeping it, the Badgers’ linebackers have to hesitate and that is all it takes.

Reaching 40.5 total points is not a tall mountain to climb and is a number that the Hawkeyes have seen surpassed in six of their eight games this year.

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Iowa jumps Wisconsin in CBS Sports college football re-rank after Week 9

Iowa jumps Wisconsin in CBS Sports college football re-rank after Week 9

Wisconsin saw its three-game winning streak and red-hot momentum come to an end in Week 9, as it fell to No. 3 Penn State 28-13.

The Badgers are now 5-3 on the season and 3-2 in Big Ten play entering a critical Week 10 rivalry game at Iowa.

Related: Ranking the biggest storylines entering Wisconsin’s rivalry battle with Iowa

Wisconsin and Iowa are tough to separate through eight games of action. Each boasts the same conference and overall record, and the two rank similarly in most ranking systems and metrics.

Iowa has a slight edge over Wisconsin, as its resume is boosted by blowout wins over both Minnesota and Washington. Wisconsin has three dominant conference victories, but it has yet to beat any team ranked in the top 60 in ESPN FPI.

CBS Sports latest college football re-rank reflects that current standing. It dropped Wisconsin to No. 38 overall after its Week 9 loss to Penn State, while Iowa rose to No. 36 after its big win over Northwestern — jumping Wisconsin in the process.

Wisconsin and Iowa appear to be evenly-matched entering Saturday’s primetime matchup at Kinnick Stadium. The Badgers enter as slight underdogs, a standing that CBS Sports accurately reflects in its latest full-sport ranking.

For more on the upcoming matchup, check out our ranking of the game’s biggest storylines and what Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz said about the Badgers in his preview press conference.

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Duke Blue Devils headed to Duke’s Mayo Bowl in new USA TODAY Sports projections

Duke football drew one of the more popular bowl games on the schedule in new projections from USA TODAY Sports.

The Duke Blue Devils seem like a strong candidate for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl this season.

The newest USA TODAY Sports projections from Erick Smith released on Tuesday paired the 6-2 Blue Devils with the Iowa Hawkeyes in the popular bowl game.

The Hawkeyes, long known for their defensive prowess under head coach Kirk Ferentz, are off to a 5-3 start in 2024 thanks to three wins in their first five conference games. The Iowa defense is allowing 19.0 points so far this season, its ninth straight year surrendering fewer than 20.0 points per game.

The Duke’s Mayo Bowl has become a fan favorite on social media thanks to some unique traditions like its mascot, a jar of mayonnaise named Tubby. The winning coach gets a mayo bath instead of a Gatorade bath, and former ESPN commentator Mike Golic Jr. went viral for dunking an Oreo in mayonnaise during the 2021 edition of the game.

CBS Sports writer Jerry Palm put the Blue Devils in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in his Week 10 update as well, albeit against the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines.

Iowa two-deep depth chart for Wisconsin game lists new starter at quarterback

Iowa two-deep depth chart for Wisconsin game lists new starter at quarterback

The Iowa Hawkeyes‘ permanent change from Cade McNamara to Brendan Sullivan at quarterback looks more and more likely.

The team’s game-week depth chart for its Week 10 matchup against the Wisconsin Badgers lists Sullivan as the starter, with redshirt freshman Marco Lainez listed as the backup.

Related: Wisconsin releases updated two-deep depth chart for Week 10 game vs. Iowa

This update comes after Iowa made an in-game switch from McNamara to Sullivan during its win over Northwestern. The team trailed 7-3 at the time of the change. Sullivan helped lead the Hawkeyes to score 37 unanswered points in the eventual 40-14 victory.

Sullivan, a former Northwestern transfer, finished the contest with 14 passing for 79 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions and a QBR of 74.8, while also adding 41 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz did not commit to a long-term change while speaking with the media postgame, saying “we’ll see on that” and “‘permanent’ is a strong word.”

The program’s updated depth chart, however, points to that change being made entering Saturday’s important game against the Badgers.

https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1850976877738889384

McNamara, a former Michigan transfer, was just 104 of 172 passing for 1,017 yards (127 yards per game), six touchdowns, five interceptions and a 37.1 QBR in 2024. The offense was much-improved over its struggles under former coordinator Brian Ferentz, but much of that can be attributed to the breakout of star RB Kaleb Johnson.

McNamara not presenting a threat in the passing game hurt the team in its blowout loss to Ohio State and road loss to Michigan State. Sullivan’s insertion into the lineup, meanwhile, gave the offense life it hasn’t had in five years.

Wisconsin’s task of stopping Iowa’s offense, let alone winning in a tough road environment, gets tougher with this news. Sullivan’s profile is similar to Penn State backup QB Beau Pribula, who gave the Badgers defense fits in the second half of the Nittany Lions’ 28-13 win.

The Badgers will need a dominant effort on both sides of the football for a win to become a possibility.

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Wisconsin upcoming opponent makes significant quarterback change in Week 9 win

Wisconsin upcoming opponent makes significant quarterback change in Week 9 win

The Wisconsin Badgers (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) enter the schedule stretch that will likely define how the season is viewed. That is due to the upcoming trio of rivalry matchups, the first coming this weekend on the road at Iowa (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten).

Wisconsin fell to Iowa 15-6 at Camp Randall Stadium in 2023. Saturday’s Week 10 matchup presents a chance at redemption for that loss, and a chance for Luke Fickell’s team to show that its Week 9 loss to No. 3 Penn State doesn’t signal a larger slide.

Related: Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 9: Penn State makes a statement

Iowa enters Saturday after a dominant 40-14 win over Northwestern in Week 9. The Hawkeyes have been mostly up-and-down to start the season, with big wins over Minnesota and Washington, plus tough losses to Michigan State and No. 4 Ohio State.

The dominant victory over Northwestern may signal a turning of the corner, however, because it coincided with the team inserting QB Brendan Sullivan into the starting lineup in place of Cade McNamara.

Kirk Ferentz made the move early in the first half with the Hawkeyes trailing 7-3. Sullivan, a Northwestern transfer, instantly made the move appear to be the correct one. The Hawkeyes went on to score 37 unanswered points, highlighted by three consecutive touchdown drives to begin the second half.

Sullivan’s dual-threat ability changed the game for an offensive unit that only featured star RB Kaleb Johnson up to that point. As seen below, his speed brings a dimension that Iowa has lacked for years.

Sullivan finished the afternoon nine of 14 passing for 79 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions and a QBR of 74.8. He also added 41 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz did not confirm any long-term plan when speaking with reporters postgame. “We’ll see on that,” he said. “Permanent’ is a strong word.”

From an outside perspective, it would be surprising to see Ferentz go back to a QB in McNamara whose season-long stats tell the story — 104 of 172 passing, 1,017 yards (127 yards per game), six touchdowns, five interceptions and a 37.1 QBR. The Hawkeyes were winning games with him under center, but almost entirely due to a strong defense and the emergence of RB Kaleb Johnson.

The glimpse of the Hawkeyes’ offense with a dual-threat QB in Sullivan under center, albeit against a poor Northwestern defense, should be all the staff needs to make the permanent change.

From a Wisconsin perspective, Sullivan’s emergence changes the calculus of the matchup. The Badgers have famously struggled with dual-threat quarterbacks — including with Penn State backup Beau Pribula just last week.

That emergence, if Ferentz keeps him in, significantly lowers Wisconsin’s chances at escaping Kinnick Stadium with a victory.

We will monitor what the Iowa head coach says during his weekly media availability ahead of the Badgers and Hawkeyes meeting at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday night.

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Chiefs scouting report: Iowa Hawkeyes TE Luke Lachey

Could Iowa #Hawkeyes TE Luke Lachey be the heir to Travis Kelce’s throne with the Kansas City #Chiefs?

The Kansas City Chiefs could be in the market for a blocking tight end as Noah Gray steps into a larger role as a pass catcher. Adding more depth and talent to the tight end room is a reasonable next step for the Chiefs as Travis Kelce enters the twilight of his career.

Iowa Hawkeyes tight end Luke Lachey is the son of a former All-Pro left tackle. He’s put together a quality college career despite suffering a season-ending leg injury in 2023 and playing in Iowa’s archaic passing offense. Lachey’s frame is thick and has room to add more mass and round into a full-time in-line option.

Lachey releases off the line with enough speed to pull linebackers up the seam. His understanding of route concepts and leverage mimics past Hawkeye tight ends. Lachey knows how to stem his routes to manipulate defenders and create openings to break into. He finds and sits in the soft holes versus zone coverage.

Lachey lacks the speed and elusiveness to create much after the catch but moves the chains at a high rate. He’s a natural hands catcher who makes adjustments for poor throws that require him to elevate or get low. Lachey is comfortable making catches with defenders in his face because of his impressive concentration at the catch point.

Lachey blocks with a stout base and good contact balance to hold his ground against power rushes. He displaces outside linebackers with his leg drive and opens run lanes through the C-gap. Linebackers struggle to anchor against his power. Lachey projects as a mid-Day 3 prospect.

The Hawkeyes welcome Northwestern to Kinnick Stadium on October 26 at 2:30 p.m. Lachey matches up well against the Wildcats and could author his most productive game of the season.