Tag: Jackson Ritter

Iowa Hawkeyes to open season minus RB Gavin Williams, WR Keagan Johnson

Iowa opens the 2022 season minus its top running back and top wide receiver in running back Gavin Williams and wide receiver Keagan Johnson.

Reports surfaced just before kickoff of the 2022 season opener against South Dakota State that the Iowa Hawkeyes would be without their top running back and arguably their top wide receiver in running back Gavin Williams and wide receiver Keagan Johnson, respectively.

According to Hawk Central’s Chad Leistikow, it sounds like an ankle injury that is sidelining Williams. Meanwhile, Johnson has been dealing with injuries all throughout the offseason and now he is set to miss the Hawkeyes’ opener per the Iowa communication staff.

With Iowa already minus one of its other top wide receivers in Nico Ragaini for several weeks to start 2022, it feels like the Hawkeyes have taken several bullets before the season has even started. It does present an opportunity for a pair of walk-on receivers in Alec Wick and Jack Johnson to potentially star in the opener against the Jackrabbits. Perhaps Jacob Bostick as well.

Iowa has also lost wide receiver Jackson Ritter for the season and fellow wide receiver Diante Vines is out for probably the first half of the season as well.

In terms of wide receivers, Johnson and Ragaini were No. 1 and No. 2 for Iowa in 2021 in receiving yardage. Johnson finished with 18 grabs for 352 yards, while Ragaini registered 26 receptions for 331. Naturally, that’s some important production to try to replace in the opener versus a talented FCS team in South Dakota State.

Williams was Iowa’s No. 2 running back last year and finished the season with 65 rushes for 305 yards. While Gavin Williams entered as Iowa’s No. 1 running back on the depth chart this year, Leshon Williams was expected to factor in heavily. Now, he gets the chance as Iowa’s featured runner in the opener.

After Leshon Williams, look for the freshmen running backs Jaziun Patterson and Kaleb Johnson to see some carries as well.

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5 Offensive keys for the Iowa Hawkeyes against South Dakota State

Here’s five keys for the Iowa Hawkeyes on offense to get the season off to a strong start in week one against South Dakota State.

Week One is the perfect time to work out the kinks, earning some needed chemistry and playing time. While No. 2 Ohio State is playing a national contender in No. 5 Notre Dame to kick off their season, Iowa is also facing a national championship contender, albeit a very different one.

The Hawkeyes will host the South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Kinnick Stadium to kick off their season. It certainly isn’t the toughest week one slate, they didn’t elect to schedule a top 25 team like No. 12 Oregon or a returning College Football Playoff team in No. 22 Cincinnati, but SDSU is certainly not a pushover. They aimed for a bit more of an ambitious FCS opponent than say Wisconsin taking on Illinois State, a team that didn’t even muster five wins in 2021.

Expectations are high for the Hawkeyes, fresh off of their Big Ten Championship game campaign. The first team left on the outside looking in of the USA TODAY Sports AFCA coaches poll, Iowa certainly has a chip on its shoulder entering the season. After an offseason of incessant talking points, none of that matters anymore. The season is here, time to put up or shut up. Here are five keys for the Iowa offense against South Dakota State.

Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Diante Vines sidelined until at least midseason with wrist injury

Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Diante Vines will be sidelined until at least midseason with a wrist injury per head coach Kirk Ferentz.

It’s the piece of football that there’s just no perfect defense for. Injuries happen and Iowa—like everyone else in college football—was hoping that they could avoid as many of them throughout the offseason and camp as possible.

Instead, after Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz recently announced the season-ending injuries to offensive guard Justin Britt and wide receiver Jackson Ritter, the Hawkeyes unfortunately now have another injury to report.

“On a negative note, I think I’ve already mentioned Justin Britt will not be able to play this year, Jackson Ritter, and one to add to the list, at least for the start of the season in our two deep. Diante Vines injured his wrist. He’ll be in a cast. You’ll see that, and that is going to impact the beginning part of the season for him.

“That’s unfortunate. He’s was really practicing well, and certainly would have been a guy who could help contribute to our football team. It’s not season-ending I don’t think, but, hopefully, we’ll get him back here somewhere midseason, whenever. We’ll just kind of take that day by day,” Ferentz told reporters at Iowa’s Media Day.

As it currently stands according to the depth chart that the Hawkeyes released just in front of Big Ten Media Days, Iowa’s wide receivers depth chart looks like this: the two that were listed as No. 1 receivers are Keagan Johnson and Nico Ragaini and the two that were listed as No. 2 receivers are Alec Wick and Arland Bruce IV.

Of course, Bruce started several games for the Hawkeyes last season and reeled in 25 grabs for 209 receiving yards with one touchdown reception and three more rushing scores.

Johnson led the way for Iowa receivers in 2021 with 18 receptions for 352 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown grabs, while Ragaini added 26 catches for 331 yards and one score.

While Iowa has been handed a pair of wide receiver injuries to both Ritter and now Vines, Ferentz seemed otherwise upbeat about what he’s seeing from those who are available.

“Receivers, injuries have been part of the deal there, predictably. Hopefully, we’re making progress, but seeing really good performances from Nico, our most veteran guy, and then Arland Bruce has done really a good job, too. Of note, Alec Wick has done a good job. Young guys who we didn’t know a lot about until last spring basically. He’s really done a good job, as well,” Ferentz said.

Still, it’s worth mentioning that Iowa also saw the departure of a pair of wide receivers through the transfer portal this offseason. Charlie Jones and Tyrone Tracy Jr. both transferred to Purdue.

Add to it that Johnson has been battling the injury bug this offseason and there’s at least cause for some angst among the Iowa fan base about what the wide receiver depth looks like headed into this season.

“Keagan is working back. He won’t do a lot tomorrow, but he’s working back. I think he’s close to being where he needs to be, and hopefully the same thing with Brody (Brecht). They’re really the two guys that have missed the most time now.

“If you look big picture, you’re including spring practice, too. So that’s—I don’t know if concerned is the right word, but that’s where my awareness is. They missed a lot of time. To get them back and playing effectively with the right tempo and getting the timing down on the offense, all those kinds of things, and you’ve heard me say it before, meetings are important, they have value and all that, but you learn how to play football by playing it. You’ve got to go out there on the field and play it,” Ferentz said.

Really, it’s probably more important for Brecht to see plenty of snaps throughout camp, but it wouldn’t hurt for quarterbacks Spencer Petras and Alex Padilla along with the Hawkeyes’ offensive coaching staff to get to see both of those targets back quickly.

“The sooner we can get them back, hopefully it’s next week, that’ll be encouraging. They’re both—in Keagan’s case, he’s played 12 games, 13 games, so he’s got experience there, but you still have to play the game and practice. Brody is a little different story because he hasn’t played. We really liked what we saw when he came back in the fall, but we’ve got to get him going.

“Hopefully, it’s sooner than later. I think it will be. But everybody else is doing a good job, and I think we’ve got some flexibility personnel-wise just with the tight ends. I think we’ve got a little flexibility there. We’ll figure that out, but so far, so good. I think our passing game, I think it’s on the right track right now,” Ferentz said.

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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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Best photos of Keagan Johnson’s freshman season with the Iowa Hawkeyes

Wide receiver Keagan Johnson showcased early his ability as a playmaker. Here’s Johnson’s best freshman season photos with the Hawkeyes.

Sophomore wide receiver Keagan Johnson illustrated during his true freshman campaign that he’s going to be a playmaker for Iowa. The 6-foot-1, 197 pound wide receiver appeared in 13 games during the 2021 season and made nine starts.

In Iowa’s 24-14 week four win over Colorado State, Johnson became the first true freshman wide receiver to start for the Hawkeyes since Ihmir Smith-Marsette did so in 2017. Johnson made sure to reward the coaches for that decision. The Bellevue, Neb., native opened the scoring against the Rams with a 43-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Spencer Petras. He also reeled in a 49-yard reception versus Colorado State.

Johnson and Arland Bruce IV made history against Illinois in week 11. Both started against the Illini, marking the first time in Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz’s tenure that a pair of true freshmen wide receivers started the same game.

Along the way, Johnson had other moments of brilliance. In the Hawkeyes’ 27-22 November win over Minnesota, Johnson appeared to be stopped for a loss by Gopher defenders Thomas Rush and Coney Durr after a reception from quarterback Alex Padilla. Instead, Johnson stayed upright, bouncing off the pair of would-be Minnesota tacklers and raced 27 yards into the end zone for a pivotal fourth-quarter score.

Johnson finished the 2021 season with 18 receptions for 352 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown grabs. Here’s a look at Johnson’s best photos with the Hawkeyes thus far.

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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