Tag: Josh Volk

Can year two under George Barnett yield an OL breakthrough for the Iowa Hawkeyes?

Can year two under Iowa Hawkeyes offensive line coach George Barnett yield a return to form and more impressive results?

Stop us if you’ve heard and seen this song and dance before. Iowa struggled to move the football and put up points in 2021. The Hawkeyes finished 99th in scoring offense and 121st in total offense.

At this point in the offseason, it’s like Beauty and the Beast’s “Tale As Old As Time.”

While quarterback Spencer Petras has oftentimes been the focal point of the fanbase’s ire, his offensive line left plenty to be desired as well last season. Iowa ranked 68th nationally in sacks allowed and the running game never really found its rhythm, finishing ranked No. 102 after averaging 123.6 rushing yards per game.

Redshirt senior Jack Plumb is part of a group that returns and features 44 career starts. Plumb, Iowa’s projected 6-foot-7, 296 pound starting right tackle, has nine career starts and started each of the team’s final seven games of last season.

Redshirt junior Justin Britt returns at left guard where he started Iowa’s first three games in 2021. At right guard, sophomore Connor Colby brings back 11 consecutive starts at the position to close last year.

At right tackle, Plumb and redshirt junior Nick DeJong split time last season. DeJong started Iowa’s first seven and Plumb the final seven.

Of course, center is where Iowa has to replace All-American and first-round 2022 NFL draft pick Tyler Linderbaum. Redshirt sophomore Tyler Elsbury, redshirt senior Matt Fagan and redshirt sophomore Logan Jones will battle it out during the fall to lock down that starting role.

Jones is trying to follow in the footsteps of Linderbaum as a player that Iowa signed as a defensive lineman and converted to the offensive line. Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz touched on his progress during the spring where he said Jones has “transferrable skills.”

Outside of Linderbaum, Iowa really battled the inexperience bug along its offensive line in 2021. Plumb met with the media for the first time since the spring and updated his summer progress and where he feels the group is at heading into 2022 fall camp.

One of the items he touched on jumped out. Plumb was asked about offensive line coach George Barnett.

“He’s pretty mellow, but he’s funny. He’s got a good way of telling stories and I love the way he coaches and everything. He’s big into family and about the room. Just being around us, having the guys be around each other all the time,” Plumb said of Barnett.

Keep in mind, Barnett is entering his second season leading the Hawkeyes’ offensive line. It’s something that Plumb feels has helped his group this offseason.

“It was cool. We know exactly what we’re going to get every day now. We aren’t worrying about the new guy, how is he going to act and everything. We know exactly what he’s going to get and it’s awesome having him around. I love him,” Plumb said.

When thinking about how Iowa’s offensive line can improve in 2022, the continuity with Barnett combined with the Hawkeyes’ offensive line having more collective starting experience seems like a nice recipe for a running game resurgence.

That would certainly be a welcome sight for the Hawkeyes’ quarterbacks in Petras, Alex Padilla and Joe Labas. It’s also great news for running backs Gavin Williams and Leshon Williams who are looking to replace Tyler Goodson’s 1,151 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.

There’s still plenty to be sorted out with Iowa’s offensive line throughout fall camp, namely who will start at center, but a second season working with Barnett and plenty of familiar faces should be a terrific starting point.

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6 items with Iowa Hawkeyes offensive tackle Jack Plumb ahead of 2022 fall camp

Iowa Hawkeyes offensive tackle Jack Plumb met with the media, updating his summer progress and where the offensive line is at entering 2022.

Redshirt senior Jack Plumb will be counted upon to help guide Iowa’s offensive line in 2022. There’s hope that he and the rest of the Hawkeyes’ offensive linemen can kiss growing pains goodbye and deliver more of what Iowa fans have come to expect from this group.

In his first meeting with the media since the spring, Plumb spoke with HawkeyeReport‘s Tom Kakert and others to discuss his summer and his early thoughts on Iowa’s group heading into this upcoming college football season.

Let’s take a look below at everything Plumb had to say.

Examining the Iowa Hawkeyes’ offensive line to start the 2022 spring

What does Iowa’s 2022 offensive line look like as spring practices begin?

The Hawkeyes had the best center in the nation in 2021. That fact was illustrated by Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum earning the Rimington Trophy, which is awarded annually to the country’s top center.

Obviously, the loss of Linderbaum is a significant departure. The 6-foot-3, 290 pound center from Solon, Iowa, started all 35 games over the past three seasons for the Hawkeyes. Iowa replaces just three starters overall offensively, but another one of the Hawkeyes’ losses is left guard Kyler Schott.

The 6-foot-2, 294 pound offensive lineman played in 25 games with the Hawkeyes and started 18 overall, including the final 10 games of last season.

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz was asked if it’s a mix of fear and excitement with his offensive line entering the spring given some of the inexperience but knowing that young talent is there.

“Yeah, I’d say more fair a year ago. Again, we felt really good about the guy in the middle. Tyler (Linderbaum), one of the best guys we’ve had. And felt pretty good about Cody and, you know, well, Cody and Shooter. Thought we had three solid guys there. So we knew we had some work to do at the tackle spot, but that kind of blew up with Shooter and Cody. So that was a tough, challenging year and really impressed with the way George (Barnett) handled things. He didn’t go crazy or anything. He just kept coaching. And again, I think I’m excited about the growth that we saw, especially the last two months, November, December.

“So to me, I’m encouraged. I think the potential is there. Potential is potential. It really doesn’t help you, but I think the guys have worked hard. They’ve got the right attitude and I’m really anxious to see everybody this spring. It’s fun to watch guys and see how they practice, how they improve and compete. And it will be different on Saturday. We put pads on. We’ll be playing real football instead of just shells out there. But at least, you know, I think we’ve got, counting on everybody using the experience they’ve got and then improvement, and that’s where everybody on the team is really, that’s their job, including us coaches,” Ferentz said.

With that said, here’s how Iowa’s starting offensive line looks according to the first depth chart to the start the spring.