Tag: Karson Sharar

Iowa releases availability report prior to UCLA contest

Six Hawkeyes are listed out in Iowa’s availability report vs UCLA.

The Iowa Hawkeyes get the prime time treatment on Friday night in their Rose Bowl trip to take on the UCLA Bruins.

Iowa (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) looks to secure its longest winning streak of the season in its Friday night clash against UCLA.

After a 42-10 thrashing of Wisconsin last week, Iowa has now won back-to-back Big Ten games for the first time this season. The Hawkeyes have scored 40 or more points in three of their past four games, too.

In order to extend those streaks against UCLA (3-5, 2-4 Big Ten), Iowa will do so without several key contributors.

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz discussed the Hawkeyes’ quarterback situation earlier this week during his Tuesday press conference. The Hawkeyes’ Week 11 availability report reaffirms what Ferentz shared on Tuesday.

Graduate quarterback Cade McNamara and sophomore quarterback Marco Lainez were both listed out.

McNamara has been sidelined since sustaining the concussion early in Iowa’s 40-14 win over Northwestern on Oct. 26. McNamara has thrown for 1,017 yards and six touchdowns against five interceptions thus far this season.

In addition to those two, freshman wide receiver Reece Vander Zee and junior tight end Addison Ostrenga are both listed as out. Defensively, sophomore defensive back John Nestor and junior linebacker Karson Sharar are also out.

Vander Zee has caught 14 passes for 176 yards with three touchdowns, while Ostrenga has reeled in 11 grabs for 63 yards and one score.

Nestor has appeared in seven games this season and has seen 92 defensive snaps per Pro Football Focus. The Marist High School product out of Chicago has nine tackles on the season.

Iowa kicks off against UCLA from inside the Rose Bowl at 8 p.m. CT with the game set to be televised on Fox.

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Iowa Hawkeyes 2023 Snapshot Profile: No. 43 Karson Sharar

Karson Sharar figures to factor in at linebacker in 2023. What’s his outlook for this upcoming season?

The Big Ten is going through some changes.

While this is more of a general statement, we are seeing a shift away from the old-style offenses of yesteryear for the Big Ten. Wisconsin’s shift away from it under new head coach Luke Fickell says a lot about the direction of the conference. The stereotype for the Big Ten offense is seeking new ways, and I can guarantee you that UCLA and USC aren’t going to be trotting out the I formation a ton.

Football is changing, opting to spread things out on offense and prioritize speed over brute force. With that trend in mind, you may expect Iowa to rely more on their 4-2-5 defensive look more than ever!

What about those holdovers though? We know teams like Minnesota are still going to rely heavily on their run game, and sometimes you are going to face a team that loves to use their tight ends. Well, my friend, this is where the LEO position comes in.

The LEO position is essentially a third starting linebacker in a 4-3, but one who can ultimately line up on the line of scrimmage to add some versatility. This was going to be the role of Jestin Jacobs before his transfer, and now it appears to be the job of sophomore Karson Sharar.

Karson Sharar may not be a name you are familiar with ahead of the season, but he’s someone who could play an important role in the Iowa defense this year. Facing some staunch rushing attacks, expect to see the Iowa Falls native earn plenty of playing time. Here is a look at Iowa’s versatile third linebacker.