Tag: Kyler Schott

Iowa offensive line overview: Hawkeyes feature talented youth entering 2022

Iowa’s offensive line is highlighted by talented young players with a splash of experience. The Hawkeyes hope it resembles past units.

The offensive line is the position group that saw the biggest turnover of talent on the Hawkeyes. Center Tyler Linderbaum was the best center in the nation in 2021, arguably in the year prior as well. Iowa’s latest first-round NFL draft pick and the newest Baltimore Raven, Linderbaum’s impact over the past two years cannot be overstated. He helped power one of the nation’s most potent rushing attacks.

Kyler Schott is also a big loss for Iowa as well. Unfortunately overshadowed by his center counterpart, Schott was one of the best guards in the Big Ten last year and was named second-team All-Big Ten by the league’s coaches and the Associated Press in 2021. Iowa loses a ton of experience with his departure. Schott started 10 games last season and 18 over the past three. Those are two big holes to fill on the interior.

Iowa is known for being an offensive line factory, though. Despite sending multiple high-level linemen to the league, including recent examples Tristan Wirfs, James Daniels, and Brandon Scherff, the Hawkeyes always seem to replenish and maintain the position as a strength. Iowa has a few returning starters but will look a whole lot different this year. Here is a look at the Hawkeyes’ line in 2022.

Iowa Hawkeyes tied for the most returning starters among Big Ten programs entering the 2022 season

Athlon Sports took a look at returning starters among Big Ten programs. Iowa has the most returning starters, which sets up well for 2022.

Among Big Ten teams, Iowa has the most returning starters. Athlon Sports’ Steven Lassan took a look at returning starters on Big Ten teams and Iowa is tied for the most returning starters.

According to Lassan, Iowa has 17 returning starters. That number for the Hawkeyes is actually 15 returning starters. Iowa is replacing three starters offensively: running back [autotag]Tyler Goodson[/autotag], All-American center [autotag]Tyler Linderbaum[/autotag] and left guard [autotag]Kyler Schott[/autotag].

Goodson rushed for 1,151 yards on 256 carries with six rushing touchdowns. He also caught 31 passes for 247 yards and a score. Linderbaum started each of the team’s 35 games over the past three seasons and Schott started the final 10 games of last season and 18 over his Hawkeye career.

Defensively, Iowa will replace defensive end [autotag]Zach VanValkenburg[/autotag] who started all 14 games and 35 in his career. VanValkenburg had 15 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks last season. The Hawkeyes are also replacing linebacker [autotag]Dane Belton[/autotag], cornerback [autotag]Matt Hankins[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Jack Koerner[/autotag].

Koerner finished third on the team with 88 tackles in 2021. Meanwhile, Belton had 46 tackles, seven pass breakups and five interceptions. Hankins added 44 tackles, five pass breakups and three interceptions. That trio combined to start 95 games over the course of their Iowa careers.

Although the Hawkeyes are in good shape, the losses – center Tyler Linderbaum, running back Tyler Goodson, defensive end Zach VanValkenburg, safety Jack Koerner, defensive back Dane Belton and cornerback Matt Hankins – are significant. – Lassan, Athlon Sports.

The production that Iowa is replacing offensively and defensively is certainly notable. Goodson was Iowa’s leading rusher and Koerner and VanValkenburg were the Hawkeyes’ third and fourth-leading tacklers. Still, there should be optimism that Iowa returns its top two tacklers in linebackers Jack Campbell and Seth Benson who racked up 143 and 105 tackles last year, respectively.

Offensively, Iowa has both quarterbacks [autotag]Spencer Petras[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Padilla[/autotag] returning. While fans have good reason to want to see more production from both, returning experience at the quarterback position can never be overstated. The Hawkeyes also return five of their top six receiving yardage leaders in tight end [autotag]Sam LaPorta[/autotag] and then wide receivers [autotag]Keagan Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Nico Ragaini[/autotag], [autotag]Charlie Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Arland Bruce IV[/autotag].

Iowa’s 15 returning starters matches Maryland and Purdue. Michigan State returns the next-most starters with 14.

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247Sports lists Iowa Hawkeyes as team to sell in 2022

247Sports writer Brad Crawford says Iowa is one of the top 25 teams to sell stock of in 2022.

Iowa enjoyed a fast 6-0 start in 2021 and rode a four-game winning streak to close the regular season to a Big Ten West division title. A scoring offense that ranked just 99th nationally kept the Hawkeyes from soaring to greater heights, but, all in all, it was a very successful 2021 season.

Now, as Iowa replaces its top running back, a pair of talented offensive linemen and several key defensive players, there’s mixed feelings about what kind of team the Hawkeyes will field in 2022. 247Sports writer Brad Crawford listed Iowa as one of his top 25 teams to sell in 2022.

With an average preseason ranking of No. 17 (across six major polls), it may be hard for the Hawkeyes to live up to outsiders who obviously labeled Kirk Ferentz’s team as a contender in the Big Ten. Iowa plays top 10s Michigan and Ohio State in 2022 after missing both during last year’s 10-win campaign. Schedule favorability means a great deal in one of college football’s competitive leagues and this fall, that’s not an advantage for the Hawkeyes. Iowa’s core of linebackers will rank near the top of college football, but there are questions elsewhere in key spots. – Crawford, 247Sports.

Looking at the schedule, the dates versus Michigan on Oct. 1 and at Ohio State on Oct. 22 do ratchet up the difficulty meter. Ohio State is one of the most popular picks to reach the College Football Playoff and Iowa knows all too well that Michigan is the defending Big Ten champion. The Wolverines beat the Hawkeyes 42-3 in the Big Ten championship game last season.

Crawford mentioned Iowa’s linebackers. The Hawkeyes return arguably the nation’s best tandem in seniors [autotag]Seth Benson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jack Campbell[/autotag]. Campbell finished last season with 143 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a pair of interceptions and one sack. Meanwhile, Benson added 105 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and one interception.

Iowa will be replacing one of its best players up front defensively in defensive end [autotag]Zach VanValkenburg[/autotag]. The Zeeland, Mich., product registered 15 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in 2021. On the back end of its defense, the Hawkeyes are replacing [autotag]Dane Belton[/autotag], safety [autotag]Jack Koerner[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Matt Hankins[/autotag].

Offensively, Iowa will turn to either [autotag]Gavin Williams[/autotag] or [autotag]Leshon Williams[/autotag] to step in for running back [autotag]Tyler Goodson[/autotag]. The interior of the Hawkeyes’ offensive line will be something to watch. Iowa lost the Rimington Trophy winner in center Tyler Linderbaum and its left guard Kyler Schott.

If Iowa is to match its 10-win feat from a season ago, the offense needs to take a big step forward even after losing several key cogs along its offensive line and its leading rusher. Defensively, Iowa figures to be stout once again. The Hawkeyes ranked 13th nationally in scoring defense, surrendering just 19.2 points per game last season.

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Iowa Hawkeye Tyler Linderbaum is Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded 2021 college football player

Pro Football Focus graded Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum as its top 2021 college football player.

Iowa center [autotag]Tyler Linderbaum[/autotag] is going to be an excellent addition for somebody in the 2022 NFL draft. That much is evidenced by his Pro Football Focus grade.

Linderbaum had the highest grade of any college football player in 2021. The 6-foot-3, 290 pound center earned a grade of 95.4.

That mark was well clear of the next-closest center. Missouri’s Michael Maietti finished the 2021 season with a PFF grade of 89.1, Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz earned a grade of 88.5, USC’s Brett Neilon registered a grade of 86.2 and Wyoming’s Keegan Cryder recorded a grade of 85.5 to round out the top grades for Division I centers.

According to PFF, Linderbaum had a run blocking grade of 96.6 and a pass blocking grade of 79.8. His run blocking grade was tops among all Division I players, while his pass blocking grade checked in at No. 15. Linderbaum was also recently listed among Bucky Brooks of NFL.com’s top five interior blockers.

Iowa’s top ten offensive players during the 2021 season according to PFF looked like this: Linderbaum at No. 1 with a grade of 95.4, left guard [autotag]Kyler Schott[/autotag] with a grade of 86.1, offensive lineman [autotag]Tyler Elsbury[/autotag] with a grade of 80.4, offensive guard [autotag]Justin Britt[/autotag] with a grade of 78.5, center [autotag]Matt Fagan[/autotag] with a grade of 75.8, running back [autotag]Gavin Williams[/autotag] with a grade of 75.1, offensive guard [autotag]Cody Ince[/autotag] with a grade of 75.1, quarterback [autotag]Spencer Petras[/autotag] with a grade of 73.9, tight end [autotag]Sam LaPorta[/autotag] with a grade of 72.5 and right guard [autotag]Connor Colby[/autotag] with a grade of 71.5

The Hawkeyes’ top 10 defensive players in 2021 via PFF went as follows: defensive end [autotag]Zach VanValkenburg[/autotag] with a grade of 84.2, cornerback [autotag]Riley Moss[/autotag] with a grade of 80.1, cornerback [autotag]Matt Hankins[/autotag] with a grade of 80.0, safety [autotag]Dane Belton[/autotag] with a grade of 77.1, safety [autotag]Quinn Schulte[/autotag] with a grade of 75.3, safety [autotag]Kaevon Merriweather[/autotag] with a grade of 73.1, cornerback [autotag]Jermari Harris[/autotag] with a grade of 72.9, defensive tackle [autotag]Noah Shannon[/autotag] with a grade of 70.6, defensive tackle [autotag]Lukas Van Ness[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Jack Campbell[/autotag] with a grade of 69.8.

Iowa’s top-five graded specialists according to PFF were defensive tackle [autotag]Logan Lee[/autotag] with a grade of 89.0, cornerback [autotag]Terry Roberts[/autotag] with a grade of 84.6, cornerback [autotag]Cooper DeJean[/autotag] with a grade of 76.3, cornerback [autotag]Xavior Williams[/autotag] with a grade of 76.1 and defensive back [autotag]Henry Marchese[/autotag] with a grade of 74.2.

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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.