Tag: Quinn Schulte

Guessing the top 10 highest-rated Iowa Hawkeyes in EA Sports College Football 25

Ahead of the return of EA Sports College Football 25, here is a guess at who may be the top 10 highest-rated Iowa Hawkeyes in the game.

After a decade-long wait, the return of one of the most highly-anticipated video games is finally coming. EA Sports has announced that this summer will be the official return of EA Sports College Football 25.

The game was discontinued after NCAA Football was released in 2013. This pause came amid the strife around paying players for their name, image, and likeness. Obviously, it goes without saying that NIL has taken leaps and bounds to allow players to be correctly compensated.

With the return of the video game, fans of the Iowa Hawkeyes are eager to see their favorite team and its best players as they lead them to glory in dynasty mode. This is every Hawkeyes’ fans chance to light up the scoreboard and put up truly “video game” numbers on offense.

Ahead of the release, here is a guess at who are the top 10 highest-rated Iowa Hawkeyes in EA Sports College Football 25.

Brains and Brawn: Iowa Hawkeyes safety Quinn Schulte named an Academic All-American

Quinn Schulte has both the brains and the brawn. The Iowa Hawkeyes veteran safety has been named an Academic All-American.

Quinn Schulte does it all. He mans the backend of the secondary for the Iowa Hawkeyes and he brings it in the classroom as well. He is the true epitome of a student-athlete. His most recent recognition only extends Iowa’s ability to produce talented football players and young men.

The veteran safety, who is returning to Iowa next year in 2024 for one final season, has been named an Academic All-American. The distinction is voted on by the College Sports Communicators. Schulte is a member of the second team.

During the 2023 season, Schulte has 65 tackles, four pass breakups, and an interception. He was Phil Parker’s eyes and ears in the secondary with his experience being vital alongside Xavier Nwankpa, who has benefited greatly from Schulte next to him.

Schulte is among five defensive starters returning for the 2024 season which gives Iowa a ton of experience to rely on. An already stout and stingy defense is reloading with their key players and should be among the tops in the nation once again.

The Academic All-American recognition Schulte is receiving does tie directly into his play on the field. The safety is seemingly always in the right spot, helping make checks to counter the offense’s schemes, and rarely ever gives up the big play. His smarts are just as important as his talent and he combines them both to be a fantastic safety.

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Don’t rebuild, just reload: Safety Quinn Schulte is returning to the Iowa Hawkeyes for 2024

Rather than hit the portal, the Iowa Hawkeyes are keeping their own to reload a stout defense. Safety Quinn Schulte is returning for 2024.

Luke Lachey. Jay Higgins. Nick Jackson. Sebastian Castro. Jermari Harris. And now Quinn Schulte.

In an era of searching outside the building for talent and bringing in players from the transfer portal, the Iowa Hawkeyes are bucking the trend and keeping their own talented players in the building.

Rather than rebuilding, the Iowa defense is simply reloading. Safety Quinn Schulte is the latest Hawkeye to be confirmed to be returning to the Hawkeyes in 2024.

The Iowa defense was among the best in the nation this past season and is returning much of that production, minus Cooper DeJean who is slated to be a first round pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

During 2023, Schulte tallied 65 tackles, five pass breakups, 2.5 tackles for loss and an interception in the Hawkeyes’ 22-0 shutout of Rutgers. He started all 14 games for Iowa.

Schulte will be returning for his fifth season with the Hawkeyes. Throughout the previous four seasons, he has totaled 141 tackles, 10 pass breakups, and three interceptions in 41 games. He has appeared in at least 11 games over the last three seasons and started 27 in his career.

Schulte returning provides Phil Parker and the Iowa defense with an extremely reliable and intelligent player on the back end of the secondary. Schulte brings loads of experience to a unit that is only maturing.

His return to the Hawkeyes should see him paired with up-and-coming fellow safety Xavier Nwankpa as the men in the secondary for Iowa.

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Gettin’ it done: 5 most impactful ‘glue guys’ for the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2023

A “glue guy” isn’t always the standout, but they do the little things right that add up. Iowa’s five most impactful glue guys of 2023.

Every team has the guy who does the little things that go unnoticed. They get less shine than other players and their contributions might not be as lauded in comparison. But that’s okay for those guys and you often see them embrace that role. Those are your “glue guys” and every team needs a handful of them.

In a way, some may say that the majority of the Iowa Hawkeyes‘ roster are made up of these players that do their job, don’t need the recognition, and just always gets it done. Even in that capacity, some guys hold things together by their contributions coming at the right time or when it matters most.

The Hawkeyes have a handful of these players that turn up in big moments, always are in the right place, or make life easier for those around them. Here are the Hawkeyes’ five most impactful “glue guys” entering the 2023 season.

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Iowa Hawkeyes 2023 Snapshot Profile: No. 30 Quinn Schulte

Expected to be one of the rocks of Iowa’s defensive backfield, here’s a look at safety Quinn Schulte’s 2023 snapshot profile.

Quinn Schulte is one of the best success stories of this Iowa football team.

Schulte was an unranked player coming out of high school in 2019. A former two-time state champion quarterback at nearby Cedar Rapids Xavier High School, Schulte walked on with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Three years later, he earned both a full football scholarship as well as the starting role at free safety.

The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native is the feel-good story that we all love in sports. Undervalued and overlooked coming out of high school, the safety pounded on the door at Iowa until they could ignore him no longer. The Xavier School product is much more than a nice story, though. He is an integral part of Iowa’s defense.

The 6-foot-1, 209 pound safety was a revelation for the Hawkeyes last season. Relatively unknown outside of inner Hawkeye circles, Schulte impressed right away in the black and gold. He racked up four pass breakups in his first start for Iowa against South Dakota State. The hard-hitting safety continued to impress all season long and finished as one of the top-graded safeties in the conference.

The goal for Schulte is a bit different now in 2023. He is no longer the unknown former walk-on looking to impress and prove that he belongs. Now a redshirt senior and a second-year starter, Phil Parker will depend on Schulte to be a rock in the defensive backfield and a core leader for the defense.

Here is a look at Iowa starting safety Quinn Schulte.

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9 Hawkeyes highlight Pro Football Focus’ preseason All-Big Ten team

Nine Iowa Hawkeyes made Pro Football Focus’ preseason All-Big Ten team, including five first-team selections.

Pro Football Focus released their preseason All-Big Ten teams, and judging from the results, it looks to be a big year for Iowa!

Last year, nine Hawkeyes received All-Big Ten honors. Despite five of those honorees moving on to the next level, Iowa once again has nine All-Big Ten preseason members for the 2023 season. Five players headline the group as first-team selections. Only two of those five are returning first-teamers from last year.

In all, Iowa has six players looking to make their debut on an All-Big Ten team in 2023. There are also a couple of notable omissions, players who weren’t featured but play a crucial role for this Iowa team. A little spoiler, there are two players we feature who absolutely should have made an All-Big Ten team, including someone who actually has made one before!

Here’s a look at the Hawkeyes featured on PFF’s preseason All-Big Ten team and where they ended up.

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Quinn Schulte spotlighted by Pro Football Focus as top 5 returning Big Ten safety

Often less talked about in the Iowa secondary is a glue piece, Quinn Schulte. Schulte is a top five highest-graded safety in the Big Ten.

As discussed when looking at Cooper DeJean being a top returning corner in the country, the less a member of the secondary is talked about can often bode for the best. No news is often good news as it means the secondary isn’t giving up big plays, blowing coverage, or missing tackles.

One unsung hero of the Iowa Hawkeyes’ defense that quietly flies under the radar is safety Quinn Schulte. Having spent last year playing alongside Riley Moss, Kaevon Merriweather, and Cooper DeJean, Schulte was part of one of the best secondaries in the country.

His performance last year didn’t go unnoticed by Pro Football Focus, though. Schulte is among the top five highest-graded returning Big Ten safeties.

Schulte posted 71 tackles last year to go along with one interception and six pass deflections. His 71 tackles were fourth on the Hawkeyes. Schulte, the senior from Cedar Rapids, Iowa is currently pegged as a Preseason second-team All-Big Ten safety by Phil Steele.

The 2023 season is going to see Schulte alongside sophomore Xavier Nwankpa in a tandem that has every chance to thrust itself into the conversation for the best safety duo in the Big Ten conference.

The other top returning safeties include Rod Moore and Makari Paige, a duo that belongs to the Michigan Wolverines. Tyler Nubin from the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Lathan Ransom of the Ohio State Buckeyes round out the top five highest-graded returning safeties in the Big Ten.

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Top three safeties in the Big Ten for 2023

Do you agree? Who else would you add? #GoBucks

We discussed that the Big Ten was stocked at cornerback with potentially five future first-rounders playing the role of lockdown stud, but the cupboard is a bit less stocked at the safety position. We have a choice in the top three from a non-premier program, but the situation is pretty cluttered after him.

I wanted to place a Wolverine on this list, but Michigan’s best safety may have just left via the transfer portal in R.J. Moten. Still, an Ohio State Buckeye does make it within the ranks based in large part due to the expectation of a leap in production, and of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without an Iowa Hawkeye making an appearance. Let’s dive into the best safeties in the Big Ten.

Iowa Hawkeyes own 3rd-highest graded secondary in the country per Pro Football Focus

After an extremely strong start to the season, the Iowa Hawkeyes’ secondary is receiving their rightful recognition as one of the best.

Through three games, the Iowa Hawkeyes defense is allowing just 133 passing yards per game, good enough for ninth in the nation. They are allowing just 6.8 yards per completion, third in the country. And they have also hauled in three interceptions (four counting Terry Roberts’ pick-six called back for a penalty).

These numbers are spectacular coming from a group that lost some talent to the NFL last year. Not only have the Hawkeyes replenished the talent, they have not skipped a beat either. That is why they find themselves as the third-highest graded secondary in the country at this junction of the season per Pro Football Focus.

According to PFF, Georgia has the nation’s No. 1 secondary with a grade of 91.4, Michigan has the No. 2 secondary with a grade of 91.2 and Iowa has the No. 3 secondary with a grade of 91.0.

A group that returned preseason All-American Riley Moss might be having his name as the least talked about one of the bunch. That is likely due to his coverage making it impossible to throw against and teams deciding to attack other areas.

Those other areas haven’t shown a crack in the armor. Performances from Quinn Schulte, Cooper DeJean, Terry Roberts, and Kaevon Merriweather have all stood out at different times this far.

Each of them has been involved in turnovers, pass breakups, and none are afraid to get in the mix on a tackle. The group started out the season inexperienced but is rapidly molding themselves into another strength of an already stellar Iowa Hawkeyes defense.

As a team, Iowa was able to post a shutout against Nevada last week.

“For us especially, we never seem to get shutouts. You start putting the reserves in, the ball seems to go down the field fast. It was good to see the backup guys play well for a change. It’s not fair to these guys, but it has been a tradition here, our backups go in there.

“That was good. It is gratifying. Any time you get a shutout that’s great. It’s representative of the kind of work that guys have been doing. They were aggressive tonight. They played well and did a lot of good things. They can always feel good about that,” Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz said of the defensive performance against the Wolf Pack.

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Kirk Ferentz pleased with Iowa Hawkeyes safety play, applauds Schulte

The Iowa Hawkeyes defense has been nothing short of stellar this year. A large contributor to that is former walk-on safety Quinn Schulte.

The Iowa Hawkeyes defense once again appears to be stifling and while they have just one interception through two games, they may be even better fundamentally and across the board this season.

One key contributor to that was once an unlikely source for the Hawkeyes. Quinn Schulte was a walk-on when he joined Iowa. Through just two games in the 2022 season, Schulte has doubled his career tackle total and finds himself tied fifth on the Hawkeyes in that department. Schulte is also leading the Iowa defense with four pass breakups so far.

The safety’s work through two games has not gone unnoticed, either. This week Kirk Ferentz was asked his thoughts regarding Schulte filling in and playing really well like former walk-on safeties such as Jake Gervase and Jack Koerner have done in past seasons.

“Quinn is off to a good start. It’s been really a pleasant surprise to watch him perform back there. Not shocking, but it’s been pleasant to see him do a good job,” Ferentz said about Schulte’s performance.

Schulte went about getting on the field the hard way by paving his path as a walk-on prior to earning a scholarship. His performance this year warrants the scholarship he was put on and Schulte may just be the next Iowa safety to keep this path going.

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