Tag: Riley Moss

Iowa’s Jack Campbell, Riley Moss named Sporting News preseason first-team All-Americans

More preseason honors roll in for Iowa’s Jack Campbell and Riley Moss. The pair were named preseason All-Americans by Sporting News.

The preseason awards train keeps on chugging along for a pair of Iowa defensive stars. Senior linebacker Jack Campbell and redshirt senior cornerback Riley Moss were both recognized as preseason first-team All-Americans by Sporting News’ Bill Bender.

Campbell finished the 2021 season as the national leader in tackles with 143. He added eight passes defensed, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and a pair of interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

The 6-foot-5, 246 pound linebacker from Cedar Falls, Iowa, was a second-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele in 2021. Phil Steele and the Big Ten media named Campbell as a first-team All-Big Ten member last season.

Campbell was a tackling machine for the Hawkeyes. He had 140 total stops, including 14 total tackles in the Citrus Bowl. He also had two interceptions, two forced fumbles and six pass breakups. Campbell missed spring practice with a knee injury, but is healthy and ready for a fifth season. – Bender, Sporting News.

Riley Moss got his 2021 season off to a blazing start with a pair of interceptions that he returned for touchdowns of 30 and 55 yards in Iowa’s 34-6 season-opening win over Indiana. Moss finished the 2021 season with 39 tackles, nine passes defensed, four interceptions and three tackles for loss.

In 2021, the 6-foot-1, 193 pound cornerback was honored as a first-team All-American by Sporting News and a second-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele. He was also the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the league’s media and coaches.

Moss is a fifth-year player who took advantage of his opportunities in the Hawkeyes’ secondary last season. He had four interceptions and a pair of pick sixes. Moss missed three games with a left knee injury. Moss didn’t allow a TD in coverage in 2021 and can build on that on an experienced defense. – Bender, Sporting News.

Both Campbell and Moss were named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy preseason watch list, were listed as preseason All-Americans by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele and were named as preseason first-team All-Big Ten selections by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele.

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4 Iowa Hawkeyes named to Athlon Sports’ preseason All-America teams

Four Iowa Hawkeyes find themselves among Athlon Sports’ preseason All-American list. The group is very encapsulating of Iowa as a whole.

In a bit of recognition for what these individuals have done and what is expected that they can continue to do, Athlon Sports named four Iowa Hawkeyes to their preseason All-America teams.

The four individuals named were cornerback Riley Moss, linebacker Jack Campbell, tight end Sam LaPorta, and punter Tory Taylor. The four of these individuals each had more than their fair share of impact on the success in the 2021 college football season that saw the Iowa Hawkeyes crowned as the Big Ten West champions.

Riley Moss was an All-American selection following last season and is expected to be spearheading the leadership of the Hawkeyes’ secondary as he returns for his fifth season.

Jack Campbell is one of the top linebackers in the entire country and looks to make his mark in the run game, pass defense, and put his stamp on being the defensive leader.

Sam LaPorta is the next in line to be another of the great Iowa Hawkeyes tight ends that joins the likes of Dallas Clark, Noah Fant, T.J. Hockenson, and George Kittle.

Tory Taylor has proven himself as not only a great punter, but a field position weapon that can turn a game sideways and flip the field for the Hawkeyes. His skillset has the ability to set up the defense in a great spot and ultimately give the offense short fields to work with.

With the four of them being proven contributors for the team, they found themselves littered among the preseason All-American list. Below details what team selection they found themselves on.

247Sports’ Nick Kosko predicts Nebraska to upset Iowa in the 2022 season finale

247Sports’ Nick Kosko likes the Nebraska Cornhuskers to upset the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2022 regular season finale.

Iowa has owned the series against Nebraska, winning the past seven contests against the Cornhuskers. It looked like the Hawkeyes’ dominance over Nebraska was set to come to a close last year in Lincoln, Neb., but a fourth-quarter Iowa rally was jumpstarted by Henry Marchese’s blocked punt that Kyler Fisher returned 14 yards for a touchdown.

That sliced Iowa’s deficit from 21-9 to 21-16. The Hawkeyes followed that special teams game-changer up by forcing Huskers backup quarterback Logan Smothers into an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone for a safety. Iowa’s Caleb Shudak added a 44-yard field goal on the ensuing possession and suddenly the game was tied.

Then, Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras capped off a six-play, 76-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown plunge to give the Hawkeyes its first lead with 2:58 remaining. Hawkeyes cornerback Jermari Harris sealed the victory, intercepting Smothers to end any final threat from the Huskers.

In the process, Iowa registered its fifth consecutive victory in Lincoln, captured the Big Ten West crown and notched a 10-win season. 247Sports’ Nick Kosko isn’t buying into any of the recent series history in his game-by-game predictions for Nebraska’s 2022 season, though.

Kosko likes Nebraska to upset Iowa, 24-21, to end the 2022 regular season.

Yes, we’re picking an upset here. Nebraska puts a stamp on its bowl game date, whenever and wherever it might be. The upset over the Hawkeyes on the road will be the defining game of the 2022 season for Scott Frost. There’s gotta be one in there somewhere, and why not the final regular season game of the upcoming fall? Let’s do it. A late field goal puts Nebraska up by 10 (24-14) and the defense holds on as Iowa fails a late comeback. With the 7-5 record, Frost ensures a 2023 campaign and has a chance to win an eighth game in the postseason. – Kosko, 247Sports.

Obviously, this would be a reversal of what fans have seen in recent years. There’s a good chance that it has serious division implications for the Hawkeyes, too. The West feels like it’s wide open, and Iowa just might be hosting Nebraska for a return trip to Indianapolis in the 2022 edition to determine the fate of the Heroes Trophy.

If that’s the circumstances going in for Iowa’s Senior Day game, then the Huskers will have earned a difficult to come by victory, and it would further signal that Nebraska has made progress as a football program in 2022.

While Iowa is an interesting team heading into next season given the disparity between the team’s offensive and defensive production in 2021, Nebraska might have been the most intriguing, hardest to figure out team in all of the Big Ten last season. The Huskers finished 3-9, which is by definition bad. Still, Nebraska lost eight one-score games, which could indicate that the Huskers are ripe for a quick turnaround.

Time will tell on that front. One thing is for certain: Scott Frost needs 2022 to show tangible results if he’s to remain the Huskers’ head football coach. Frost brought in offensive coordinator Mark Whipple from Pittsburgh to help try and rejuvenate Nebraska’s offense. Last season’s backup quarterback in Smothers returns for Nebraska, but longtime starter Adrian Martinez is off to Kansas State.

Nebraska went ahead and brought former Texas quarterback Casey Thompson in to be the likely starter, and the Huskers added Florida State transfer signal-caller Chubba Purdy as well. The wide receiving corps features a series of transfers as well with Trey Palmer arriving from LSU, Marcus Washington from Texas and Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda from New Mexico State.

Palmer had 30 grabs for 344 yards and three scores in 2021, Washington registered 18 receptions for 277 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Garcia-Castaneda hauled in 37 passes for 578 yards and four scores. Add that in with Omar Manning’s returning 26 grabs for 380 yards and two touchdowns.

In the backfield, Nebraska will be looking for Rahmir Johnson, Gabe Ervin Jr. and Jaquez Yant to combine for the Huskers’ rushing attack. Last season, Johnson carried 112 times for 495 yards and four scores, Ervin Jr. rushed 37 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns and Yant tallied 47 totes for 294 yards and one trip to the end zone.

Defensively, Nebraska added two-time All-Big 12 second-team selection Ochaun Mathis at defensive end. Mathis has 135 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks over the course of his college career. He’ll team with Garrett Nelson, Ty Robinson and Alabama transfer Stephon Wynn Jr. At the second level, Nebraska linebackers Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich combined for 189 tackles last season.

The Huskers’ defensive backfield has its fair share of transfer additions as well, featuring Tommi Hill from Arizona State, DeShon Singleton from Hutchinson Community College and Omar Brown from Northern Iowa. That trio will join safety Myles Farmer and cornerback Quinton Newsome.

For a head coach in Frost that frankly is desperate for success heading into 2022, it makes sense to replenish the roster with a series of transfer portal additions and see if it works. While Iowa hopes to be fighting for the Big Ten West in the season finale, Frost just might be coaching for his job.

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Riley Moss, Sam LaPorta, Jack Campbell among Big Ten’s top 22 returning players

Riley Moss, Sam LaPorta, and Jack Campbell are among the top 22 returning players in the Big Ten entering the 2022 football season.

Our friends, or not so friendly Big Ten comrades, over at Wolverines Wire reviewed and named the top 22 returning players for the 2022 Big Ten football season as we get ready to enter training camp.

They based their list off of Big Ten awards, stats, and production when compiling the rankings. Based on those criteria, the Iowa Hawkeyes have three of the top 22 returning players.

That trio includes cornerback Riley Moss, tight end Sam LaPorta, and linebacker Jack Campbell. These three rightfully belong on this list based on what they have done in their careers so far and what is in store for them this season.

Riley Moss, CB

Career stats: 111 tackles, 10 interceptions, three defensive touchdowns, and 15 pass deflections

Moss is the most distinguished member of Iowa’s secondary as he is coming off a 2021 season that saw him named the Big Ten defensive back of the year, an All-American, and rated the best cornerback in the Big Ten by Pro Football Focus. He is coming back for one final year and looks to expand on an already stellar career before his inevitable jump to the NFL next year.

Sam LaPorta, TE

Career stats: 95 receptions, 1,129 yards, and four touchdowns

LaPorta was Iowa’s leading receiver in multiple categories during the 2021 season. He likely could have left for the NFL and been in a competition for playing time or even a starting spot, but he chose to come back to Iowa for one more season. Already listed as the No. 2 tight end on ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr.’s big board and a member of Pro Football Focus’ 2023 NFL draft watch list, LaPorta will be expected to lead Iowa’s passing game in his final year.

Jack Campbell, LB

Career stats: 174 tackles, seven tackles-for-loss, two sacks, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries

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Iowa Hawkeyes Snapshot Profile: No. 1 Xavier Nwankpa

Freshman Xavier Nwankpa has undeniable talent, but what will his role be on an experienced Iowa defense?

The defense will be the strength of an Iowa squad looking to make it back to the Big Ten Championship.

This has been Iowa football for the better part of a decade now. The offense tries not to mess things up too much as the defense does all of the heavy lifting. It was extremely evident last year as the Hawkeyes’ offense, specifically the passing game, struggled to do much of anything.

The defense meanwhile held teams to under 20 points while reeling in a nation-best 25 interceptions.

While there is a ton of talent in the front seven, linebacker Jack Campbell is a name to watch out for in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft and Lukas Van Ness looks to be the next breakout Iowa defensive lineman, the secondary is where Iowa stands out amongst their Big Ten peers.

Returning is Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year Riley Moss, one of the best cornerbacks in the nation, as well as key starters Jermari Harris and Kaevon Merriweather. The Hawkeyes do lose star safety Dane Belton, a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft to the New York Giants, who led the Hawkeyes in picks with five, but they might have a replacement in super freshman Xavier Nwankpa.

“X” is the biggest wildcard for the Hawkeyes’ defense this year. He has undeniable talent, carrying a five-star rating from Rivals, and can be the next in a great line of Iowa defensive backs in the NFL.

The big question is just how ready is he to step in against the best teams in the nation, with powerhouses such as Ohio State and Michigan on the Hawkeyes’ schedule. He is the name to watch over the course of the season.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Pleasant Hill, Iowa.

Ht: 6-2

Wt: 210

Class in 2022: Freshman

247Sports composite ranking

2022 four star / No. 5 safety / No. 1 player in Iowa

Career Stats

N/A

Depth Chart Overview

It is difficult to project this early on just what Nwankpa’s role is going to be in his freshman year. What he starts out the season doing and his playing time on the field can drastically change as the season progresses. With so much talent returning to this Iowa defense, it can be hard for a freshman to earn a starting spot, but Nwankpa has the size and athleticism to at least push for snaps early on.

There is a lot of talk that he is in competition with sophomore Cooper DeJean for the CASH position. With DeJean’s versatility, there is definitely a possibility that you see DeJean start at the position a good amount of the time, but switch to another role on the defense, allowing Nwankpa to share the field.

Whether he’s a starter or not, Nwankpa should be able to see the field, get his feet wet as a freshman, and hopefully make an impact.

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Iowa Hawkeyes snapshot profile: No. 33 Riley Moss

Iowa cornerback Riley Moss will yet again be the Hawkeyes’ leader of the secondary. Let’s take a peek at his season outlook entering 2022.

Iowa is well regarded as one of the most potent defensive football programs in the country. Hawkeye football is synonymous with grit, toughness, and 11 players on the defense hustling to the ball.

While everyone knows about Iowa’s strength in the trenches, the secondary still really has not received their due praise. There are multiple defensive backs from Iowa in the NFL, from All-Pros Micah Hyde and Desmond King to newly-drafted New York Giant Dane Belton. Hyde recently called Iowa a cheat code for the NFL.

The secondary is no different for Iowa in 2022. While a ton of attention will be placed on their strong linebacker group, Iowa will once again be led by the secondary, specifically cornerback Riley Moss. A fifth-year senior, Moss is the leader of the defensive backs and is one of the best cornerbacks in the country.

A First-Team All-Big Ten selection last year, Moss was named the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year as the top defensive back in the Big Ten. He also was named a Third-Team All-American by AP. He is on watchlists for multiple awards and looks to maintain his throne as the top defensive back in the Big Ten.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Ankeney, IOWA.

Ht: 6-1

Wt: 193

Class in 2022: Senior

247Sports composite ranking

2018 two star / No. 248 cornerback / No. 13 player in Iowa

Career Stats

Defense & Fumbles Table
Tackles Def Int Fumbles
Year School Conf Class Pos G Solo Ast Tot Loss Sk Int Yds Avg TD PD FR Yds TD FF
*2018 Iowa Big Ten FR DB 7 20 4 24 0.0 0.0 2 36 18.0 0 3 0 0
*2019 Iowa Big Ten SO DB 4 5 0 5 1.0 0.0 2 7 3.5 0 3 0 0
2020 Iowa Big Ten JR DB 8 33 10 43 0.0 0.0 2 111 55.5 1 4 0 0
*2021 Iowa Big Ten SR DB 11 34 5 39 3.0 0.0 4 85 21.3 2 5 1 0
2022 Iowa Big Ten SR DB
Career Iowa 92 19 111 4.0 0.0 10 239 23.9 3 15 1 0
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 7/2/2022.

Depth Chart Overview

Moss will of course retain his position as the top cornerback on the Hawkeyes roster. He’s been Iowa’s go to corner for the past two years, and that certainly won’t change in 2022. Going beyond the depth chart, Moss will be the experienced leader of a Hawkeyes defense that brings a mix of seasoned veterans and young potential stars.

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Iowa Hawkeyes cornerback Riley Moss named Walter Camp preseason All-American

Iowa Hawkeyes cornerback Riley Moss has been stamped as a preseason All-American by Walter Camp as the 2022 college football season nears.

After being named a first-team All-American by Sporting News following the 2021 college football season, Iowa Hawkeyes cornerback Riley Moss has been named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation’s preseason second-team All-American defense.

Moss, who chose to come back and play in his final year of eligibility after some thought he may depart for the NFL, will look to expand on a year that saw him not just take the next step, but really jump a few levels upward.

Coming off of a stellar season in which Moss was the Big Ten’s highest graded cornerback based on his performances, all signs point to him being the leader of the Iowa secondary. He takes the reins of the Hawkeyes’ defensive backs room that is ranked as the No. 3 secondary in the entire nation.

Not only was Moss good last year, he is Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded coverage cornerback in the entire country over the last two seasons. Coming back this year gives Moss another season to put tape out and only improve his draft stock for when he is inevitably taken in next year’s 2023 NFL draft.

Joining Moss in the secondary will be Kaevon Merriweather, Jermari Harris, Quinn Schulte, Terry Roberts, Cooper DeJean, and Xavier Nwankpa. The group looks to continue turning the ball over and reeling in interceptions as it has become a bit of a Hawkeye specialty due to their sizable interception lead over every other college football team.

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Top 5 Iowa Hawkeyes to use in EA Sports NCAA Football who never got a game

EA Sports NCAA Football was last released in 2013. Let’s look at the Hawkeyes who didn’t get a game that would be the most fun to play with.

Almost a decade to the date since the best video game of all-time was released, college football fans will soon be rejoicing as the momentum towards a new EA Sports NCAA Football game is full steam ahead.

NCAA Football ’14 released on July 9, 2013, and is still played to this day by many avid fans as it was the final college football game released amidst conversations of compensating players in the game for usage of their likenesses.

Fast forward to now, it appears that EA Sports will be bringing back NCAA Football in July of 2023. The 10-year wait for fans of all ages is almost at an end.

It has been rumored that EA Sports already has 120 FBS schools on board with the game and have begun working with them to get realistic stadium noises, music, and even chants. These schools will be paid out on a tiered basis depending on their top-25 finishes.

All of that said, there was an era from 2014-2021 that saw no NCAA Football games released. There is a large group of big time players that never saw themselves in a game. Joe Burrow from LSU’s title run in 2019, Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray in Norman, Okla., Christian McCaffrey at Stanford, and many more.

The Iowa Hawkeyes also had some guys who were like real life video game characters. Who would be the five most fun Hawkeyes to play with in NCAA Football that never got a game over the past decade? Let’s discuss!

Iowa Hawkeyes ranked as the No. 3 defensive back room nationally

Iowa finds itself among the cream of the crop when it comes to defensive back rooms across the country, coming in at No. 3 per CBS Sports.

It seems as if every other day there is another list that the Iowa Hawkeyes or members of their secondary find themselves on. That points to the sustained success the group has had.

From dominating the entire country in interceptions to pumping out defensive backs to the NFL, Kirk Ferentz and Phil Parker have built a machine at Iowa that continues to create turnovers. Most recently, that machine called the Iowa secondary has been ranked the No. 3 defensive back room in the country by CBS Sports’ David Cobb.

After leading the nation with 25 interceptions last season, Iowa brings back All-American cornerback Riley Moss. With Jemari Harris and Kaevon Merriweather also returning after holding down key roles in 2021, this group is guaranteed to be stingy again. A wild card to watch is true freshman Xavier Nwankpa, who is Iowa’s highest-rated defensive back commitment of the 247Sports era. Even if he needs some time to develop, there is enough here to make this group one of the nation’s best once again. – Cobb, CBS Sports.

Ahead of Iowa is Georgia at No. 1 and Texas A&M at No. 2. Following the Hawkeyes is North Carolina State at No. 4 and fellow Big Ten member Penn State at No. 5.

As Cobb mentioned, this is spearheaded by Moss returning for the 2022 season following an All-American performance that saw him consistently graded out as the best cornerback in the Big Ten and even sometimes the country.

Harris reeled in four interceptions last season and Merriweather snagged one of his own. These two do have experience. Along with them will be Terry Roberts who hauled in an interception and looks to expound on an already stellar special teams performance he has put on at Iowa. Five-star Xavier Nwankpa also looks to make his mark early and often with this group as he battles for playing time.

Last year saw 25 interceptions from the Hawkeyes and put the national spotlight on the group in the secondary. With the talent at each position this season, there should be a quiet confidence that the Hawkeyes defensive backs will once again prove sturdy.

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Athlon Sports ranks Iowa Hawkeyes No. 32 nationally entering 2022

What all did Athlon Sports have to say about the Iowa Hawkeyes that resulted in Iowa outside the top 25 at No. 32 nationally?

Several weeks ago, Athlon Sports’ Steven Lassan released his top 25 rankings for 2022 and the Iowa Hawkeyes weren’t among that list. Instead, five other Big Ten teams were among Lassan’s top 25 rankings for 2022 heading into the summer.

That group included No. 2 Ohio State, No. 6 Michigan, No. 14 Michigan State, No. 19 Wisconsin and No. 25 Penn State. When Lassan’s top 25 was released, he had Iowa in his “next tier” of teams that also included Air Force, Appalachian State, Auburn, Boise State, BYU, Coastal Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Fresno State, Kansas State, LSU, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Purdue, South Carolina, Texas, UAB, UCLA and UTSA.

Now, after Athlon Sports’ release of its 2022 Iowa football preview, there’s a precise number to attach from the outlet to the Hawkeyes. Athlon Sports ranks Iowa No. 32 nationally heading into the 2022 season.

Here’s a breakdown on everything Athlon Sports had to say about Iowa.