Tag: Seth Anderson

Iowa shares health update on WR Seth Anderson prior to Cy-Hawk rivalry

Iowa updated Seth Anderson’s health status ahead of the Cy-Hawk game.

The Iowa Hawkeyes were without a couple of their top wide receivers in the season opener versus Illinois State.

Junior wide receiver Kaleb Brown was serving a one-game suspension due to an offseason arrest. Meanwhile, the only player listed as out on the Hawkeyes’ Week 1 availability report was fellow junior receiver Seth Anderson.

After being sidelined in the season opener, Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz was asked about Anderson’s health prognosis during Tuesday’s weekly press conference.

“Seth, it’s not as bad maybe as we thought initially, but nonetheless. I guess it was last Wednesday. I think we met Tuesday, so it was the next day of course. It doesn’t look as bad right now. We’ll probably know a little bit more by the end of the week, but it won’t be this week. Hopefully we’re talking about a week or two, not multiple weeks,” Ferentz said.

Anderson wasn’t listed on the Hawkeyes’ Week 2 depth chart versus Iowa State, and, based on those comments from Ferentz, Iowa fans now know why. The 6-foot, 180 pound junior isn’t expected to be available to play against the Cyclones.

Anderson played in all 14 games and started eight a season ago, catching 11 passes for 150 yards with a touchdown during the 2023 season.

After serving his one-game suspension, Brown is back on the Week 2 depth chart for Iowa and listed as one of the Hawkeyes’ No. 2 receivers. Ferentz said that Brown will be a part of Iowa’s offensive plans on Saturday.

“Anything that happens along the way, our deal is like we deal with it, and then my encouragement for everybody is we’re looking forward. We’re not looking back unless there’s a reason to…

“Kaleb Brown, it’s going to be good to get him back, too. The deal was last week he worked on the scout team against our defense. And Phil and those guys did a great job, and that’s what you want to hear. He had a great attitude about it. He’s back in the rotation now and he’ll be out there Saturday. I don’t know how much, but he’ll be out there,” Ferentz said.

Iowa hosts Iowa State in the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series on Saturday from Kinnick Stadium at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS. The Hawkeyes have won seven of the past eight meetings in the rivalry and eight of the past 10 meetings dating back to 2013.

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ESPN shares Iowa football’s 2024 sleeper player

Who is America sleeping on with the Hawkeyes?

Every season breakout stars emerge.

Sometimes those names are right under our nose.

In the case of the Iowa Hawkeyes, ESPN projects that to be the case in the 2024 season. The name that ESPN chose as its sleeper pick for the Hawkeyes won’t sound like much of a sleeper pick to Iowa fans.

ESPN tabbed junior wide receiver Seth Anderson as its sleeper pick for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa desperately needs help in the passing game for quarterback Cade McNamara. Wide receiver play has dropped off dramatically in recent years, but Anderson showed some promise in his first season with the Hawkeyes. He had a 36-yard touchdown catch against Utah State and a 30-yard run against Western Michigan. Although Anderson was limited by midseason, he had a catch in four of Iowa’s final five regular-season games. – Adam Rittenberg, ESPN.

After transferring in from Charleston Southern, Anderson caught 11 passes for 150 yards with one touchdown last season. Anderson’s 150 receiving yards ranked third among Iowa receivers last season.

Iowa is hopeful for much more in 2024 from the 6-foot, 180 pound junior out of Suwanee, Ga.

“He’s fast and he’s fluid. He got injured a little bit last year. He wasn’t confident. He’s operating at a different tempo right now. Again, we don’t have demonstrated production in that room, so everybody’s got an opportunity,” Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz told ESPN.

Anderson will be expected to be one of the Hawkeyes’ top pass catchers this season alongside fellow junior receiver Kaleb Brown. Brown is Iowa’s leading returning receiver with 22 catches for 215 yards in 2023.

Other names to keep an eye on at receiver include Northwestern transfer and junior Jacob Gill, redshirt freshmen Jarriett Buie, Dayton Howard and Alex Mota and freshmen receivers Reece Vander Zee and KJ Parker.

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Seth Anderson embraces Cy-Hawk rivalry ahead of first meeting

Iowa wide receiver Seth Anderson is embracing the Cy-Hawk rivalry ahead of his first career appearance in it.

Seth Anderson may have just recently acquainted himself with Iowa football, but he’s already embracing one of the Hawkeyes’ biggest rivalries.

Anderson isn’t your typical Iowa homegrown recruit. He didn’t grow up in the Hawkeye State around the big Cy-Hawk rivalry. A Georgia native, the sophomore actually spent his first year at Charleston Southern.

He doesn’t have any previous connections to the battle between Iowa and Iowa State. Anderson’s teammates have gotten him up to speed on the rivalry.

“I heard it’s a big deal, you know, I heard we don’t have our trophy, so we’re going to work to get that back this week for sure. So yeah, it’s going to be good,” Anderson said.

Looking ahead to his first battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy, the son of NFL wide receiver Flipper Anderson is already having some fun.

“I heard it’s going to be pretty toxic, a pretty toxic environment,” commented Anderson with his signature smile about Jack Trice stadium during a recent media availability. “It’s going to be loud and you live for that, so it’s going to be fun.”

Anderson experienced a heated college rivalry his first season at Charleston Southern. He very nonchalantly stated that ECU fans hurled cans at him and his teammates. Of course, that didn’t seem to faze Anderson one bit.

When asked what he’s seen on film from Iowa State, Anderson delivered the real fireworks.

“A lot of opportunity,” Anderson said.

In what way?

“In a good way,” Anderson responded with a smile.

It drew a chuckle from the media in attendance and adds a little trash talk into the equation for the contest this weekend.

Anderson started at wide receiver in the season debut against Utah State last week. He caught two passes for 41 yards, including the first Hawkeye touchdown of the season on a 36-yard reception from quarterback Cade McNamara.

“A lot of improvements to be made. It’s only up from here. You know, it was Week 1, so it’s a good start I think,” Anderson said of his first appearance in the black and gold.

Anderson and the Hawkeye offense will look to carry the momentum from the win into Saturday when they play rival Iowa State at 2:30 p.m. on Fox.

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Cade McNamara, Seth Anderson make Hawkeye history with opening-drive TD connection

Iowa struck fast versus Utah State with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Cade McNamara to Seth Anderson. It was historic for several reasons.

The Iowa Hawkeyes‘ 2023 hopes have been attached at the hip to senior quarterback Cade McNamara’s ability to revitalize its offense.

After leading Michigan to a Big Ten title in 2021, McNamara arrived in Iowa City with a championship pedigree and a track record that indicated he could be the piece to revamp the Hawkeye offense.

Early on, he didn’t disappoint. After a 54-yard kickoff return from sophomore running back Kaleb Johnson set Iowa up with prime real estate, McNamara went to work.

On the second play from scrimmage, McNamara went over the top and connected with fellow transfer and sophomore wide receiver Seth Anderson.

The 36-yard touchdown strike was significant for a number of different reasons. Obviously, first and foremost, it was a flash of offensive electricity that’s been sorely lacking in Iowa City.

But, it also represented some Hawkeye history, too. It’s the first time in the Kirk Ferentz era that a season-opening Iowa drive has resulted in a touchdown pass for the Hawkeyes. It was the 10th season-opening touchdown drive in the Ferentz tenure.

The last time the Hawkeyes began the season with an opening-drive touchdown pass was in 1991 when Matt Rodgers connected with Danan Hughes versus Hawaii.

McNamara’s 36-yard touchdown pass to Anderson came on his first career attempt as a Hawkeye. The last quarterback to have a touchdown pass on their first completion of the season was legendary Iowa signal-caller Chuck Long’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Norm Granger at Iowa State in 1983.

The 36-yard touchdown pass from McNamara was also longer than any Iowa touchdown pass last season. The Hawkeyes’ longest in 2022 was a 29-yard strike from Spencer Petras to Nico Ragaini in a 24-3 win over Purdue.

McNamara added another touchdown pass in the first half on a 4th-and-3 connection with fellow Michigan transfer tight end Erick All. The Hawkeyes didn’t tally their second passing touchdown until the fifth game last season.

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Iowa Hawkeyes’ WR depth is night-and-day different entering 2023

Dealt a full hand, Iowa’s wide receiver depth is night-and-day different from where the Hawkeyes started off a season ago.

There were a number of reasons why the Iowa Hawkeyes‘ offense sunk to the depths it did last season.

Without rehashing all of them, suffice it to say that issues at wide receiver were a significant part of the problem. Iowa just wasn’t ever fully healthy in 2022.

Injuries to Keagan Johnson and Diante Vines threw the Hawkeyes a curveball to start last season and Iowa never really recovered. Nico Ragaini missed the opener versus South Dakota State, too.

Of course, the Hawkeye coaching staff has its fair share of blame for failing to create enough depth as well. Still, injuries and Charlie Jones’ transfer to Purdue really altered the best-laid plans for Iowa last season.

Then, after Johnson and Arland Bruce IV left the program and entered the transfer portal this offseason, Hawkeye fans’ frustrations with the offensive shortcomings at receiver were more pronounced than ever.

Iowa’s coaching staff responded, though. It went out and landed a pair of impact transfer receivers in Seth Anderson from Charleston Southern and Kaleb Brown from Ohio State. The room was boosted by a healthy return for Vines and the decision by Ragaini to spend one final season in Iowa City.

Asked about the difference of beginning last season with just one scholarship wide receiver available versus this season, Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz said the wide receivers are right there alongside the Hawkeye offensive line as the team’s most improved units.

“Yeah, it’s like a neck-and-neck race with the offensive line and the receiver position. The problem last year is our lack of experience up front and maturity, physical maturity, and you can’t microwave that. I’ve said that many times.

“Then the receiver position, we were out of guys for injuries and transferring, all that. There’s not much you can do. You play with what you have and that’s how it goes. Sometimes the cards you get dealt are a little bit challenging. But the guys worked hard. I’m not knocking anybody’s effort last year, but that was the reality of it all,” Ferentz said.

Entering his 25th season, Ferentz knows Iowa is much better positioned with pass-catchers heading into 2023.

“I think we’re in a little better situation right now. You have a healthy Nico Ragaini. You have a healthy Diante Vines. Start with those two guys. Two pleasant surprises from the month of August are Seth Anderson, who we thought we liked when he got here, and we’ve liked him as a person. No knock, but we couldn’t evaluate him as a player because he wasn’t out there in the spring.

“So, now he’s had a good August, and boy, he’s a very impressive young guy. Then, Kaleb the same way. He wasn’t here last spring, so not much to say on that one. But I’m excited about him and the fact, too, that he’s only played receiver one year, so the growth potential is really (exciting). And Seth is a young guy. He’s not like a fifth-year or sixth-year guy.

“Both those guys have the potential to really improve and climb if they keep practicing like they have. Alec Wick got back. He’s back practicing, so that’s a positive. I’m leaving somebody else out. Anyway, we’re a lot further down the road than we were a year ago,” Ferentz said.

With four names it feels it can count on in Ragaini, Vines, Anderson and Brown, Iowa can feel confident that it has the horses to improve a passing attack that ranked among the nation’s worst a season ago.

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Iowa Hawkeyes 2023 Positional Breakdown: Scouting the wide receivers

Iowa football has a pretty exciting wide receiver group for the 2023 season. Here is a look at the Hawkeyes’ pass catchers.

Wide receiver is a boom or bust position for the Hawkeyes, and a lot of that result depends on the help around them.

There is talent in this wide receiver room. There was talent in the wide receiver room last year as well. Unfortunately, some outside factors really contributed to a disappointing season from the unit. The group couldn’t stay healthy, and you can’t really make plays if you’re never on the field.

They also didn’t get proper quarterback play either. It was not up to par, and neither was the offensive game plan by offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz. Add in some shaky offensive line play, and you have an underwhelming passing attack.

Iowa lost some of the young talent that figured to play a big role in the offense last year. Both Keagan Johnson and Arland Bruce left through the transfer portal. Iowa, however, also used the portal to their advantage to recruit some new exciting players at the position. They also return a few helpful veterans as well.

Here is a look at the wide receiver position for the Hawkeyes in 2023.

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247Sports tabs Iowa wide receivers as position group with most potential improvement

Iowa’s wide receiver room could experience a big breakout in 2023, but only if given the right play from quarterback Cade McNamara.

Out of all the positional groups to watch out for on the Iowa football team, the wide receivers room may be the one to keep an eye on.

After experiencing a ton of change over the offseason, Iowa has reloaded its pass-catching room with a bunch of young, up-and-coming talents. In Sean Bock’s superlatives for every position group ahead of fall camp for Hawkeye Insider of 247Sports, he listed wide receiver as the one with the “most potential improvement.”

Iowa used the transfer portal this offseason to fill missing pieces at wide receiver as it landed Charleston Southern transfer Seth Anderson and Ohio State transfer, Kaleb Brown.

Anderson was the Big South Offensive Player of the Year as a redshirt freshman while Brown was a former four-star recruit, and any wide receiver that is recruited heavily by Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline has the chance to be a game-changer in any offense.

Brown and Anderson were two missing pieces that Iowa needed. An X receiver would’ve been ideal, but Anderson and Brown both have big-time playmaking ability and that’s something Iowa needs. – Bock, Hawkeye Insider.

The wide receiver room is a good mix of these newly transferred in talents such as Seth Anderson and Kaleb Brown, and returning experience. The Hawkeyes bring back Nico Ragaini for his sixth year and will hope Diante Vines can stay healthy and make an impact.

As for returners, Nico Ragaini and Diante Vines will play big roles for the Hawkeyes. Ragaini is the team leader this fall, and could have a 2019-esque year with Cade McNamara under center. Vines has been hindered by injuries throughout his career, but he was one of the top performers in fall camp last year before going down with an injury. Jacob Bostick should also get a mention, too, but he needs to stay healthy. – Bock, Hawkeye Insider.

I think bringing up Cade McNamara is vital, because the quarterback plays a huge role in how effective the wide receivers are. There definitely was talent at the position last year, and I still think Keagan Johnson can be a breakout star for Kansas State this year.

It’s just really hard to show any of that talent when the quarterback cannot reliably make the throws. Combine that with injuries, and you have a wide receiver room that I think looked worse than what they really were. It’s no shock that Charlie Jones immediately became one of the best receivers in the nation the minute he left Iowa.

Iowa will undoubtably have talent at receiver again. We know Nico Ragaini is reliable, and Kaleb Brown has the potential to be the best receiver at Iowa since… ever. What they need is a quarterback who can get the job done, step up and make the throws, and not put a massive handicap on the offense.

If Cade McNamara can be that guy, then sure, this group of pass catchers could certainly make some noise in 2023.

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Iowa Hawkeyes 2023 Snapshot Profile: No. 6 Seth Anderson

What will Charleston Southern wide receiver Seth Anderson add to the Iowa Hawkeyes? His 2023 snapshot profile.

The pieces to the puzzle that is the Iowa offense are finally starting to form.

It may just seem like fan vision distorting the true reality, but seriously, Iowa appears to have something on its offense. Now you have a starting quarterback in Cade McNamara to pair with budding star back Kaleb Johnson. The tight ends Luke Lachey, Erick All, and Addison Ostrenga are worthy students at Tight End University. Now, if only the Hawkeyes could just figure out the wide receiver position.

The dreaded wideout position has been a massive problem for the Hawkeyes since Ihmir Smith-Marsette left for the NFL. There’s been instability, injuries, and instant regret as talented players transferred to greener pastures. The current offensive scheme is not the friendliest to wide receivers, and just recently we’ve seen what a talent like Charlie Jones could do in the right system. Iowa can find talent, now they just need to showcase them on the field properly.

Besides veteran slot receiver Nico Ragaini, not much is known about this current group. There is not a great amount of returning starting production, the Hawkeyes entering 2023 with pretty much a clean slate at the position. The starting receiver jobs are there for the taking, and sophomore transfer Seth Anderson might just be the one to take the opportunity.

The son of an NFL record holder, Seth Anderson has flown under the radar this offseason. As the Hawkeyes have hit the portal, other players have received more attention. However, Anderson should definitely not be overlooked. He produced in his freshman season as one of the best receivers in the Big South conference. With plenty of talent and eligibility left, could Seth Anderson be the breakout receiver the Hawkeyes have been desperately needing?

Hawkeyes Chalk Talk: How one personnel group can unlock Iowa’s offense in 2023

How can the Hawkeyes unlock their offense in 2023? Here’s the personnel group that can help Iowa do so.

So, now that the talent will be in Iowa City, there are no more excuses. Bluntly put, it is time for the Iowa Hawkeyes’ offense to perform. The transfers of Cade McNamara, Erick All, Seth Anderson, and most recently, Kaleb Brown, have set the stage for an offense desperately searching for answers.

That’s what we are here to look at today. What is a personnel grouping that could unlock this Iowa offense in 2023? Before we get into it, I will give some foundation to where this thought process stems from and why I am comfortable laying it out.

I attended Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, just a short 45-minute trip east of Iowa City. I played four years of football there as a wide receiver. Now, life wasn’t easy for a 5-foot-9, 185-pound slot receiver that wasn’t the fastest or strongest as you could imagine. Due to that, I had to win with a high football IQ, an understanding of matchups, and quick processing of mathematical advantages (which we will get into later). For example, if a linebacker was on me, that was the time to use my best move. Or if we spread it out and it was a run play, I had to know how to handle a linebacker while giving up quite a bit of size.

Due to experience, countless hours of seeing schemes in film meetings, and studying Iowa’s offense, I believe one personnel grouping could unlock this offense. That is ’12’ personnel.

Let’s get into what ’12’ personnel means and how it could change the Hawkeyes’ offense.

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5 burning offensive questions for the Iowa Hawkeyes heading into spring football

It’s almost time for spring football in Iowa City. What are five burning questions about the Hawkeyes’ offense heading into spring football?

Slowly but surely we are escaping the pit that is the college football offseason. Full of transfers and coaching changes, the offseason can feel like a real slog to get through. This isn’t aided by the weather being bad either, just heightening our offseasonal depression.

It’s been a turbulent one for the Iowa Hawkeyes to say the least. Iowa brought in two big transfers from Michigan, but also saw multiple talented players depart as well. It is going to hurt to see Jestin Jacobs in an Oregon uniform next year, and I’m fully prepared for Keagan Johnson to be a star in the Big 12.

While Iowa managed to put together a good recruiting class, it all felt overshadowed by the guy they weren’t able to bring in. While many will try to criticize Proctor’s decision calling it short sighted, mind you Alabama also routinely sends linemen to the NFL, it’s really hard for me to envision anything but success for the young man. I truly do wish him the best, unless it’s in a national championship against Iowa to which I hope he gives up four sacks.

What else was there? Oh yeah, there was the entire “will they fire him” situation with offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz. If it were up to most of the fanbase, the coach’s son would’ve been out the door a long time ago. Even before Iowa’s offense put up horrendous numbers this past season. Iowa did issue him an “ultimatum” though: bring the offense to passable levels and you sir get a raise and a pat on the back.

It still does feel like a bad dream.

It’s felt like all offseason the fanbase has received just kick in the pants after kick in the pants. I’m not sure if the same feeling of optimism is there that I noticed last year. So, how do you fix that? Well, it’s easy folks.

Win.

Winning is the remedy to literally any problem in sports. All of the down moments of the offseason will seem like little blips on the radar if Iowa football gets back to doing what they do in winning.

Of course, the biggest factor in that is the offense. Anyone who is familiar with last year’s team can tell you just how bad it is, and looking back on some of the box scores it truly is the stuff of nightmares. It cannot go on that way. No more wasting Phil Parker’s fantastic defensive efforts and no more wasting the fans’ time!

With the offense in mind, here are five questions about Brian Ferentz’s unit that should be on the minds of every single Iowa football fan.