Tag: Tory Taylor

Iowa Hawkeyes: 2022 offensive depth chart

With the season right around the corner, the Iowa Hawkeyes have released their first official depth chart. Let’s look at the offense.

With the Big Ten Media Days kicking off today and training camp right around the corner, it was only a matter of time before we got the chance to get our eyes on a depth chart.

The Iowa Hawkeyes released their first official depth chart today. To do some level-setting before getting into it, there aren’t a ton of surprises or unexpected names among most positions. The depth chart is very much as to be expected with an older team like the Hawkeyes usually are.

At quarterback we have what is said to be an open position battle, but now have a depth chart to base some things off of. In the backfield, the Williams duo is going to get their chance to shine. Sam LaPorta is manning the tight end position and the Hawkeyes could get contributions from fellow names behind him.

An interesting position to watch will be the wide receiver position as the three returning contributors, Keagan Johnson, Arland Bruce, and Nico Ragaini, are present but beyond them could see some camp shuffling as that next contributor at receiver will be a position battle to keep an eye on.

The offensive line depth is very evident when looking at the depth chart. For five offensive lineman positions, the Hawkeyes have ten different names listed and none are double-dipping at multiple positions.

This depth chart is just the first and we haven’t begun camp yet. As players step up in camp or show something or unfortunate injuries occur, this is far from a finished piece and will undoubtedly be constantly in flux. Nonetheless, let’s take a dive into the Hawkeyes first official depth chart.

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.

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.

7 Iowa Hawkeyes honored as Phil Steele preseason All-American, All-Big Ten selections

Seven Iowa Hawkeyes earned either preseason All-American or All-Big Ten honors from Phil Steele.

As the preseason awards season rolls on, seven Iowa Hawkeyes were tabbed as either All-American or All-Big Ten selections by Phil Steele. Four defensive players, two offensive players and a specialist comprise the selections by Phil Steele.

Let’s take a look at the full list of honorees that Iowa football’s official account released today.

Top five returning punt leaders in the Big Ten

Top five returning punting leaders in the #B1G.

The NFL draft is in the books and the annual spring games have come to an end across the Big Ten and it is time to start diving into who to watch and what to expect during the 2022 season. We already dove into the top five returning rushers, passers, receivers, overall scorers and kick return leaders returning in the Big Ten.

Next, I wanted to provide the top five returning punting leaders in the Big Ten. This may not be the sexiest list, but field position can be vital in close games and this can provide some insight to who may dominate in that aspect of the game.

Off we go.

Iowa Hawkeyes at No. 23 in 247Sports’ post-spring football rankings

The Iowa Hawkeyes have come in at No. 23 in 247Sports’ post-spring college football rankings.

In the most recent top 25 rankings from 247Sports, the Iowa Hawkeyes find themselves making the cut and coming in at No. 23 in the country. In the previous rankings, the Hawkeyes found themselves at No. 16.

Rankings after spring practices should always be taken with a grain of salt and this case is no different. Iowa chose to rest some of their key players due to injuries and preserving them for the fall. As you can see below, the list of inactive players was littered with key contributors.

That said, the Hawkeyes’ slide in the rankings is explainable. Their spring practices saw a quarterback competition heat up that looks like it will continue into the summer and training camp. The voters may look at that as uncertainty at the most important position and knock Iowa a bit for that.

While it is a quarterback competition, it could lead to improved play across the board at the position. In what appears to be a three-man race between [autotag]Spencer Petras[/autotag], [autotag]Alex Padilla[/autotag], and [autotag]Joe Labas[/autotag], it could spark each of them to perform at the next level giving Iowa a boost at the quarterback position voters may not be accounting for.

The Hawkeyes find themselves in the top 25 in large part to their defensive and special teams units. Each of these units have consistently been solid for Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz.

Defensively, Iowa will have experience returning and quite a bit of it. At linebacker they get [autotag]Jack Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Jestin Jacobs[/autotag] back leading the charge. [autotag]Riley Moss[/autotag] plugs in at defensive back coming off of a 2021 where he was named Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year.

The defense will be its usual self under defensive coordinator Phil Parker and can be expected to keep the Hawkeyes in games.

On special teams, Iowa has one of the best weapons in the entire country. Punter [autotag]Tory Taylor[/autotag] is a special asset that can change a game in one play. At the open spring practice, Taylor had multiple punts that exceeded 65 yards. His ability to flip the field will give the Hawkeyes the field position advantage more often than not.

Rankings now are always a little bit suspect, but nonetheless it is nice to see the Hawkeyes getting national respect as a top 25 team. Should the quarterback competition enhance that group’s play, Iowa’s ranking may climb much higher than No. 23.

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