Tag: Yahya Black

Iowa football’s Yahya Black among CBS Sports’ most underrated NFL prospects in college football

Another talented Iowa Hawkeyes veteran is being overlooked and is ready to perform.

The depth and experience that the Iowa Hawkeyes have is second to none. They are always deep and always have a heavy presence of juniors and seniors.

Yahya Black, the 317-pound senior defensive tackle, hailing from Marshall High School in Marshall, Minnesota, is one of those veteran talents. On a defense as talented as Iowa’s, he is overlooked despite shining on many defenses across the country.

Despite all of that, he still finds himself among CBS Sports’ most underrated 2024  college football NFL draft prospects.

Yahya Black, DL, Iowa

Yahya may not blow you away with gaudy numbers, but when you watch him play, he stands out because he makes everyone else’s job easy. He does a great job preventing linemen from getting to the second level, and his hands might be the strongest among any interior lineman in college football. – McFadden & Zenitz, CBS Sports

Selected to the preseason Second-Team All-Big Ten by Athlon, Black is ready to have a breakout year after flashing during his limited time in previous seasons.

Yahya Black is entering his fifth year with the program. He has appeared in 40 games with 14 starts to his name, all coming in 2023-24. He has totaled 83 career tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and used his 6-foot-5 frame to bat down 9 passes.

Last season was his coming out party for Hawkeye fans as he had his best year yet with 51 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks in 2023-24.

Black is the first man up on the Hawkeyes’ preseason depth chart at right defensive tackle and figures to be a mainstay there for the season with his chance to stamp himself onto NFL teams’ draft boards.

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Iowa Hawkeyes 2023 Snapshot Profile: No. 94 Yahya Black

With 26 games played in his Hawkeye career, what’s next for junior defensive tackle Yahya Black at Iowa? Is it time for his breakout season?

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to never truly count out a player until they’ve graduated. Just because a player hasn’t broken out within the first couple of years on campus doesn’t mean that it can’t happen.

There are so many factors at play to consider with these things. Injuries, adjustment to the next level, and playing time are all items that factor into how quickly and how well a player can develop.

This is certainly the case for Iowa defensive tackle Yahya Black. The junior is a player that has obvious talent. There’s a reason 247Sports graded him as a four-star recruit coming out of Marshall. Every time he’s on the field you see these flashes, too. It gets you very excited for what he could do.

Unfortunately, due to one circumstance or another, we haven’t really seen Yahya able to put it all together for the Hawkeyes just yet. The key word there though is yet.

In past seasons, Black was really dealt a bad hand with some unfortunate injury luck. The overall strength of the defensive line really made it hard to stand out as well. Even as Iowa has brought back multiple starters, there is still a need for rotational help on this defensive line after the departure of Lukas Van Ness.

Don’t sleep on Yahya heading into the season. If Black can stay healthy, with the heavy amount of rotation that you see from the defensive line, he could play a massive role on the Hawkeyes’ defense. Don’t forget, it took both starters Noah Shannon and Logan Lee a few years before they came into their own.

Here is a look at defensive tackle Yahya Black entering 2023.

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Kirk Ferentz updates Iowa Hawkeyes’ injury statuses heading to Ohio State Buckeyes

What does Iowa’s personnel look like before its trip to Ohio State? Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz updated injury statuses.

As Iowa (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten) heads to No. 2 Ohio State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) looking to pull the national shocker, it’s truly the more the merrier for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz updated the injury statuses of several key Hawkeyes ahead of the difficult road test. He started by discussing the health statuses of wide receivers Diante Vines and Keagan Johnson.

“I think Diante has a chance. Keagan, when he’s ready, I’ll let you know. He’s still trying to get back,” Ferentz said.

Vines, a 6-foot, 198 pound redshirt sophomore from Danbury, Conn., hasn’t played a snap thus far this season. Meanwhile, Johnson led all Hawkeye receivers in 2021 with 18 grabs for 352 receiving yards, but, according to Pro Football Focus, he’s played just 15 total snaps this season against Nevada.

Naturally, adding back both could be a big lift for an Iowa unit that ranks dead last nationally in total offense and 120th in passing offense with just 156.5 passing yards per game.

Ferentz was also cautiously optimistic on a return for redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Yahya Black.

“Hopefully he’ll be back, but we’ll see. We’ll see. Hopefully he’ll be back. He’s closer than he was. Sure would help. All hands on deck,” Ferentz said.

Black is another player that Iowa had in its plans to start the season, but he’s only played in the Hawkeyes’ opener against South Dakota State where he logged 17 snaps per PFF.

Lastly, Ferentz touched on whether or not cornerback Terry Roberts would return against the Buckeyes.

“Probably not. Probably not, unfortunately. Still, yeah, he’s got a lower leg injury,” Ferentz said of Roberts.

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Week 1 Iowa Hawkeyes defensive depth chart versus the South Dakota State Jackrabbits

Iowa released their first defensive depth chart of the season. What changes were made for their week one clash against South Dakota State?

Iowa released their depth chart on Monday for their week one clash against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits and it surely is interesting. Virtually nothing is changed on the defensive line from the depth chart we’ve already seen, and that might puzzle some.

Some players are listed at different areas on the chart than how we’ve seen them used during camp. The most important thing to note with head coach Kirk Ferentz’s Hawkeyes, the depth chart is not the be all end all. Just like the pirates code, Iowa’s depth chart is more what you would call guidelines instead of rules.

Defensive coordinator Phil Parker and defensive line coach Kelvin Bell know how to utilize their guys best, relying on the depth and versatility abundant with this unit. Expect to see Iowa’s front line look a lot different on game day. That being said, here’s a look at the week one defensive depth chart that was released.

Iowa Hawkeyes’ Lukas Van Ness appears to answer positional question in interview

After a recent interview, there appears to be no doubts about where talented Iowa defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness will play in 2022.

Pretty much all offseason it has been assumed that Iowa sophomore defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness would slide over to defensive end. It just made too much sense.

Senior Zach VanValkenburg, the team leader in tackles for loss last season with 15, has graduated and is trying to crack the Las Vegas Raiders roster. Lukas Van Ness, while effective last year as a rotational defensive tackle, is a bit undersized for playing inside full time. He self admittedly played at 265 pounds last year, and while he is bigger this year (around 270-275 pounds), he still is light for a tackle. With his athleticism at his size, though, sliding over to defensive end was just a no brainer, right?

While everyone assumed the change was going to be made, and there was evidence in favor of that of course, there were still some lingering doubts. The biggest reason for doubt was the Hawkeyes’ own preseason depth chart, where he once again appeared as a backup defensive tackle.

Now, a depth chart doesn’t always accurately describe what the team plans to do. While senior Joe Evans, the co-leader in sacks last season with Van Ness, is listed as the starter at defensive end, he is more of a designated pass rusher. The preseason depth chart created a bit of confusion about Van Ness’ role in 2022, though, especially with all of the national media coverage of his potential breakout.

It seems that Van Ness himself has cleared up any questions about him sliding over to end in a recent interview with Hawk Central‘s Chad Leistikow.

“I guess you could call it home. I definitely do enjoy being outside,” Van Ness commented on his new position. “I like the space, and being able to use my abilities. I definitely do like defensive end.”

That quote certainly doesn’t sound like a player prepared to once again serve as a rotational defensive tackle.

Iowa can proceed forward with their defensive line in an incredibly interesting way. While they have a talented potential starting four with John Waggoner and Lukas Van Ness flanking tackles Logan Lee and Noah Shannon, they have the depth to get solid contributions out of multiple players in a more rotational system. Of course Joe Evans, as mentioned before, was extremely effective rushing off the edge last year with seven sacks. He will still see a significant amount of time, especially in passing down situations.

A trio of redshirt sophomores in Deontae Craig, Yahya Black, and Ethan Hurkett all have shown things to get excited about over the offseason. Both Craig and Hurkett were featured in a report a few weeks ago by Hawk Central’s Kennington Lloyd Smith. Craig is generating a lot of internal buzz. Don’t forget about true freshman Aaron Graves either, the 2021 Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year and Adidas All-American. Graves is already turning heads early on. There is a lot of potential future firepower on this defensive line.

Iowa has the ability to go multiple players deep on a defensive line that can be one of the best in the country. They should be fantastic against the run, and there’s even more room for improvement rushing the passer compared to last year. Not only is there a ton of depth, multiple players can slide into different positions, including Van Ness who should be used as a chess piece along the defensive line. Look for Van Ness to spearhead a dangerous Iowa defensive front.

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‘I think so’: Iowa LB Seth Benson believes Hawkeyes’ defense can be better in 2022

Can Iowa’s defense actually be better in 2022? That’s the question the Hawkeyes have been getting asked. There’s reasons to say yes.

Expecting Iowa’s defense to improve upon what that unit accomplished in 2021 might seem like a tall task at first glance. After all, the Hawkeyes finished No. 13 nationally in scoring defense, surrendering just 19.2 points per game.

Iowa also ranked No. 17 in total defense and reeled in an FBS-best 25 interceptions. Topping all of that would be quite the feat for Hawkeye defensive coordinator Phil Parker and his group.

Plus, the Hawkeyes are set to replace a pair of key cogs on the back end defensively in cornerback Matt Hankins and safety Jack Koerner. Then, there’s fellow starters in defensive end Zach VanValkenburg and CASH Dane Belton that need replacing.

Those four players combined for 130 career starts. Last season alone, that group accounted for 237 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 15 pass breakups, 11 quarterback hurries, 10 interceptions and 5.5 sacks.

Still, Iowa returns plenty of firepower defensively. Up front, the Hawkeyes bring back Yahya Black, Deontae Craig, Joe Evans, Logan Lee, Lukas Van Ness, Noah Shannon and John Waggoner. In his first summer availability, Lee was already raving about Iowa’s defensive line depth.

In the secondary, Sporting News tabbed cornerback Riley Moss as a first-team preseason All-America selection. It’s the third different media outlet to do so. There’s plenty of optimism surrounding what fellow corners Cooper DeJean, Jermari Harris and Terry Roberts can bring to the table.

Then, at safety, Sebastian Castro, Kaevon Merriweather, Jaxon Rexroth and Quinn Schulte all represent reliable options. Five-star freshman defensive back Xavier Nwankpa also figures to have his imprints on this defense sooner rather than later.

And, of course, there’s the linebackers. Senior Jack Campbell has been getting plenty of preseason love after leading the country with 143 tackles last season. He joins Moss as a preseason first-team All-America selection by Sporting News, Athlon Sports and Phil Steele.

It’s for those reasons that returning weak side linebacker Seth Benson believes defensive improvement could in fact be a reality for the Hawkeyes in 2022.

“Yeah, I think so. Obviously, just got to keep pushing ourselves. Communication. It comes down to communication and executing everything, so just continue to push ourselves, not set limits for ourselves and just keep going upwards,” Benson said with HawkeyeReport‘s Tom Kakert.

While Campbell has deservingly received plenty of preseason recognition, Benson registered 105 tackles, eight quarterback hurries, 5.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups, two sacks, and in interception in his own right in 2021.

Iowa also has Jestin Jacobs back. The 6-foot-4, 238 pound Englewood, Ohio, native tallied 53 tackles, a pair of quarterback hurries, two sacks, one forced fumble, one interception and 0.5 sack last season.

“Yeah, just super excited, ready to just get things rolling and start getting back out there and start playing again. Besides the fact of the on-field stuff, it’s just a great group to be with every day and work with. Even past Jack and Jestin, all those guys, Kyler (Fisher), Jay (Higgins), Logan Klemp, just down the list. Just a great group of guys to be with that push each other and know the ultimate goal that we’re trying to get to,” Benson said.

Jacobs echoed Benson’s optimism for Iowa’s defense entering 2022 with Hawk Central‘s Chad Leistikow.

“I’m very optimistic. Just because I’m seeing every day what we’re doing, how we’re putting in our work, how we’re focusing on the little things each and every day. It definitely leaves me with confidence in our defense knowing that each and every day we’re working to get better,” Jacobs said.

As the architect of Iowa’s defense, Parker gets a lion’s share of the credit. But don’t forget about the contributions from linebackers coach Seth Wallace.

“It is one of the most rewarding things, one of the most challenging days, but one of the best men I’ve been able to meet and be coached by and I’d say one of the best coaches I’ve ever been a part of as well. Each and every day he’s going to come in and he’s going to push you to your absolute best. Even if you make a good play, he’s always going to be critical on you, because you can make another good play and you can do it even better.

“He just knows how to get me going. He knows how to push me to the best. He knows how to critique me. To my fundamentals, to my effort. Every single thing. He’s one of the first coaches here and always one of the last coaches to leave just because he’s going to spend the same time on each and every one of us. And one of the most detailed guys. I could go on and on and on,” Benson said of Wallace.

Parker and Wallace have ingrained selflessness within the Hawkeyes’ defenders as well. It’s something Jacobs admits he didn’t arrive in Iowa City with. Or, at least not to the degree he exhibits while manning the CASH position today.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t say it always has been, but I would definitely say it made me grow as a person and it made me grow into that role. Knowing that sacrificing for the betterment of the team is going to make us all better in the end. It’s not about yourself. At the end of the day, you’re playing alongside 10 of your brothers and each play somebody’s relying on you to do your job. That took me a little bit of time to learn and I definitely appreciate that about our defense,” Jacobs said.

Selfless and talented. Defining characteristics of this Iowa defense heading into fall camp, and two reasons why eclipsing 2021 just might be possible.

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‘We have a great opportunity to make an impact’: Logan Lee helping lead Iowa defensive line

Logan Lee is excited about the depth that Iowa’s defensive line brings to the table heading into 2022 and hopefully individual growth.

Logan Lee is one of the big reasons why Iowa fans should be excited about what the Hawkeyes’ defensive line figures to bring to the table in 2022. The 6-foot-5, 275 pound defensive tackle from Orion, Ill., cracked Iowa’s rotation for the first time in 2021 and didn’t disappoint.

Lee started all 14 games as one of the Hawkeyes’ defensive tackles and ended the 2021 season with 48 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks, a pass breakup, one quarterback hurry, a fumble recovery and a blocked kick. He’s hoping for more in 2022.

“The biggest thing I’ve always valued is being able to help the team as much as I can and working as hard as I can to be able to put myself in that position. I’ve always been very confident with my abilities. I’m always willing to bet on myself. I knew my time would come and it was able to come last year. I’m planning on completely exceeding that this year,” Lee said with Hawk Central and Iowa reporters earlier this week.

Asked what exceeding 2021 would look like, Lee served up the following.

“Just being able to increase production predominantly, so being able to stay on the field longer and being able to just help the defense as much as I can with my production,” Lee said.

Now that he has a full season’s experience under his belt, an increased workload and jumps in production are reasonable expectations. Still, Lee understands that the nature of his position means that playing assignment-sound football doesn’t always net production at least when it comes to the stat sheet.

“Absolutely. Coach (Kelvin) Bell does a great job. We know what he’s looking for, and there’s oftentimes (where) to you guys it might seem like a failed rep, right? But, to coach Bell, he’s like, ‘You did your job. That was a great rep.’ It was A-plus on the grade sheet, so we go plus and minuses. More often than not, there’s actually a play that might look bad is actually a plus on the sheet because it’s what we are asked to do,” Lee said.

That being said, pass rush is one area he’s really zeroed in on enhancing throughout this offseason.

“I’m doing a lot of hand-fighting stuff. I’ve got a pop-up bag back home and then I’m able to come into the facility at any time of the day, so I do a lot of hand-fighting stuff so I’m able to improve my hand-eye coordination for the pass rush,” Lee said.

The other area would be continuing to add to his 275-pound frame and fine-tuning his understanding of defensive coordinator Phil Parker’s defense.

“Some of the biggest things I think would be beneficial for me are being able to improve my conditioning. That’s always a big thing. I’d like to be able to gain a little bit of weight right now. I’ve kind of plateaued a little bit, but I think I’m doing well. And then, just more knowledge of our defense and why everything’s doing what we’re doing,” Lee said.

Lee joins an Iowa defensive line that also returns starting defensive tackle Noah Shannon and starting defensive end John Waggoner. That duo combined for 72 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. Plus, Iowa is expecting big things from Lukas Van Ness and also sees the returns of Joe Evans, Yahya Black and Deontae Craig.

“We’ve got a great group. We’ve got a ton of guys that are potentially capable of playing. There’s close to a dozen guys that we could travel, so there’s quite a few. I’m not going to name any names specifically, but I think we have a great opportunity to make an impact this year,” Lee said.

Then, there’s the defensive line signees from the 2022 class that includes Aaron Graves, Caden Crawford and Brian Allen. While he wasn’t actively looking to name specific standouts up front, Lee was asked what he’s seen of Graves so far.

“He looks really good. He’s moving really well. Great kid. Big fan of him. I’m excited to see what he’s able to do. I’m just trying to kind of take him under my wing a little bit and help him out as much as I can,” Lee said.

It’s an exciting group of players that the Hawkeyes feature along their defensive line heading into 2022 and Lee is one of the puzzle pieces making that the case.

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Best photos of Noah Shannon’s Iowa Hawkeyes career entering 2022

After his best season with Iowa, Hawkeyes defensive lineman Noah Shannon is looking to improve upon his 47 tackles in 2021.

After a career year with the Iowa Hawkeyes, defensive lineman Noah Shannon is looking to build upon that success. The 6-foot, 289 pound defensive tackle registered 47 tackles, two tackles for loss and a pair of sacks in 2021 for Iowa.

It was easily his best season with the Hawkeyes. Shannon eclipsed his previous best single-season tackles total from the 2020 season by 36. Now, Iowa is counting on even more production from the fifth-year senior.

Listed atop the depth chart to begin the spring season as the Hawkeyes’ starting left defensive tackle, Shannon will have the opportunity to enjoy his finest season in the black and gold.

The Oswego High School product out of Montgomery, Ill., arrived in Iowa City as a three-star signee in the 2018 class. According to 247Sports, Shannon was the No. 68 defensive tackle and the No. 25 player out of Illinois.

He chose the Hawkeyes over offers from schools such as Arkansas, Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Rutgers, Syracuse, Virginia and Washington State.

Here’s a look back at his career with the Hawkeyes thus far through these great photos.