Now that the spring season has come and gone, analysts nationally believe they have a little better handle on who teams are across the country.
Most of the transfer portal shuffling has come to a close, and we had a glimpse of teams throughout spring practices. At Iowa, that means the Hawkeye coaching staff is taking a cautious approach as it works players back from or through injuries and ailments.
That fact is best displayed at the game’s most important position. Iowa added Michigan transfer quarterback Cade McNamara in early December. From the first moment his commitment to Iowa became public, McNamara was telling anybody who’d listen how excited he was to flip the Hawkeyes’ offensive fortunes.
While fans gained a limited look at the Reno, Nevada, native during Iowa’s open spring practice, McNamara’s performance included a touchdown pass to fellow Michigan transfer tight end Erick All. Fans were already excited about what that duo would bring to Iowa City along with Charleston Southern wide receiver transfer Seth Anderson.
The excitement ratcheted up another notch with the arrival of former Ohio State wide receiver and four-star signee Kaleb Brown. Iowa brought in offensive line help, too. The Hawkeyes fortified their offensive line with the additions of Saginaw Valley State offensive tackle Daijon Parker and Miami (Ohio) interior offensive lineman Rusty Feth.
For a team as offensively challenged as Iowa each of the past two seasons, credit has to be given where credit is due. The Hawkeyes went out and found impact pieces to hopefully help them fix their offensive woes. Though it might not be their preferred path, the Iowa’s coaching staff was willing to pivot and use the transfer portal.
Combine offensive improvement with another Hawkeye defense that figures to be stingy and now we’ve got something in Iowa City! There have been all sorts of post-spring top 25 rankings out there.
ESPN omitted the Hawkeyes from its top 25. Finally, there’s one worth talking about. USA TODAY Sports released its post-spring top 25 rankings and Iowa fans can feel good about it. Check out where the Hawkeyes and the rest of the country wound up in USA TODAY Sports’ post-spring top 25.
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