Just how good can the Iowa Hawkeyes be in 2024? That question seems divisive depending on who you ask.
On one hand, they are loaded on defense: Eight starters return. On the other hand, they return some key pieces on offense, but have a new offensive coordinator, Tim Lester, and many questions to answer.
One way to approach how good a team is can be a glance at how much production they are returning. Per ESPN’s 2024 returning production rankings, the Iowa Hawkeyes come in 30th in the nation with 69% of their overall production coming back.
Bill Connelly of ESPN defines this metric as below:
The formula I have created shifts with each new year of data and has had to shift a ton with the rising number of transfers. But the gist remains the same: High or low returning production percentages correlate well with improvement and regression. They might not guarantee a good or bad team, but they can still tell us a lot. –– Connelly, ESPN
Not surprisingly, Iowa ranks near the top in the country in defensive production returning. Iowa has the 12th-most returning production on defense: 80%. That number is invaluable with the experience they return to Phil Parker’s defense.
What is a tad surprising is the production returning on offense. Iowa returns 58% of its offensive production, which is middle-of-the-pack at No. 65 in the nation. While it is a lot of returning production, percentage wise, there wasn’t a lot of gross production to begin with.
That production is carried by quarterbacks Cade McNamara and Deacon Hill, tight end Luke Lachey, wide receiver Kaleb Brown, and the running back trio of Kaleb Johnson, Leshon Williams and Jaziun Patterson.
One thing Iowa has going for it in 2024 is it is going to be an experienced team with a number of players boasting a large number of game reps. What remains to be seen is if those players can turn this returning production into valuable future production.
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