Iowa Hawkeyes Football Preview for 2022

 

This is probably the least excited I have been about an Iowa team in the last decade. It’s not that they aren’t talented; it’s more that I just have fatigue with this program. They continue to bang their head against the wall and expect the wall to fall down instead of just giving themselves a headache. My feelings can be summed up by this shirt.

 

Joey Janela attends school board meeting as a prank, lands on local news

But like I said, this team is talented, and in some areas, they might be super duper talented. So let’s break it down by position to see where the Hawkeyes stack up this season.

 

Quarterback

I’m not mad at Spencer Petras, but I am so worn out by him that I have looked into changing my son’s first name (luckily, Spencer Lee brings me enough joy to counteract this). It’s not Petras’s fault. He puts in the work, gets great reviews from teammates and coaches, and does everything he can to be successful.

However, he’s just not good enough. I can’t fault him for that. I’m also not good enough to be Iowa’s starting quarterback (although Ferentz might like the fact that they would be forced to never run anything more than five yards past the line of scrimmage due to laughable arm strength).

I just don’t see what’s going to change this season. He has a strong arm, but he is immobile and not all that accurate. Petras is also above average on quarterback sneaks. There’s not much to say about his past performance, and there is no reason to expect any major improvement from that performance.

Alex Padilla is the more exciting choice by default. He doesn’t have the arm strength, but he is more mobile, yet still not all that accurate. He seems below average on quarterback sneaks (other college previews probably don’t have to address sneak aptitude, but it’s an essential part of Iowa’s offense).

This is the position I am least excited about going into the season. At least last year we had a guy named Deuce Hogan. I’m not sure if he’ll ever actually be good, but with a name like Deuce Hogan, it at least gave me something to be optimistic about. Sadly, he is now at Kentucky.

 

Running Back

Iowa lost their top running back from last year, Tyler Goodson, but bring back the Williams Brothers (not actually brothers), Gavin and Leshun. This is a fairly boring position. I don’t think either of those guys are game breakers, but I think Gavin is likely to take over the lead share of a committee. However, it’s hard to see a 1,000 yard rusher coming from the Hawkeye backfield this season.

They have a couple interesting freshmen in Kaleb Johnson and Jaziun Patterson. Though again, I don’t know if we’re going to find an elite playmaker in the backfield for this year’s team. These aren’t guys that are going to manufacture something without the help of a strong offensive line. Speaking of them…

 

Offensive Line

The line play starts with Connor Colby who has the early makings of “that dude,” the Iowa offensive lineman who dominates at his position and becomes a first round pick. He started as a true freshman and more than held his own. He’s only going to get better as time goes on, and he is going to be a huge key to this offensive line performing well. Colby is likely to stay at guard, but could slide out to tackle depending on the needs of the line.

The other guard spot is currently being held down by Tyler Elsbury. He is a four-star recruit, but since I have not heard much buzz around his name, I see him as the most likely interior lineman to get rotated in and out to give guys a chance to prove themselves.

After that, we have Logan Jones, who chose the Tyler Linderbaum path of switching from defensive to offensive line and finding himself as the number one option at center on the depth chart. Methinks this one won’t go quite as well as the last one, as that is a fairly high bar to clear. Linderbaum was getting consistent reports as an ass kicker from practices, but hopefully he can be solid in the middle.

Offensive Tackles

On the outside, there is at least some experience with Mason Richman and Jack Plumb. Richman showed some promise last year, so I see him as having the best chance of being a stalwart on the outside. I see it as likely that Plumb will get rotated out to at least give some time to Nick DeJong.

Right now, I think this will be a solid line with the chance to be good if everything works out. I’m of the belief that continuity is the key to any successful offensive line. Iowa’s line has not had that continuity in recent years, as they didn’t have clear starters and were rotating guys in to try to find the best five-man unit. Unfortunately, it seems like it will be more of the same to start this season. The goal will be that five guys step up and show they deserve to be starters. However, I have a feeling we will be seeing eight guys in five spots.

 

Wide Receiver

Finally, a position group that I am excited about. Last year, two true freshman got significant playing time and created significant interest in what they could accomplish as part of the Hawkeye program. Arland Bruce IV had a few more catches where Keagan Johnson produced some big plays. I think this is likely how their careers will play out. Bruce is likely to get open underneath and try to create yards after the catch, whereas Johnson could make big plays. Bruce gets his yards with finesse, where Johnson looks like a running back with the ball in his hands as he will bowl defenders over for daring to step in his way. They both showed a ton of promise, and I really don’t think a lack of weapons will be an excuse for this offense not succeeding.

On top of that, there is the stalwart Nico Ragaini. Ragaini led all Iowa wide receivers last season in receptions, and please do not laugh when I tell you the number of catches he had, because that number was 26. Okay, you can probably laugh a little. But Ragaini is another shifty receiver who understands defenses well enough to get open underneath.

Iowa’s depth at wide receiver disappeared when not one, but two of Iowa’s most “prolific” receivers both transferred…to Purdue. Yep, both of them went to Purdue. So there are some unproven guys behind them, but as long as those top three stay healthy, the other guys will just be battling for scraps. As opposed to 26 receptions, which is a five-course meal of action.

 

Tight End

Oh hell yeah, now we’re talking about some action. Where Ragaini led receivers with 26 receptions, our top tight end, Sam Laporta, had over double that with 53 catches on the year. Laporta continues the tradition of great Iowa tight ends, and he’s likely a day two pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He’s big, strong, can block, and can also move incredibly well. He will likely lead the team in receptions again, and I think he will potentially be an All-American this season. He’s that good.

Behind him is Luke Lachey, who has shown enough promise that he seems NFL bound when his Hawkeye career is over. Tight End U always has a plethora of talent, so there are no worries with this position group.

 

Defensive Line

The defense is where things actually get exciting. At every level, Iowa has playmakers and because of that, Iowa is going to be in every game they play this year. It starts up front, where Iowa brings plenty of depth to keep guys fresh on the line. Although Iowa doesn’t have a big time pass rusher that will garner headlines, they did find ways to get to the quarterback as both Joe Evans and Lukas Van Ness had seven sacks last season. Evans can play all downs, but his specialty is pass rush. Whereas Van Ness managed to generate his stats from the inside, which is the best way to disrupt an offense.

The depth is so good at Iowa that Van Ness is still only listed on the second team in the depth chart. Logan Lee and Noah Shannon will see a good amount of snaps on the inside as the first team tackles. Yahya Black also showed flashes from the interior, but the hope is that Van Ness takes another step forward and earns more and more snaps as the season goes on.

On the outside, John Waggoner will be a steady presence on the other side of Joe Evans. However, there should be plenty of playing time for Deontae Craig. Iowa usually likes to have another end to put in there, and watch out for Aaron Graves. Graves may end up Hawkeye fans’ favorite defensive lineman by the end of the year. Graves was named the MaxPreps high school athlete of the year. He also took up wrestling as a junior in high school and took fourth place at state the following season. This man could be special.

 

Linebackers

Iowa might not have the best linebacking corps in the nation, but they also very well might have the best linebacking corps in the nation. Although some other schools can boast about higher ceilings, Iowa’s three linebackers, Seth Benson, Jack Campbell, and Jestin Jacobs, all have a chance to be selected in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Campbell is the safest bet as the man in the middle of this defense. He had 140 tackles last season as he is not only all over the field, but he also has excellent instincts. It is amazing to see a man that is 6’5” have that sort of lateral quickness, but Campbell does it. I know he’s not the highest rated middle linebacker prospect on any of the draft sites, but I could see him making a huge rise this season. He is a guy who is that stout against the run and has the size and ability to turn and cover tight ends. This has incredible value in today’s NFL. Before that, he’s going to be awesome for the Hawkeyes. I’m not sure if there is any player that I am more confident in their performance for this season.

Outside

And yet, still, Jestin Jacobs is the guy with the highest ceiling. Another big linebacker at 6’4”, he is likely to put up impressive testing numbers once the junior goes out for the draft. He has shown he has the versatility to help in the run and in coverage, but he is the linebacker that most often gets subbed out in nickel formations. Jacobs seemed to take a huge leap forward last season, and if he continues with that progress, this will likely be his last season with the Hawkeyes.

Finally, there’s Seth Benson, the least exciting option. Though he is a guy who is really freaking good. He managed 105 tackles with 5.5 for loss, and he’s just a guy who is always going to be where he’s supposed to be. He’s not quite the athlete that the other two guys are, but a guy like this has value in the NFL. I fully expect him to make a roster next season.

There is some depth behind this guy, most notably Jay Higgins. Though as long as there are no major injuries, any other linebackers are only likely to see the field on special teams or in blowouts.

 

Defensive Backs

The defensive backs are the least proven unit of Iowa’s defense, but with Phil Parker running the defense, defensive back never seems like it will be an issue. They lost one starting corner, but bring back Riley Moss who has a knack for being in the right place at the right time with ten career interceptions. Despite being a white guy, speed is not an issue for Moss. Therefore, I’d expect him to be a day three pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

On the other side will be Jermari Harris who got more of an opportunity when Iowa had multiple injuries to their secondary. He proved his worth with four interceptions in limited playing time. I don’t think he’s going to turn into a first round pick, but with two solid years in the secondary, he could be a draftable prospect in 2024.

The depth piece is Terry Roberts, whom I have a deep appreciation for. He has been a special teams wizard as a gunner, and he showed plenty of flashes during his limited time at corner. Unfortunately, an injury hit at the worst possible time and it appears that Harris has moved ahead of him on the depth chart. Still, you’re going to need more than two corners. Roberts gives the Hawkeyes a ton of insurance.

Safety

At safety, Kaevon Merriweather is the one known piece. He has played plenty during his Hawkeye career, and he will be one of the starting safeties. He’s athletically gifted, but has never fully put everything together at the safety position. Merriweather must do this to make himself a draftable prospect. Maybe that changes this year, but either way, he’ll provide more good than bad.

This is where things get interesting as Iowa has Quinn Schulte as their other starting safety. However, Iowa has a 12th defensive position with their Cash spot. This is a common subpackage where they take a linebacker out and put a safety down in the box to handle spread offenses. Currently, Cooper DeJean is the starter there. I would expect DeJean to likely handle safety duties when they do not have a Cash out there. Of course, this may be me wishing on potential as DeJean was a highly sought after recruit, and Schulte is a walk-on.

Oh, but that’s not all. True freshman and super recruit, Xavier Nwankpa (which I spelled correctly without looking it up) is lurking and early reports from practices is that he is 100% the real deal. He’s going to find his way on the field this year. Have I already envisioned him taking an interception to the house against Michigan under the lights? I have, and my friends, it is glorious.

 

Special Teams

Tory Taylor is an Australian punter who is quite good. Iowa truly believes that Punting = Winning, so he’s probably our best offensive weapon.

I just looked at the depth chart and someone called Aaron Blom appears to be the new kicker. Okay. I hope he kicks it well.

 

Coaching

Nobody should casually like Iowa football. You’re either stuck loving it or you are hoping there is something more exciting to watch. Kirk Ferentz is steering the ship, and everything is designed perfectly to his preferences. The offense will not turn the ball over often and also have a lot of three and outs. Quarterbacks will come in and give you hope when you imagine how good they can become. They will never become better. If you squint, you will see potential for an explosive offense like back in 2002. This is your brain playing tricks on you, and you should seek medical help if you start to seriously believe.

The defense will play in the most bland possible way, playing tough against the run and only sending four guys to rush the passer. Somehow, this will lead to turnovers as Iowa guys are always in the right place at the right time. If you want to dink and dunk them to death, you can, but you have to be perfect. If you make one mistake, they’re taking the ball away from you.

Iowa is always an 8-win team. If Iowa comes through in close games, they will have 9-10 wins. If they don’t, they will only win 6-7. The teams themselves will be exactly alike. No Iowa team is better than another, just more or less fortunate.

 

Prediction

15-0 National Championship, Nick Saban retires after losing 3-2 in the National Title game. The safety was on purpose as Iowa ran out the back of the end zone on a punt with over 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, knowing that Alabama’s record setting offense would never move the ball into Iowa’s territory throughout the entire game.