IOWA CITY, Iowa — Kirk Ferentz turned 67 years old Monday, and the dean of college football coaches likely celebrated with a morning workout, a midafternoon pint of Cherry Garcia and a few St. Pauli Girls for a nightcap.
Ferentz, who enters season No. 24 in Iowa City, has guided Iowa to yet another renaissance in which the Hawkeyes rank seventh nationally in winning percentage during the past four seasons. He’s healthy and signed a contract extension through 2029. With six victories, Ferentz will pass Amos Alonzo Stagg for third place in wins by a Big Ten coach. If he reaches 10 again this season, Ferentz will hit No. 200 for his career.
Advertisement
Iowa won the Big Ten West title last year and boasts a collection of returning starters coupled with highly touted backups capable of repeating the feat this year. The staff and players exude confidence in their development beyond those outside the program. It’s something Ferentz noticed this spring, and it has carried over into summer workouts.
“I just felt like our team had a little bit more personality in April than some of the teams,” Ferentz said. “Usually, it’s more through the summer. But the exposures I’ve had with them when we’ve done some off-the-field stuff together, I can’t say enough.”
Like all teams entering camp this week, Iowa has plenty to improve on when it starts practice Wednesday. Here are five topics coupled with five players to watch this month in Iowa City.
QB competition
Just when it seemed safe to capitalize senior Spencer Petras’ name atop the first line of Iowa’s depth chart, Ferentz brought up junior Alex Padilla every time the quarterback position was discussed at Big Ten media days last week. It could mean nothing, or it could mean everything starting this week.
“I think, in fairness to Alex, you’ve got to include him,” Ferentz said. “He stepped in last year when he was called upon, and I don’t take for granted that we kept winning; we won with him in there. I’ve witnessed some teams that didn’t do so well when the No. 1 guy got knocked out. So, I really appreciate that.”
Last season, Petras started 11 games, and Padilla opened three after Petras suffered a shoulder injury. Neither had statistics that inspire much confidence. Petras completed 57.3 percent for 1,880 yards, 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Padilla completed 49.1 percent for 636 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Padilla’s numbers were marred by 11 dropped passes in the four games in which he played primary snaps, including a touchdown pass overturned on replay. Against Illinois, Padilla was 6-of-17 passing, but he was victimized by six dropped passes.
Advertisement
“Spencer, I think, has improved a lot,” Ferentz said. “I think Alex has, too. As I sit here right now, I feel good. I think we have two guys we can win with. We’re not envisioning a two-quarterback system — I’m not trying to go down that road — but it’s awfully nice to know that we got two quality players.”
In the final spring practice, offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz incorporated different plays for each quarterback. Petras (6-foot-5, 231 pounds) is a pure pocket passer, while Padilla (6-1, 200) has good lateral quickness and is effective on bootlegs and rollouts. Considering the quarterbacks were pressured on 33.1 percent of their dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus, movement is essential, even if it’s a step up in the pocket.
Perhaps the most tangible statistic for improvement in the passing game comes in red zone execution. Former quarterback Nate Stanley threw for 244 yards, 47 touchdowns and one interception in the red zone from 2017 through 2019. Last year, Petras and Padilla combined for 89 red zone passing yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Look for a few red zone drills during camp, which could establish some separation.
Lining up
No position group dealt with the confluence of injuries, attrition and inexperience quite as much as the offensive line last year. Last summer, it appeared Iowa might have the best interior line nationally with center Tyler Linderbaum starting alongside guards Kyler Schott and Cody Ince. Schott then broke his foot jumping off a hay baler one week before preseason camp, and injuries hampered Ince so badly that he chose to retire this offseason. Linderbaum, of course, won the Rimington Award as the nation’s top center and was an Outland Trophy finalist.
Last fall, the Hawkeyes plugged in redshirt freshman Mason Richman at left tackle and Connor Colby set the program mark for starts by a true freshman lineman with 11 at right guard. Right tackle constantly was in flux between Jack Plumb and Nick DeJong. The shuffling hampered the running game until the Citrus Bowl, when the Hawkeyes rushed for a season-best 5.8 yards per carry and 175 yards.
Advertisement
“We were hanging on up front with Cody out, and you got Shooter in and out,” Kirk Ferentz said. “I think we’re really a different group, and I thought … the most improvement we made as a team probably was up front on both sides by November. We can always get better, but I think we’re on the right path.”
Richman and Colby — now sophomores — are borderline fixtures at their current spots. Plumb, a senior, is slated to open at right tackle with DeJong, a junior, as a backup or left guard candidate. Sophomore Tyler Elsbury enters camp as the starting left guard after junior Justin Britt was ruled out for the season with lingering knee issues. Redshirt freshmen David Davidkov and Beau Stephens also could push for first-team snaps.
The most interesting and important competition up front comes at center with Linderbaum off to the NFL. Sophomore Logan Jones flipped from the defensive line and spent spring football with the top unit. Redshirt freshman Mike Myslinski was out following a knee injury in bowl prep but has returned and will battle for the starting role. The eventual backup also could see action at guard.
“I think there’s no question (Myslinski is) going to be in the competition of our top eight, top nine,” Kirk Ferentz said. “Now it’s just a matter of how much he can pick things up, how fluidly he can play. Logan did a good job with that, being a totally new player in April.”
True freshmen
Ferentz once used true freshmen sparingly to preserve them for their fourth and fifth years. He changed his mind after tight ends T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant left for the NFL after their third season on campus. In 2016, the staff nearly elevated both players to the varsity but decided to stagger their seasons. Hockenson tortured Iowa’s defense as a scout-team performer, and the depleted first-team offense played two walk-on tight ends when George Kittle’s foot injury sidelined him for multiple games.
“I’m at the point now where any freshman that can help us win, I’m looking at it this way, like, ‘Let’s just handle today, today,’” Kirk Ferentz said. “I’m not as worried about redshirting guys — maybe outside a lineman — as we used to be, because it’s rare for a guy to stay five years.”
Four scholarship freshmen enrolled in January and took part in offseason conditioning and spring practice. Considering all four were defensive players, it was difficult for any of them to step into the preseason depth chart with the quality and experience on that side of the ball.
Advertisement
Five-star safety Xavier Nwankpa, who spent the spring learning Iowa’s defense, has a shot at breaking into the two-deep. All four true freshmen gained weight during the spring, but Nwankpa (6-2, 210) took the biggest jump with 20 pounds. Despite his lofty status, Nwankpa keeps a low profile and repeatedly asks the veterans to watch film with him, and his work ethic has endeared him to the upperclassmen.
“He’s a very humble kid for the status that he has, just even in the state of Iowa,” senior safety Kaevon Merriweather said. “You wouldn’t be able to tell X was a five-star with him just walking around, because he’s getting along and talking, interacting with everybody just as if he was a two- or three-star like everybody else.”
“I’m thrilled he’s on our team,” Kirk Ferentz said. “There’s opportunity there. We lost three pretty good players out of our back end, and we’re dealing with an injury situation or two. I’ll know more once we get going in August what it looks like, but he’s in the thick of things.”
Cornerback T.J. Hall worked primarily with the second unit during the spring and is in line for the No. 5 position. Like Nwankpa, Hall (6-1, 183) bulked up with 13 pounds during the winter strength period.
Defensive linemen Brian Allen (6-4, 263) and Caden Crawford (6-4, 253) also competed during the spring and didn’t look out of place. But with a deep and competitive unit, it might take a year or two before they rotate snaps.
On offense, running backs Jaziun Patterson (5-10, 188) and Kaleb Johnson (6-0, 212) and receiver Jacob Bostick (6-2, 171) each will have opportunities to play right away. Despite the defensive line sitting at nine or 10 players deep, Aaron Graves (6-4, 271), the 2021-22 MaxPreps Male National Athlete of the Year, is talented enough to budge his way into snaps.
Kicker
Iowa has benefited from an outstanding kicking game the past three seasons, beginning with first-team consensus All-American Keith Duncan in 2019 and culminating with second-team All-American Caleb Shudak last year.
Advertisement
Duncan hit 29 field goals in 2019, setting a Big Ten record. Inside of 50 yards, he drilled 42 of 48 attempts in two seasons. Last year, Shudak was 11-of-13 on field goals beyond 40 yards. Five times during the past three years, Iowa kickers connected on four field goals in a game. The Hawkeyes won all five games.
The Hawkeyes have two contenders to replace Shudak, but neither has kicked a field goal in a game. Sophomore Aaron Blom sits atop the depth chart, and true freshman Drew Stevens remains in heavy competition for the spot. Both have powerful legs, but the unknown remains a big question mark.
“There’s potential there but not consistency is probably the best way to put it right now,” Kirk Ferentz said, “which is not uncommon for punters, kickers, etc., when they’re first starting out. You just never know what a guy is going to do the first time you’re out there on the field when there’s 70,000 people there. So, I think we definitely have potential there, and we’ll let those guys compete hard this camp.”
Amid high winds, both kickers struggled in the Hawkeyes’ spring scrimmage in April at Kinnick Stadium. They’ll deal with significant weather changes during the fall, from a possible 90-degree day at Kinnick on Labor Day weekend to perhaps snow or freezing temperatures in November in Minneapolis or Iowa City.
Secondary focus
Iowa lost three starters from a secondary that led the country with 25 interceptions last season. The Hawkeyes return starting cornerback Riley Moss, the Big Ten’s defensive back of the year, and Merriweather at strong safety. Cornerback Jermari Harris, who had four interceptions while replacing an injured Matt Hankins late in the season, returns but must miss the opener after a drunken-driving arrest.
The biggest question marks come at free safety and the cash position. Departing free safety Jack Koerner registered more solo tackles (62) than any Iowa defensive back since Bob Sanders in 2002. Cash defender Dane Belton, who flipped to strong safety when the Hawkeyes switched to a three-linebacker sub package, now plays for the New York Giants.
Sophomore Cooper DeJean, a four-star recruit, is slated to play cash, and junior Quinn Schulte, who originally joined the program as a walk-on, is listed as the starter at free safety.
Advertisement
“Quinn Schulte made some steps this spring,” Moss said. “Quinn’s known as a really smart kid, and he’s known the defense since his freshman year. But it’s a little bit different story when you’re out there and there’s a time crunch and you’re flying around and you’re tired. So it was good for him to get his first spring ball.”
“We saw him slide in there, and everything was still moving like a moving train, a locomotive,” Merriweather said, “and nothing really slowed down.”
DeJean is an athletic marvel with the ability to play anywhere in the secondary or switch to an offensive skill position. He spent part of last season as a scout team wide receiver before seeing action as a backup cornerback because of injuries. At cash, DeJean will play a hybrid linebacker-slot cornerback, which will showcase his 210-pound frame and elite speed.
“He’s sneaky athletic — like, you wouldn’t expect it,” Merriweather said. “But he’s very fast, very athletic. He moves around very well to be as good as he is, and he’s always wanting to learn.”
Iowa has some experienced depth returning, including senior Terry Roberts, who ranks as one of the Hawkeyes’ best-ever special teams performers but missed the back half of last season with a hyperextended knee. Sophomore cornerback Brenden Deasfernandes, junior safety Reggie Bracy and junior cash Sebastian Castro were rising performers in spring practice, as were Hall and Nwankpa.
Player to watch — MLB Jack Campbell: After leading the nation with 143 stops and scoring touchdowns by fumble return and interception as a first-time full-year starter, Campbell is poised to have an even better year. His size (6-5, 249), speed, depth in coverage and short-range striking ability make him capable of tipping the field in every situation. He was named the Big Ten’s preseason defensive player of the year last week.
All eyes on — Petras and Padilla: At this point, it’s Petras’ job to lose unless Padilla outplays him just about every day in camp. Although it’s only one practice during training camp, how the quarterbacks perform at the annual Kids Day scrimmage on Aug. 13 will shape the public narrative at this position for the rest of August.
Advertisement
Good-story alert: Every year, Kirk Ferentz touts a “good story,” in which a senior caps his career with high-level play. Often, it’s an offensive lineman. If that’s the case this year, Plumb might be the top candidate. A Division I men’s basketball prospect, Plumb (6-7, 297) has gained about 60 pounds since arriving at Iowa. He struggled in his first extended action last season, but if he becomes a consistent starter, the offensive line instantly will improve.
Good to elite? Defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness (6-5, 269) was a freshman All-American last year after registering seven sacks. During the spring, he shifted to right defensive end, which accentuates his long arms, good leverage, quickness and ability to shift speed to power. It would surprise nobody if Van Ness finishes with double-digit sacks this fall.
Fresh face: Several of Iowa’s 17-member scholarship freshman class will see action on special teams or as backups. If the Hawkeyes need one to become a factor, it’s receiver Jacob Bostick (6-2, 171). After losing two rotational receivers in the transfer portal, Iowa will elevate two or three to work alongside senior Nico Ragaini and sophomores Arland Bruce IV and Keagan Johnson. Bostick’s top-end speed could change coverage and help with downfield separation, much like Ihmir Smith-Marsette did from 2017 to 2020.
(Top photo of Kaevon Merriweather: David Purdy / Getty Images)
