Iowa Football update

Let’s talk about Iowa Football.

Hawk fans have received for the most part great news about players returning next season. With the option to enter the draft, Iowa has had several key players announce they will return and one star announcing he will go to the NFL.

As expected our biggest star Cooper DeJean announced that he will be entering the NFL Draft. As much as I hate to see him go I definitely understand. Mel Kiper has DeJean listed as the #14 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and the #1 Defensive Back.

Broderick Jones, an Offensive Tackle from Georgia, was the 14th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Jones signed a 4-year $16.6 million contract with a $9 million signing bonus with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hard to argue with DeJean going after that type of contract.

Our already outstanding defense received great news when basically everyone else announced that they will not enter the NFL Draft and are returning to Iowa.

All American linebacker Jay Higgins who led the Power 5 Conference in tackles last season has announced he will return. Higgins stepped right in to replace 1st Round Draft Pick Jack Campbell for the Hawks and had an amazing year.

Nick Jackson also announced he is returning and that should give Iowa one of the top 1-2 linebacker combinations in the country. Jackson transferred in from Virginia and I really didn’t know what to expect. I look for other players across the country to follow in Jackson’s footsteps and want to be a part of the Iowa Defense under assistant coach Phil Parker.

After DeJean my second favorite Hawkeye player is Sebastian Castro. I believe he is underrated but with all of the stars on the Iowa defense I can see how that will happen. Castro started 10 games at linebacker and four games at safety this year. I believe Castro will do really well in the NFL.

Should Castro be at linebacker I would have to think the Iowa crew of Higgins-Jackson-Castro would have to be at least as good as any linebacker group in the country heading into the 2024 college football season. 

In the defensive backfield Jermari Harris and Quinn Schulte also announced they are returning. Iowa just keeps turning out great defensive backs that do really well in the NFL. No coincidence that Phil Parker is also the Secondary coach.

As for a possible replacement for DeJean, #7 on Special Teams stood out in the Citrus Bowl. The announcers mentioned him several times as the next in line to star in the defensive backfield. That would be John Nestor from Chicago who played in nine games as a true freshman. 

Our defensive line will once again be stout. Yahya Black announcing that he is returning at tackle was big news. I am also looking for Aaron Graves to have a big breakout year on the d-line.

With returning starters that were named to All American and All Conference teams last season to be coached by Phil Parker sure seems like a great combination for maybe an even better defense in 2024.

Phil Parker was named for the Frank Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in the country. What this guy does year in and year out is impressive. I had Bill Brashier, Bill Snyder, and Norm Parker on a pedestal for being the best assistant coaches overall for the last forty years of Iowa Football. In my opinion Phil Parker has surpassed them all as the best.

On the offensive side Nick DeJong from Pella. Iowa announced that he will return next season. This past season DeJong was named Third Team All-Big Ten and started five games at left guard, one game at right guard, and one game at right tackle.

Luke Lachey announced he would return to the Hawks next year. Lachey was on his way to a great season as our go to tight end when he suffered a season ending injury in week three against Western Michigan. A healthy Lachey certainly looks to be the next in a long line of very successful tight ends from Iowa in the NFL. 

Three former Iowa Hawkeyes were named to the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl.  Tyler Linderbaum was named to the AFC roster at Center. George Kittle and Sam LaPorta were named to the NFC roster at Tight End. All three Hawks played for a team that won their NFL Division and will be competing in the Playoffs. The Pro Bowl will be Sunday, February 4.

With three players named to the Pro Bowl Iowa tied for fifth most of any college in the country.

Iowa signed another typical recruiting class that is not ranked high nationally but I have no doubt that it is a good class. Iowa Football has their own way of developing players. One glance at the All-American Hawks this year and you will not see a lot of 4 or 5 star recruits. 

Like him or hate him I still like to hear what Urban Meyer has to say about Iowa Football. Meyer stated the obvious but it meant more coming from him. Meyer was quoted that with even an average offense that Iowa would be in the hunt for a national title every season because of the defense and special teams. I would have to agree.

Interim Athletic Director Beth Goetz made an announcement on October 30 that Brian Ferentz would not be returning next season. Goetz said that decision was made after a meeting she had with Kirk Ferentz, Brian Ferentz, and Iowa President Barbara Wilson. This was a big story across the sports world.

The announcement by Goetz was unique. Usually an announcement about an assistant coach comes from the head coach. Not so this time. The unusual situation of the fired coach as the head coach’s son…yea, unique. Why did Goetz pull the trigger in October and make the announcement? A few guesses. Pressure from the big boosters or fixing a mess that Gary Barta left behind. Possibly a combination of these two. I would sure like to know.

Since that announcement was made the biggest news for Iowa Football is who the new Offensive Coordinator will be. Unfortunately I expect an announcement to be made in the next couple of weeks at the earliest. With the Transfer Portal and Spring practice approaching I have to think the delay in this crucial hire can only hurt Iowa.

The rumor mill of who is on the list for Offensive Coordinator is out there. I have thought from day one that Ferentz would keep it to a safe hire with someone he knows and has worked with in the Iowa program. My best bet is Joe Philbin. 

After the announcement by Goetz in October that Brian Ferentz would be done at the end of the season I had the odds at 50/50 that Kirk Ferentz would return next season. It looks as though Kirk Ferentz will definitely be back next season.

With the way things are going now, unless there is a real big change in the offense next year I believe Kirk Ferentz will retire at the end of the 2024 season. There is a new boss in town and I believe change will happen.

I have no doubt that for the 2024 Iowa Football season the Hawks will have a sold-out Kinnick Stadium for home games to watch a great defense and a very good special teams. Hopefully we will see an improved offense. 

Until then we will wait and see who the new Offensive Coordinator will be and Spring practice will be here in about two months. The waiting and speculation are all part of being a fan.