Iowa Hawkeyes Football Team Welcomes 11 Newcomers

It’s been quite a while since we last saw head coach Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes take the field, but as we know by now, most programs have already started to get ready for the upcoming campaign, and they’re not the exception to that rule. Nearly 12 weeks after their last game, they finally conducted the first day of their yearly spring practices.

Unsurprisingly, the Hawkeyes have one goal in mind, which is claiming their second Big Ten West title in the past three years. Nonetheless, maybe some of the fans may need to temper their expectations, as there will be as many as 11 newcomers in the program for the upcoming campaign.

Ferentz knows it might take a while before all the new guys are settled in and ready to contribute, and you can just see that if you visit ClutchBet.com and take a look at the odds for next season. The program was way more active in the NCAA’s transfer portal than it usually is, so there will be some growing pains as the new guys get used to his system:

“It was our biggest group of newcomers (from fall to spring),” Ferentz said in his media availability. “Then the mix of newcomers are veteran players as opposed to the past, typically high school guys. That’s really been an interesting process for us. We got two more (transfer portal players: linebacker Nick Jackson and offensive lineman Rusty Feth) that are scheduled to be here in June. Looking forward to that, as well.”

Needless to say, the Hawkeyes will look to spend as much time as they can getting the new guys up to speed within their system, with coach Ferentz stating that they’ll take a fully-developmental approach.

A QB Competition Brewing In Iowa

Regardless of their defensive success, it’s not a secret that Iowa’s offense has been lacking for quite a while now. Notably, the addition of former Michigan QB Cade McNamara might as well open the door for a new regime for the Hawkeyes.

Senior Spencer Petras isn’t likely to come back due to a potentially career-ending shoulder injury, and with Junior Alex Padilla transferring to SMU, Ferentz was quick to land McNamara and Deacon Hill in his QB room.

Notably, the expectation was that McNamara would be the team’s starter right away, with Hill and Joe Labas going toe-to-toe to land the backup spot. Nonetheless, McNamara is dealing with an injury, so the job might be up for grabs if any of those players impresses the coaching staff during practice. 

“[McNamara’s] Not full throttle, but is doing some work in 7-on-7 drills,” the Head Coach said. “The good news is he’s been throwing some individual stuff, throwing on his own. As long as there’s nobody around him, as long as he’s comfortable, we’re going to let him participate in that.”

Everyone Needs To Step Up

The Hawkeyes will likely go through a bit of a transition phase, but that doesn’t mean they’re not ready to compete. Coach Ferentz knows they might not have the same depth from other years, but he expects several guys to step up and embrace bigger roles next season:

“We have some quality guys (but) we’re thin,” Ferentz said. “Start with —  it’s easy to pick Jay (Higgins) because he played a lot last year. A guy that’s ascended in the program. To think we’re going to replace Jack Campbell is not realistic. We don’t have a guy like him. The group I’m excited about, just cherry-pick. You have Jay (Higgins), Carson (Sharar), and Kyler Fisher. Kyler is the same thing; we really see him ascending right now. Karson is a guy that’s really intriguing. This spring will be really important for them.”

Iowa’s combination of youth and experience makes them an interesting team ahead of the upcoming campaign. We already know who they’ll be on the defensive side of the field, so hopefully, a new QB can finally help them take a step forward offensively as well.