(Photo Credit: USA Today Sports)
Key Players Returning:
RB Kamari Moulton, WR Jacob Gill, OC Logan Jones, OG Beau Stephens, OT Gennings Dunker, DE Ethan Hurkett, DT Aaron Graves, FS Xavier Nwankpa, KR/PR Kaden Wetjen, PK Drew Stevens, and PT Rhys Dakin.
Key Players Departing:
QB Cade McNamara, RB Kaleb Johnson, WR Kaleb Brown, TE Luke Lachey, OG Connor Colby, OT Mason Richman, DE Deontae Craig, DT Yahiya Black, LB Jay Higgins, LB Nick Jackson, NB Sebastian Castro, CB Jemari Harris, and FS Quinn Schulte.
Top 10 Recruits:
Blue Chip Recruits: EDGE Iose Epenesa (Edwardsville, Illinois).
4 Star Recruits: TE Thomas Meyer (Clear Lake, Iowa), LB Burke Gautcher (Sycamore, Illinois), QB Mark Gronowski (South Dakota State transfer), and DL Bryce Hawthorne (South Dakota State transfer).
3 Star Recruits: DL Joey VanWetzinga (Bettendorf, Iowa), TE Eli Johnson (River Falls, Wisconsin), WR Terrence Smith (Aurora, Illinois), LB Carson Cooney (Oswego, Illinois), and TE Mason Woods (Iowa City, Iowa).
2024 Results:
G01 ILLINOIS STATE W 40-0
G02 IOWA STATE L 19-20
G03 TROY W 38-21
G04 @ Minnesota W 31-14
G05 @ #3 Ohio State L 7-35
G06 WASHINGTON W 40-16
G07 @ Michigan State L 20-32
G08 NORTHWESTERN W 40-14
G09 WISCONSIN W 42-10
G10 @ UCLA L 17-20
G11 @ Maryland W 29-13
G12 NEBRASKA W 13-10
BOWL vs. #19 Missouri L 24-27
Team Info:
2023 Record: 8-5 (6th in Big Ten)
Home: 6-1
Away: 2-3
Neutral: 0-1
B10: 6-3
Non-B10: 2-2
Head Coach: Kirk Ferentz
Iowa: 204-124
Bowls: 10-11
Career: 216-145
(Photo Credit: Iowa City Press Citizen/USA Today Sports)
Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: None
Rushing: Kamari Moulton (84 car., 473 yards, 5.6 avg., 3 TD)
Receiving: Jacob Gill (35 rec., 411 yards, 11.7 avg., 2 TD)
TDs Scored: Kamari Moulton/Reece Vander Zee (3)
Sacks: Ethan Hurkett (6.5)
Tackles: Ethan Hurkett (56)
Tackles For Loss: Ethan Hurkett (12)
Interceptions: 4 Tied (1)
Pass Deflections: Deshaun Lee (4)
Forced Fumbles: Aaron Graves/Ethan Hurkett (3)
Kick Returns: Kaden Wetjen (26 ret., 727 yards, 28.0 avg., 1 TD)
Punt Returns: Kaden Wetjen (26 ret., 328 yards, 12.6 avg., 1 TD)
Kicking: Drew Stevens (20-23 fg/fga., 87%, 40-40 xp/xpa., 100 pts.)
Punting: Rhys Dakin (64 punts, 2822 yards, 44.1 avg., 27 in20)
Projected Offensive Starters
QB: 11 Mark Gronowski (SR/TR)
RB: 28 Kamari Moulton (RS SO)
WR: 15 Reece Vander Zee (SO)
WR: 5 Jacob Gill (RS SR/TR)
WR: 6 Seth Anderson (RS SR/TR)
TE: 87 Addison Ostrenga (SR)
LT: 71 Jack Dotzler (RS JR)
LG: 70 Beau Stephens (RS SR)
OC: 65 Logan Jones (GR)
RG: 58 Kade Pieper (RS SO)
RT: 67 Gennings Dunker (RS SR)
KR: 21 Kaden Wetjen (SR)
PK: 18 Drew Stevens (SR)
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 48 Max Llewellyn (RS SR)
DT: 55 Jeremiah Pittman (RS SR)
DT: 95 Aaron Graves (SR)
DE: 49 Ethan Hurkett (GR)
LB: 12 Jaxon Rexroth (RS SR)
LB: 41 Jaden Harrell (RS SR)
LB: 43 Karson Sharar (RS SR)
CB: 2 TJ Hall (SR)
CB: 8 Deshaun Lee (RS JR)
FS: 1 Xavier Nwankpa (SR)
SS: 4 Koen Entringer (RS JR)
PR: 21 Kaden Wetjen (SR)
PT: 9 Rhys Dakin (SO)
Team Grades:
Offense
Quarterbacks: C
Running Backs: B
Wide Receivers: C
Offensive Line: B
Defense
Defensive Line: B
Linebackers: C
Secondary: C
Special Teams
Kick Returners: A
Punt Returners: A
Kickers: A
Punters: A
Schedule:
08/30 UALBANY GREAT DANES | First meeting.
09/06 @ Iowa State Cyclones | Iowa leads the series 47-24. The Hawkeyes are 7-2 since 2015, and their last series win (20-13) was in 2023.
09/13 UMASS MINUTEMEN | First meeting.
09/20 @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Iowa leads the series 4-0. The Hawkeyes won (22-0) the last meeting in 2023, and they won (27-10) the prior meeting in 2022.
09/27 INDIANA HOOSIERS | Iowa leads the series 46-28-4. The Hawkeyes are 3-0 since 2015, and they won (34-6) the last meeting in 2021.
10/11 @ Wisconsin Badgers | Iowa trails the series 47-49-2. The Hawkeyes are 5-5 since 2015, and their last series loss (7-27) was in 2021.
10/18 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS | Iowa trails the series 14-18. The Hawkeyes are 2-5 since restarting the series in 2016, and they lost (0-31) the last meeting in 2023.
10/25 MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS | Iowa trails the series 53-63-2. The Hawkeyes are 9-1 since 2015, and their last series loss (10-12) was in 2023.
11/08 OREGON DUCKS | Iowa trails the series 1-2. The Hawkeyes lost (18-40) the last meeting in 1994, and their only series win (34-31) was at the inaugural meeting in 1949.
11/15 @ USC Trojans | Iowa trails the series 3-7. The Hawkeyes won (49-24) the last meeting between schools in 2019, and they lost (17-38) the prior meeting in 2002.
11/22 MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS | Iowa leads the series 25-23-2. The Hawkeyes are 3-2 since 2015, and their last series win (26-16) was in 2023.
11/28 @ Nebraska Cornhuskers | Iowa trails the series 22-30-3. The Hawkeyes are 9-1 since 2015, and their last series loss (17-24) was in 2022.
Predictions:
Home: 6-1
Road: 3-2
Neutral: 0-0
B10: 7-2
Non-B10: 2-1
Overall: 9-3 (6th in B10 – Bowl Eligible)
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