Iowa Hawkeyes Football Offseason Preview

The Iowa Hawkeyes had a very successful season in 2021, but that doesn’t mean the ride was smooth and easy. Iowa had to overcome weak quarterback play and a limited offense to notch 10 wins and capture the Big Ten West championship for the first time since 2015. Iowa was able to make the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis, where it lost to Michigan. The Hawkeyes went to the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day but lost to Kentucky to finish the season 10-4. There is reason for Iowa fans to be optimistic this season, but the Hawkeyes also know that given the way they play, their margin for error is never very big. The Hawkeyes are walking along a fine line and hope to stay on the right side in 2022 under head coach Kirk Ferentz, the longest-tenured FBS coach in the country (since 1999 at Iowa).

Key Personnel Lost

Zach VanValkenburg had 5.5 sacks last season, and he will be tough to replace, as will safety Jack Koerner, who was an anchor for Iowa along the back line of defense. Iowa is and has been a defense-first program under Ferentz, so losing two premier defensive players rates as a significant blow. Iowa also lost offensive lineman Tyler Linderbaum to the NFL draft. Linderbaum is going to be a first-round pick, making him one of the elite prospects in the country. At several different positions, Iowa has lost top-quality players it will have to replace this season.

Important Incoming Freshmen

Safety Xavier Nwankpa is one of the top safety recruits from the 2022 class. He will take the place of Jack Koerner and give Iowa continuity in the secondary. When you look back at Iowa’s season, one of the more stinging and difficult losses the Hawkeyes suffered was a home-field loss to Purdue. The Boilermakers won that game partly because they smothered Iowa’s offense, but they also won because Purdue receiver David Bell outplayed the Iowa secondary. Getting a safety who can answer the call is a big part of finding answers against some of the Big Ten’s best receivers. That should provide a real boost to the Hawkeyes as they try to defend their Big Ten West Division title and make back-to-back appearances in the Big Ten Championship Game for the first time in school history.

Key Position Battles

Quarterbacks Spencer Petras and Alex Padilla will wage a very important battle. Petras was viewed as the player who held Iowa back in 2021 and prevented the Hawkeyes from being even better than they were. The Purdue loss and Iowa’s other 2021 losses occurred primarily because the offense couldn’t do anything of substance. There was simply no consistent downfield passing attack for Iowa. The Hawkeyes could not keep opposing defenses honest, and did not have the dynamism or diversity to win games in different ways. Great teams can win shootouts as well as slugfests, but Iowa needs an offense which can give the Hawkeyes the ability to win high-scoring games. They don’t have that ingredient right now.

Biggest Offseason Goal(s)

The Hawkeyes need their quarterback and receivers to be better. They have solid offensive linemen, and their defense is always going to be reasonably good under Kirk Ferentz. Quarterback was the huge, towering weakness of the 2021 Hawkeyes. Solve that position, and this team can become a lot better.