2023 College Football Catalog: Previewing the Iowa Hawkeyes
Josh Frey
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Just like the NFL season is right around the corner, college campuses are preparing to welcome back their football squads for the fall season. As the summer progresses we will be taking a look into how many of the FBS college football programs fared in 2022, what they did during the offseason, and how they can find success during the 2023 season. As we continue our tour through the Big 10, today, we move onto the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Overview
2022 Results
- W vs. South Dakota State, 7-3
- L vs. Iowa State, 7-10
- W vs. Nevada, 27-0
- W @ Rutgers, 27-10
- L vs. (4) Michigan, 14-27
- L @ Illinois, 6-9
- L @ (2) Ohio State, 10-54
- W vs. Northwestern, 33-13
- W @ Purdue, 24-3
- W vs. Wisconsin, 24-10
- W @ Minnesota, 13-10
- L vs. Nebraska, 17-24
- W vs. Kentucky, 21-0 (Music City Bowl
Overall Record: 8-5 (5-4)
2022 All-Big 10 Members
- TE Sam LaPorta (Coaches and Media First-Team)
- EDGE Lukas Van Ness (Coaches and Media Second-Team)
- EDGE Joe Evans (Media Second-Team)
- LB Jack Campbell (Coaches and Media First-Team)
- LB Seth Benson (Coaches and Media Second-Team)
- CB Riley Moss (Coaches First-Team, Media Second-Team)
- DB Cooper DeJean (Coaches Second-Team, Media First-Team)
- K Drew Stevens (Coaches Third-Team, Media Second-Team)
- P Tory Taylor (Coaches Third-Team, Media First-Team)
Recent Vikings Draft Picks
- DT Jaleel Johnson (2017 Draft: R4, P109)
- QB Nate Stanley (2020 Draft: R7, P244)
- WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette (2021 Draft: R5, P157)
2023 NFL Draft Selections
- R1, P15: EDGE Lukas Van Ness (Green Bay Packers)
- R1, P18: LB Jack Campbell (Detroit Lions)
- R2, P34: TE Sam LaPorta (Detroit Lions)
- R3, P83: CB Riley Moss (Denver Broncos)
2023 Schedule
- 9/2 vs. Utah State
- 9/9 @ Iowa State
- 9/16 vs. Western Michigan
- 9/23 @ Penn State
- 9/30 vs. Michigan State
- 10/7 vs. Purdue
- 10/14 @ Wisconsin
- 10/21 vs. Minnesota
- 11/4 @ Northwestern
- 11/11 vs. Rutgers
- 11/18 vs. Illinois
- 11/24 @ Nebraska
Notable Additions
- QB Deacon Hill (transfer portal, Wisconsin)
- QB Cade McNamara (transfer portal, Michigan)
- TE Erick All (transfer portal, Michigan)
- OT Trevor Lauck (four-star recruit)
- OT Daijon Parker (transfer portal, Virginia)
- IOL Rusty Feth (transfer portal, Maryland)
- LB Nick Jackson (transfer portal, Virginia)
- LB Ben Kueter (four-star recruit)
Notable Losses
- QB Alex Padilla (transfer portal, SMU)
- RB Gavin Williams (transfer portal, Northern Illinois)
- WR Arland Bruce IV (transfer portal, Oklahoma State)
- WR Keagan Johnson (transfer portal, Kansas State)
- TE Sam LaPorta (NFL Draft, Detroit Lions)
- IOL Justin Britt (transfer portal, undecided)
- IOL Josh Volt (transfer portal, Northern Iowa)
- DL Isaiah Bruce (transfer portal, undecided)
- EDGE Lukas Van Ness (NFL Draft, Green Bay Packers)
- LB Jack Campbell (NFL Draft, Detroit Lions)
- LB Jestin Jacobs (transfer portal, Oregon)
- CB Reggie Bracy (transfer portal, Troy)
- CB Riley Moss (NFL Draft, Denver Broncos)
- CB Terry Roberts (transfer portal, Miami)
- S Dallas Craddieth (transfer portal, Kent State)
Keys to 2023
Can Iowa Get Anything Out of Their Offense?
The Hawkeyes had one of the most lethargic offenses in the country last season, relying almost entirely on their defense to keep them in games. They averaged just 17.7 points per game and a mere 251.5 yards per game.
The big acquisition on offense is former Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara, who is the presumed starter this season after being benched by the Wolverines in 2022 for J.J. McCarthy. McNamara put together 2576 yards, 15 TDs, and 6 INTs in 2021 for Michigan, so if he can come anywhere near those numbers for Iowa, it would be a jolt to the offense.
Replacing Key Pieces on Defense
While Iowa is hoping for better play on offense, we may need to prepare for a step back from what was a truly elite defense in 2022. Though the offense ranked among the worst in the nation in a number of statistical categories, the defense allowed just 13.3 points per game (second in FBS).
However, Jack Campbell, Riley Moss, and Lukas Van Ness, all key contributors at all three levels of the defense, are now in the NFL. The team will be relying on All-Big 10 defenders Cooper DeJean and Seth Benson to step up along with improved play from their depth pieces.
Some Elite Special Teams Play
An underrated component of Iowa’s success last season was an elite special teams group. Both kicker Drew Stevens and punter Tory Taylor were All-Big 10 members, and it was well-deserved as Stevens hit 16/18 field goal attempts while Taylor’s average of 45.4 yards per punt ranked second in the conference and was among the top-20 in the nation. Considering Taylor was forced to punt more than anyone in college football last year (a ridiculous 82 punts in 13 games), this average is even more impressive.
The Hawkeyes won games by being able to flip field position in 2022, and while they’d like to have more explosion offensively to where they aren’t constantly playing the field position game, it is nice to know that they have this ability in their back pockets.
Prediction
- W vs. Utah State
- L @ Iowa State
- W vs. Western Michigan
- L @ Penn State
- L vs. Michigan State
- W vs. Purdue
- L @ Wisconsin
- L vs. Minnesota
- W @ Northwestern
- W vs. Rutgers
- W vs. Illinois
- L @ Nebraska
Overall Record: 6-6 (4-5)
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.