Alright, the 2021 season is really starting to feel real now -- we've got our first depth chart of the year, for Iowa's Week One season opener against Indiana. It's not too different than the depth chart we saw during fall practice, but let's talk about it anyway.
Don't forget you can always find the depth chart here too.
| OFFENSE | DEFENSE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS | FIRST STRING | SECOND STRING | POS | FIRST STRING | SECOND STRING |
| QB | SPENCER PETRAS (Jr) | ALEX PADILLA (So) | DE | JOHN WAGGONER (Jr) | JOE EVANS (Jr) |
| RB | TYLER GOODSON (Jr) | IVORY KELLY-MARTIN (Sr) | DT | NOAH SHANNON (Jr) | LUKAS VAN NESS (RS Fr) |
| FB | MONTE POTTEBAUM (Jr) | TURNER PALLISSARD (Jr) | DT | YAHYA BLACK (RS Fr) | LOGAN LEE (Jr) |
| WR | TYRONE TRACY, JR (Jr) | KEAGAN JOHNSON (Fr) | DE | ZACH VANVALKENBURG (Sr) | DEONTAE CRAIG (RS Fr) |
| WR | NICO RAGAINI (Jr) | CHARLIE JONES (Sr) | CASH / LEO | DANE BELTON (Jr) | JESTIN JACOBS (So) |
| TE | SAM LAPORTA (Jr) | LUKE LACHEY (RS Fr) | MLB | JACK CAMPBELL (Jr) | JAY HIGGINS (So) |
| LT | JACK PLUMB (Jr) | MASON RICHMAN (RS Fr) | WLB | SETH BENSON (Jr) | KYLER FISHER (So) |
| LG | CODY INCE (Jr) | TYLER ELSBURY (RS Fr) | LCB | MATT HANKINS (Sr) | JERMARI HARRIS (So) |
| C | TYLER LINDERBAUM (Jr) | MATT FAGAN (Jr) | FS | JACK KOERNER (Sr) | QUINN SCHULTE (So) |
| RG | JUSTIN BRITT (So) | JOSH VOLK (RS Fr) | SS | KAEVON MERRIWEATHER (Jr) | SEBASTIAN CASTRO (So) |
| RT | NICK DEJONG (So) | CONNOR COLBY (Fr) | RCB | RILEY MOSS (Sr) | TERRY ROBERTS (Jr) |
| LS | AUSTIN SPIEWAK (Sr) | -- | |||
| K | CALEB SHUDAK (Sr) | -- | P | TORY TAYLOR (So) | -- |
| KR | CHARLIE JONES (Sr) | -- | PR | CHARLIE JONES (Jr) | -- |
A few thoughts:
-
Holy youth movement, Batman. There's a whopping seven seniors -- total -- in these two-deeps, and two of those seniors are backups on offense (Ivory Kelly-Martin and Charlie Jones) and two others are the placekicker (Caleb Shudak) and the long-snapper (Austin Spiewak). There are nine freshmen or redshirt freshmen in the two-deeps, including 80% of the second-team offensive line. You've also got 10 sophomores in the two-deeps, so yeah: youth will be served on this Iowa team.
-
That said, Iowa has experience on offense -- up the middle, at least. Lining up behind junior returning starter Tyler Linderbaum, you've got juniors (and returning starters) Spencer Petras, Tyler Goodson, and Monte Pottebaum in the backfield. The QB, RB, and FB depth charts are pretty much identical to what we saw from Iowa in 2020, in fact. (The only difference is no Mekhi Sargent at RB.)
-
There are familiar faces among the pass-catchers as well, led by returning starter Sam LaPorta at tight end. Nico Ragaini and Tyrone Tracy, Jr., Iowa's listed starters at wide receiever, aren't necessarily returning starters, but both have started before and have played extensively over the past few seasons. There's a lot less experience behind those three, though: LaPorta's (listed) understudy is RS freshman Luke Lachey, while Tracy's main backup is true freshman Keagan Johnson. Ragaini's backup is senior Charlie Jones, whose primarily made an impact in the return game in his tenure at Iowa. He was a productive receiver at Buffalo before transferring to Iowa, though. Regardless, there's a lot of uncertainty behind LaPorta, Tracy, and Ragaini in the passing game.
-
But the real uncertainty is upfront, where Iowa has a lot of new faces. As mentioned, the second unit for the offensive line is 80% redshirt freshmen (and the one non-freshman there is little-used junior Matt Fagan at center). Good news? Several of those guys were coveted recruits so there should definitely be talent to work with there. Bad news? They obviously don't have much experience. Not that Iowa's current first unit has a lot of experience themselves, aside from Linderbaum. Ince, Britt, and Plumb have seen some action in the past, but mostly in limited doses. We're about to find out how well they (and DeJong) can handle the spotlight as starters.
-
Their counterparts on the defensive side of the line are also the recipients of an extreme makeover this season, with just one returning starter in Zach VanValkenburg at end. John Waggoner has the other starting end spot for now, but I'd expect Joe Evans and RS freshman Deontae Craig to get plenty of snaps as well. On paper, Iowa doesn't have any standout defensive ends like they've had in recent years (Anthony Nelson, A.J. Epenesa, Chauncey Golston), so they're going to need a strong rotation of guys.
-
The defensive tackle spots also feature a lot of fresh bodies, highlighted by junior Noah Shannon finally getting his opportunity to be a starter -- and breakout redshirt freshman Yahya Black getting his chance to shine early and often in his Iowa career. Black has been buzzed about since he got to Iowa and particularly over the summer, so it will be very exciting to see what he can do when the games start up. Logan Lee, who came to Iowa as a tight end once upon a time, and Lukas Van Ness are your backups at tackle; like the starters, they too lack experience.
-
Iowa's back seven does have quite a bit of experience, thankfully. The linebacker corps is headlined by Jack Campbell and Seth Fisher, who started several games last season and emerged as a potent tandem. The wildcard at linebacker might be Jestin Jacobs, currently listed as the starter at the LEO position that swings with Dane Belton in the CASH position. Jacobs has been a tantalizing talent since he signed with Iowa, but he hasn't been able to secure much playing time yet.
-
As mentioned, Belton returns in the CASH role, as do Iowa's other starters in the secondary -- Matt Hankins and Riley Moss at corner and Jack Koerner and Kaevon Merriweather at safety. This was a very solid unit last season and we're going to rely on them for more of the same this season.
-
Our placekicking hero Keith Duncan has departed, but in his place we get Caleb Shudak, a force on kickoffs who has bided his time for a while now for the main job. Duncan leaves big shoes to fill, but the buzz on Shudak is very positive and he was reportedly neck-and-neck with Duncan for the starting job in recent years.
-
As far as returners go, Charlie Jones is the only man listed for both kickoffs and punt returns. He was very good as a punt returner last season so it's no surprise to see him return in that role. Ihmir Smith-Marsette leaves a big void in the kick return game; Jones (and whoever else is out there on returns with him) will have a tough job filling it.
- And, of course, last but not least: PUNTGOD Tory Taylor is back for his sophomore season at Iowa and is, of course, listed as the starter. ALL HAIL PUNTGOD.
Thoughts? Are you getting the itch for college football too?
