The Iowa Hawkeye Football team will start fall practice this week and on Tuesday, Head Coach Kirk Ferentz met with the media at his 27th Big Ten Media day. Ferentz did not even give the press an opportunity to ask about the quarterback position; he said he has not made up his mind between Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown. “I can only tell you we’ll know the answer when we know it,” says Ferentz. “Hopefully sometime in August that will become apparent. It may be in-season. Can’t rule out any possibilities. The bottom line is we don’t really know who our starter is at this point, but are really pleased with the guys that are competing and the growth they’ve shown in the program now a year-plus. That part’s good.”
Ferentz is happy about the skill positions outside of QB. Kamari Moulton returns at running back with 878 rushing yards a year ago, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. At wide receiver, Junior Reece Vander Zee was hurt last season; Redshirt Sophomore Tony Diaz is projected to start on the other side; Junior Jarrett Buie, Sophomore Evan James, Sophomore KJ Parker, and Junior Dayton Howard will all fight for playing time.
On the offensive line, Ferentz says there will be competition in camp at two spots — Ferentz is not sure which spots yet, “We graduated three really good players, but I think we’ve got a pool right now of seven, eight guys, maybe nine, that have a chance to play significant reps right now. Just not sure where they’re going to end up, what positions. We’ll figure that out as we go along.”
Defense is a little more unsettled especially on the line says Ferentz, “Seven of our top eight guys from a year ago are gone,” he says. “Anxious to see how that goes. A lot of growth in the spring, expect to see more in August. The one thing I will say there, I can just foresee us probably rotating players on a more frequent basis than maybe we have the last couple years. Don’t envision anybody playing 500 snaps this season. We’ll let all that shake out.”
Ferentz emphasizes that special teams will be a big focus since they lost their kicker, punter and main return guy Kaden Wetjen. “Some of the advantages we gained through special teams over the last couple years, we’re going to have to ride the train a little bit this year and exhibit some patience,” Ferentz says. “With new specialists, there’s always going to be a little bit of an up-and-down factor. At least that’s been my experience. That’s an area we’re keeping our focus on as well.”
Iowa has a new Special Teams coach this year in Chris Polizzi who is well qualified says Ferentz, “He’s been a coordinator, defensive coordinator for many years. Been in front of room, knows how to organize things. We’re not changing the playbook. It’s more about the players. It always has been, in my mind. I think what we’ve done has been solid in all three phases over the years. It’s about the players and their stories, how they develop.”
Ferentz talked about bringing in former Hawkeye player Tom Moore as a consultant. Moore played at Iowa from 1958 to 1960 and went on to a long coaching career in the NFL starting with the world champion Pittsburgh Steelers in 1977 and is a four time Super Bowl champion. “Tom is an amazing person,” says Ferentz. “He played at Iowa. Never started a game as a quarterback. That was his position. But found a way to help the team as a kicker and a punter. But he’s got such an appreciation for his experience, and that’s a few years ago, late ’50s, 1960. He has an appreciation for the game of football and the people involved. He stands for me all that’s good in football.”
Ferentz joked that he hired Moore so that he will no longer be the oldest guy in the building — Moore is 87 years old, Ferentz turned 71 yesterday.
Iowa opens the season on Saturday September 5, hosting Northern Illinois.
