Who has been the biggest surprise on the Iowa football team?
Akrum Wadley
Look, we all knew Akrum Wadley had a chance to be something special.
After showing bursts his freshman season, he broke out in the biggest way possible against Northwestern last year. Now, he’s showing consistency and much improved ball-carrying skills.
He has been thought of as a liability for some of his struggles with fumbles, but he seems to have cleared all of it up. Through two games, Wadley has 21 carries for 170 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Most impressively, he’s averaging 8.1 yard per carry, the highest mark on the team. He’s unloaded a variety of devastating spins and jukes on opponents with brutal efficiency.
Wadley is also contributing in the passing game and has transformed himself into a multipurpose back. He caught his first career receiving touchdown against Iowa State, and it will likely not be his last.
Derrick Mitchell Jr., who took a large number of reps at running back during third downs last year, hasn’t been on the field as much this year. Wadley has improved his pass blocking and when the situation calls for it, has also been able to squirt out and run good routes.
There’s a lot to like about Wadley’s game this year, and there should be plenty of big moments from him by the end of the year.
— Jordan Hansen
Anthony Nelson
Wadley has been great this year, sure. He’s produced at a level that nobody expected, and he has been a big reason that the Hawkeye offense has looked so good.
But there was the game against Northwestern last year to look at, and he’s shown plenty of flashes beyond that game.
There was no tape on redshirt freshman defensive end Anthony Nelson, no expectations for him on the field.
In fact, the Urbandale, Iowa, native, who leads the Big Ten in sacks with 3.5, wasn’t even listed first on the depth chart at the onset of the season.
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said Nelson would have to make contributions in the pass rush for the team to be successful, but all of the off-season hype was geared toward the other Nelson — fellow redshirt freshman Matt. He and sophomore Parker Hesse were the two names to watch.
Anthony Nelson has been one of the most dominant players on the defensive side of the ball for two weeks now — with the 2.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles against Miami (Ohio) and another sack against Iowa State on Sept. 10.
If he continues with that production, the most glaring hole on the Hawkeye roster isn’t so glaring anymore. Iowa has made a name for itself by developing low-star prospects into productive Big Ten football players, and there was a sense that someone would emerge on the defensive line.
But if you say you foresaw Anthony Nelson being that guy this season, I don’t believe you.
— Blake Dowson