As the quarterback battle has seemingly come to a standstill, sophomore Nathan Stanley and junior Tyler Wiegers have both shown their colors, and head coach Kirk Ferentz has finally set a coming out party for the winning quarterback — Aug. 28.
Ferentz has done a great job perpetuating healthy competition, even though he has said he is trying to walk the line between finding the right starters and attempting to avoid discouraging his young players.
“You judge the body of work, and you go with it,” Ferentz said. “It’s a delicate balance. We’ll keep an open mind. You don’t want whoever is in there looking over his shoulder every snap. That’s not healthy.”
But with some positions, it is clear: If you can’t produce, someone else might. Offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz brought this to light, saying many spots are still up for grabs.
This creates a variety of alterations to the way a player might enter a game psychologically. With players who are aware of their value to a team and are validated by the coaching staff, this breeds one of two things: complacency or focus.
Iowa defensive backs Noah Clayberg, Joshua Jackson, Manny Rugamba, and Jack Gervase pose for a photo during Iowa Football Media Day on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017. The Hawkeyes will open the 2017 season at home against Wyoming on Sept. 3. (Nick Rohlman/The Daily Iowan)
On the flip side, a player who is sandwiched by many similar talent levels will either float to the top or sink under the pressure of battling not only the opposing team but their own teammates as well.
This is where Ferentz leaves a large chunk of the players: scrapping for first team and hoping that they play well enough to hold off the next guy, who is just as hungry as they are.
Wide receivers
This is where most of the shoulder checks are manufactured.
“No one is quite where we want them to be, and we are going to be counting on young guys at receiver,” Brian Ferentz said. “So every day is a little bit of an adventure with those guys.”
Youth might be the biggest saving grace of this depleted unit. With youth comes potential.
He kept a shroud of uncertainty with this battle in particular. He did say that sophomore Devonte Young has been showing flashes but not enough to separate any of the receivers from each other except senior Matt VandeBerg.
That being said, transfer Nick Easley and freshman Brandon Smith have also garnered a large chunk of attention for their work on the practice field. The young and veteran players alike will likely be given equal shots, but the question remains: Will the pressure of competing for a starting spot be too daunting for the younger athletes?
The secondary
The secondary has been rankled by unreliability and unpredictability of suspensions and injuries.
Brandon Snyder was a glue stick on last year’s team but is out for the year with a torn ACL. Manny Rugamba, on the other hand, is suspended for the first game for breaking team policy.
This adds up to the secondary reaching for replacements.
Kirk Ferentz announced that Michael Ojemudia will likely be the starter against Wyoming on Sept. 2, and it may force Rugamba to check over his shoulder in the future. This has also caused Matt Hankins to move up the depth chart. He is growing and could become a staple in this defense in good time.
“[Hankins] ability to know what’s going on,” defensive coordinator Phil Parker said. “He’s just a natural corner, he sees things, he’s got good eyes, he’s got good vision, and I think he’s tough.”