Senior Ihmir Smith-Marsette led Iowa in receiving yards last season, and there are many reasons to believe he will do that again in 2020.

Smith-Marsette had 722 receiving yards because he was consistent throughout last season, even when things looked rough for Iowa.

When Iowa played at Michigan, Smith-Marsette had four catches for 60 yards – a tremendous effort considering Iowa scored only three points in the game. At home versus Penn State, Iowa only scored 12 points. Despite that, Smith-Marsette had five catches for 72 yards.

In games where Iowa had a weaker opponent, Smith-Marsette typically put up similar numbers. That will be key this season with all opponents being from the Big Ten and no weeks off scheduled.

Smith-Marsette did have some explosive games last year. In the second game of the season, Smith-Marsette had 113 yards and two TDs against Rutgers. His longest catch of the season came that day at 58 yards.

The final home game of the season was where Smith-Marsette shined the most in receiving yards, as he had four receptions for 121 yards. During his outstanding Holiday Bowl performance against USC, he had two receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown.

I expect Smith-Marsette to be active in the receiving, kickoff return, and rushing games this season.

When he lines up at receiver, it’s likely Smith-Marsette will be double-teamed. Despite that, I think sophomore quarterback Spencer Petras – who’s in his first year as a starter – will find Smith-Marsette multiple times a game for big yards.

Though sophomore Tyrone Tracy and senior Brandon Smith will get the ball plenty of times, Smith-Marsette will be the number one target for Petras in 2020.