Analyzing the Iowa football team’s Week 2 depth chart
Minor adjustments were made on the offensive and defensive lines following the team’s loss to Purdue.
Iowa linebacker Seth Benson tackles MTSU wide receiver DJ England Middle Chisolm during a football game between Iowa and Middle Tennessee State University on Saturday, September 28, 2019. The Hawkeyes defeated the Blue Raiders 48-3.
October 26, 2020
The Iowa football team lost its opening game of the 2020 season against Purdue in West Lafayette. Ahead of their Week 2 matchup with Northwestern, the Hawkeyes have made some slight adjustments to the depth chart.
Head coach Kirk Ferentz released the team’s depth chart for this week’s game on Monday. Some reorganizing has been done to Iowa’s backups on both the offensive and defensive lines, and linebacker remains a thin position on the team’s defense.
Ahead of Iowa’s home opener against Northwestern at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, The Daily Iowan analyzes the – relatively minor – changes made on the team’s Week 2 depth chart.
Benson listed as backup middle linebacker
Iowa linebackers Jack Campbell and Seth Benson both missed the Purdue game. Ferentz revealed after the loss to the Boilermakers that Campbell has mononucleosis and will likely miss multiple weeks. A reason wasn’t given for Benson’s absence.
Campbell was the team’s starting middle linebacker heading into the Purdue game, and Benson was his backup. With both players out, Nick Niemann moved inside from his weakside linebacker position and played “Mike.”
According to Iowa’s depth chart, Benson will return to the field and back him up.
Redshirt freshman Jestin Jacobs will start at weakside linebacker against Northwestern, as he did against Purdue.
Kallenberger back at guard?
Mark Kallenberger and Coy Cronk competed for the job as Iowa’s starting right tackle coming into the season. Cronk, a graduate transfer from Indiana who already had 40 games of starting experience, won the spot. In Week 1, Kallenberger backed him up. In Week 2, the junior is listed as the backup right guard.
Kallenberger started four games at right guard last season – including the Holiday Bowl – and one game at left guard. The Iowa coaching staff rotated its offensive guards at times against Purdue, so Kallenberger may see time against Northwestern.
Redshirt freshman Nick DeJong is listed as the new backup right tackle.
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Movement on the defensive line
Senior defensive tackle Austin Schulte also missed the Purdue game for an unspecified reason, and Northern Illinois graduate transfer Jack Heflin took his spot in the starting lineup. Heflin is listed as the starting right defensive tackle for this week’s game and senior Dalles Jacobus is listed as the No. 2 at that spot.
In other news on the defensive line, sophomore Joe Evans is now listed as the team’s backup left defensive end. Evans was the No. 2 on the right side last week. Sophomore John Waggoner is the new backup at right defensive end behind starter Zach VanValkenburg after being listed as a backup on the interior of the line for the Purdue game.
Merriweather switches spots in secondary
Kaevon Merriweather lost his spot as Iowa’s starting free safety to Jack Koerner last season. Against Purdue, Merriweather served as the backup at that spot. In Week 2, the sophomore is the backup at the other safety position.
Merriweather is the No. 2 at strong safety behind starter Dane Belton. Merriweather could see time in the secondary when Belton plays the “cash” position in Iowa’s subpackages. Belton and Hankins are both options for Iowa at cash.
Redshirt freshman Quinn Schulte is the new backup at free safety.
