ORLANDO, Fla. – Leading up to the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 2024, Iowa football has had plenty of storylines develop over the past few days, perhaps most notably in the Friday announcement of Hawkeye tight end Luke Lachey returning for a fifth season. 

Despite only playing in three games due to injury, Lachey was a team captain throughout the season and will be a valuable presence in the future. With that lingering question finally resolved, Iowa still has plenty of current topics to address, many of which have been answered in the Sunshine State. 

No Marco Lainez playing time in bowl game 

With Iowa backup quarterback Joe Labas in the transfer portal, first-year signal caller Marco Lainez is now slotted in as the second-string on the depth chart ahead of the bowl game. Hailing from Princeton, New Jersey, Lainez has not taken a snap during the regular season but has seen time running with the second-string in warmups since Iowa’s game against Northwestern on Nov. 4. 

“I felt like Marco had elevated above Joe at that time,” Hawkeye offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz said of the decision to give Lainez more reps. “We want to invest the reps in the guys that we think can

help the football team win.” 

However, when asked if Lainez would at least receive a package of plays against the Volunteers, Ferentz was adamant that current starter Deacon Hill would “go the distance” for the Hawkeyes. 

Nick Jackson reaction to eligibility 

The Black and Gold faithful got an extra holiday gift on Christmas day when Brad Heinrichs, CEO of the Iowa SWARM Initiative, announced the NCAA approved of Jackson’s application for an extra year of eligibility. The linebacker’s final season at Virginia was cut short by two games after the season was suspended after a shooting that claimed the lives of three teammates. 

At media availability on Thursday, Jackson said he was surprised to hear the news, but maintained he wasn’t going to rush his decision, adding that he his choice “isn’t all about me, but it impacts a lot of other people, too.” 

Fellow linebacker Jay Higgins, whom Jackson refers to as his “best friend,” announced Tuesday that he would return for another season. Jackson said having Higgins by his side in 2024 will play a “critical” role in his decision-making process. 

“I love having the opportunity to play with Jay,” he said. 

Jermari Harris, others still on the fence 

Similar to Jackson, Iowa cornerback Jermari Harris also needs to made a choice on if he will don the Black and Gold next season. On Friday, Harris said that his announcement would come in the week after the bowl game, but maintained that he isn’t leaning one way or another, but rather depending on his “support system” for advice. 

Hawkeye safety Quinn Schulte and defensive back Sebastian Castro spoke to the media on Thursday, and both reiterated that they have not yet made a decision. For Castro, that choice will come “at most three days” after the matchup against Tennessee. 

“I’ve been telling everyone that regardless of if I stay or go, it’s a win-win situation,” Castro said. “I’ve always wanted to play in the NFL, and to come back to college football, play games and get better … it’s not a bad deal.” 

Kirk Ferentz updates 

While plenty of the Hawkeye faithful have been concerned over who Kirk Ferentz will elect as the next offensive coordinator this offseason, some have grown suspicious over the Iowa head coach’s potential departure westward to take over at the helm for the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, who fired their head coach in December. 

Affirming that the pro team has not reached out to him, Kirk Ferentz told reporters to “take rumor off the board.” 

As for the signing of the offensive coordinator, Ferentz said last week that his three phone calls didn’t inherently mean he had interviewed three candidates. On Thursday, he said that the hiring process has been “tabled” during bowl preparation, but added that the choice would be made by ideally the third week of January.