Hawkeye fans got their first glimpse of this year’s Iowa football team at Kids’ Day at Kinnick. With the season opener against Illinois State rapidly approaching, here are five takeaways from Saturday’s open practice.
1. QB Competition
Back in July, head coach Kirk Ferentz indicated Cade McNamara as the starting quarterback entering training camp. But the Iowa head coach seemed uncertain after Saturday’s open practice, saying the quarterback play from McNamara, Brendan Sullivan, and Marco Lainez was “not consistent enough at this point.”
“We’re going to let all three guys keep playing,” he said of his three pass-throwers. “With quarterbacks, you’ve got to let them keep playing and see what they can do.”
Last season, McNamara suffered a season-ending torn ACL against Michigan State on Sept. 30. He’s stated on multiple occasions that he’s back healthy and showcased his mobility during Kids’ Day.
Sullivan spent three years at Northwestern before transferring to Iowa in May. He completed 134-of-195 passes for 1,303 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 257 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games played for the Wildcats.
Lainez, hailing from Princeton, New Jersey, committed to Iowa in high school and redshirted his freshman season, only seeing mop-up duty in the bowl game against Tennessee.
The preseason depth chart shows McNamara as QB1 followed by Lianez and Sullivan, but that can change before the season opener against Illinois State in three weeks.
2. Moulton Mania Continues
Kamari Moulton displayed his potential to be an impact player this upcoming season.
Prior to Kids’ Day, offensive coordinator Tim Lester raved about the second-year back’s performance at spring practice. His impressive efforts continued on Saturday with several groundbreaking runs.
In his post-practice press conference, Ferentz said he couldn’t help but notice Moulton’s smile when he plays.
“[Moulton] did a good job all fall [2023], but in bowl prep, we kind of saw him making a big step, and it continued in the spring, and he’s done the same thing at practice now,” the coach said. “He has a great, great attitude.”
Moulton is listed as the third-string back on the preseason depth chart, but his performance on Saturday can guarantee him consistent touches to start the season.
3. Kaleb Johnson impresses
Despite Moulton’s strong performance, Kaleb Johnson looked to be the sharpest player on offense. The third-year back ran for double-digit yards on multiple occasions and scored two touchdowns after taking contact. He and fellow back Jaziun Patterson were the only Hawkeyes to find the end zone during practice.
Last season, Johnson logged 117 carries for 463 yards and three touchdowns as well as three receptions for 25 yards in 10 games played. He served as the backup to Leshon Williams last season. He’s listed as RB2 on depth chart and is expected to share touches with Williams throughout the season.
4. Special Teams, Special Players
Exit Tory Taylor, and enter Rhys Dakin.
The first-year punter impressed all in attendance with his consistent placement inside the 10-yard line, including one punt that was downed at the one-yard line.
Dakin participated in the same punter camps as Taylor in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia. The only difference is what they wear on their feet, as Dakin donned indoor soccer shoes on Saturday, essentially playing in slippers.
It remains to be seen if Dakin will be allowed to wear the shoes during the regular season, but Hawkeye fans will once again by cheering when he trots out on the turf on fourth down.
And while Dakin’s performance was impressive, it shouldn’t overshadow the potent accuracy of kicker Drew Stevens, who nailed all but one of his field goal tries, including one from 49 yards out. After a turbulent end at the end of last season, consistency will be critical for the third-year kicker moving forward.
5. Defense Doing Damage
To not much surprise, the Hawkeye defense looked sharp in Saturday’s practice. Quinn Schulte came up with a pick-six, John Nester nearly pulled in a second interception, and first-year Drew Campbell was a force on the outside.
Ferentz said that not just the defense, but the team as a whole, can get better and that needs to be the collective mindset with the season opener quickly approaching.
The Hawkeyes returned eight of its 11 defensive starters from the 2023 season, including star linebackers Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson. Among those who left are former All-American defensive back Cooper DeJean and lineman Logan Lee, who have moved on to the NFL.
Injury Update
Six players were sidelined at practice: Defensive backs Xavier Nwankpa, Koen Entringer, and T.J. Hall, wide receivers Dayton Howard and Seth Anderson and running back Leshon Williams.
Hall came up hobbling after a pass defense early in practice and did not return to action. Ferentz said the cornerback tweaked his left ankle and that it shouldn’t be long-term.
There wasn’t much concern expressed from Ferentz on any of the inactives, showing good signs that all injuries look to be minor. He touched on Nwankpa’s status, saying the star defenseman has been nursing an injury through parts of camp and his sitting out of practice is precautionary more than anything.