That “wait your turn” mantra stands for development through the program, learning from the players before you, and growing into your own role.
But as the Iowa football offense collapsed in 2022, fell to the very bottom of the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2023, and claws its way back up now, a handful of bigger-name Hawkeyes have looked for opportunities now rather than later.
The biggest such name is Spencer Petras, who spent a year on the sidelines for the Hawkeyes in a coaching role before putting his name in the transfer portal. He landed at Utah State, earned the starting role quickly, and is perhaps having the best turnaround of any ex-Hawkeye.
In fact, Petras is having his best season yet, completing 161 of his 245 passes for 1,825 yards, 13 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. His best game came in a 50-34 loss to UNLV on Oct. 11, throwing a whopping 41-of-59 for 461 yards and three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Beyond Petras, though, the transition gets much harder. Take Deacon Hill, last year’s starting quarterback after Cade McNamara’s injury. After seriously struggling to ignite the Hawkeye offense, Hill transferred to Utah Tech and has seen very limited time.
His best game came on Sept. 7, throwing 14-of-28 for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick. But the Trailblazers scored just 14 points in the game as they surrendered 72 to UNLV.
And while former backup Hawkeye quarterback Joe Labas showed promise, transferring to Central Michigan and throwing for 342 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-24 in a 66-10 debut win over Central Connecticut State, his season is now over.
Labas suffered an arm injury, underwent surgery, and will miss the rest of his junior season.
Evidently, it has not all been bright for the Iowa transfers, down to mid- and low-major schools that are each experiencing down seasons. Utah State is 2-6, Utah Tech is 1-9, and Central Michigan is 3-5.
Out from under center, former starting Hawkeye receivers are having better luck.
Diante Vines made the jump to Old Dominion and is a reliable receiver for the Monarchs, as he’s averaging just under 10 yards per catch. His best game came in a 45-37 loss to Coastal Carolina — four receptions, 73 yards, and a touchdown.
And after Jacob Bostick’s career at Iowa was riddled with injuries, he made the biggest leap of any former Hawkeye offensive player as he transferred to the top 20 Texas A&M Aggies. While his playing time has been very limited, Bostick arguably has the most potential to make a serious impact on the highest level.
That’s not to mention the departures of running back Leshon Williams and wide receiver Kaleb Brown in the middle of this season, both utilized very little with the emergence of star running back Kaleb Johnson.
“Not to be callous, but if a player isn’t playing, it’s not like you lose anything that way,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “If somebody hasn’t really been playing, it’s not like you’re losing a lot of contribution.”
But transferring out of the Iowa offense has produced success in the past. Charlie Jones left for Purdue, was drafted by the Bengals, and is now their special teams returner. Tyrone Tracy Jr. also left for Purdue and is now the starting running back for the New York Giants with the injury of Devin Singletary.
“The one trait you don’t hear a lot about is intelligence,” Giants running backs coach Joel Thomas told the New York Post of Tracy. “He’s a smart football player. He’s grasped onto the things we’re asking him to do and develop.”
Iowa is “Tight End University,” yes, with the recent NFL Draft selections of Erick All and Sam LaPorta. But beyond that position, the Hawkeyes have not produced any offensive professional prospects.
The last draft pick at wide receiver was Ihmir Smith-Marsette in the fifth round in 2021. The last running back was Shonn Greene in the third round in 2009. And the last quarterback was Nate Stanley in the seventh round in 2020.
Only Greene has had an NFL career that stands out, and even then, it only lasted five years. Stanley never played in a game, and Smith-Marsette is on his fifth team in four years.
The Hawkeye staff will need to develop its offense to bring recruits in, keep them around, and turn them into professional football players — the dream of every recruit in the beginning. Maybe it can take a page out of its defense’s book.