IOWA CITY – Iowa is returning some experienced players to lead the team into 2022-2023 season and the defense of its Big Ten Western Division crown.
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz is looking at a number of top returning players for leadership as the team prepares for the upcoming season.
“Our leadership has been good. Probably got a little bit more personality than most of our teams at this point. That’s because we have some really good older players, experienced players,” Ferentz said on Saturday of his team’s leadership. Â The team had just completed a public, outdoor scrimmage and practice, and the seasoned coach explained how his team would compete for wins. Ferentz’s college football insight has never been questioned in his decades of coaching Iowa football.
“Today was certainly good to work and be in Kinnick,” Ferentz told the gaggle of reporters, all eager to hear about Iowa’s prospects. “First time all spring we’ve been in Kinnick. We have only been outdoor three times. For a breeze and weather out there, I think that is certainly good. Certainly for the guys throwing the football, kicking the football, that’s was healthy for them. A little different throwing and kicking indoors. Having a chance is certainly always a good thing, so that’s a positive.”
Ferentz talked about balancing a tough spring practice schedule with rest and injuries of players as the top guys lead the team along with the coaches.
“Then the other thing you notice the volume of work we’re doing right now is a little bit less, it’s been like that all spring because of the injuries. We had talked how we’re going to do spring practice a couple months ago, then injuries almost kind of forced our hands, cutting back some of the reps, especially for guys that have played. We have a couple guys you can predict what they’ll look like when we get going.
“Usually this time of year, the leadership base of the team, how we’re going to go about things, how we react to things. So far I think we’re a little bit ahead of the curve. Getting guys like Riley Moss, Charlie Jones, and Sam LaPorta back, cherry pick two guys that are on the older side, maybe had options to consider. Getting guys like that.
“I’ll cherry pick a guy like Gavin Williams, who has only been our lead back one game in his career. He carries himself like he’s an older guy, like a senior almost. There’s something about him, a maturity about him, a focus. He’s really respected by everybody.
“I think we have a good mix that way. We’re hardly there yet, but at least that’s a big part of the next couple months here is continuing to build on that, develop those stronger personalities as we go along.”
Iowa’s biggest challenge for this coming season will be finding a productive quarterback to lead a sometimes-stagnant offense.
Iowa’s 2022-2023 football schedule begins the season with three homes games right out of the chute. On Saturday, September 3, the “Gold Out Game” starts things off against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. Next, things get real on Saturday, September 10, when in-state rival Iowa State Cyclones invade Kinnick Stadium for the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series game, which Iowa has won the last several years in a row. Next up for the Hawkeyes on Saturday, September 17 will be the Nevada Wolfpack. Iowa finally leaves the friendly confines of Kinnick in Iowa City on Saturday, September 24 to play the Rutgers Scarlet Knghts in their Big Ten Conference opening game.
Iowa was ranked as high as #2 in the nation last season. Â In a disappointing end, the Kentucky Wildcats (10-3, 5-3 SEC) defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes (10-4, 7-2 Big Ten) on New Year’s Day in the 2022 Citrus Bowl.
