For Iowa's Offense, the Talent's in the Room Now
After a whirlwind couple of days, the Iowa Hawkeyes' wide receiver room got a massive boost with the transfer arrival of former Ohio State wideout Kaleb Brown. Brown was the 91st-ranked overall recruit in the 2022 class, and brings four years of eligibility to Iowa City.
Brown, a 5'10", 197-pound speedster who has drawn comparisons to former Buckeye star and current Washington Commander starter Curtis Samuel, comes to Iowa with immediate expectations of contributing. Brown managed just one catch for five yards* amid action in four games in 2022, but that still makes him only the third scholarship wide receiver on Iowa's roster with a catch in FBS play, joining Nico Ragaini (125 career catches) and Diante Vines (10).
*That lone catch came during Ohio State's 54-10 victory against Iowa.
Iowa's crown jewel of the Transfer Portal is still QB Cade McNamara, who has impressed coaches enough to lock up the starting quarterback role before even being healthy enough for 11-on-11 play, as he continues to recover from knee surgery. McNamara's timeline continues to point to him being ready well in advance of the beginning of the season.
McNamara's addition to the roster, announced in December 2022, launched an offseason of portal activity that has suddenly turned Iowa's offensive two-deeps from a liability to — on paper — something formidable.
McNamara is backed up by Wisconsin transfer Deacon Hill and returning Hawkeye sophomore Joe Labas, giving Iowa's QB room high-level strength at the top and trustworthy depth. McNamara also brought Erick All from Michigan to join Luke Lachey atop what's once again one of the best TE groups in the Big Ten.
Meanwhile, Brown and fellow transfer Seth Anderson, who had an extremely productive freshman season at FCS Charleston Southern, bolster a WR corps in dire need of playmaking ability and experience. Brown and Anderson's arrival means Iowa has the luxury of patience with athletic but untested freshmen like Jacob Bostick, Alex Mota, Jarriett Buie, Terrell Washington Jr. and Dayton Howard.
And perhaps most importantly, the Iowa offensive line that bounced from breakdown to breakdown in 2022 brings its whole rotation back with a welcome year of development — and adds experience in graduate transfers Daijon Parker (tackle, Saginaw Valley State) and Rusty Feth (guard, Miami University). Barring another disastrous slew of injuries, Iowa's ability to put five linemen on the field as a cohesive unit should be vastly improved.
The only unit not mentioned already is running back, and nobody's happier than the Iowa coaching staff to see that room mostly untouched by portal activity; Kaleb Johnson, Leshon Williams and Jaziun Patterson are all back after stepping into new or expanded roles in 2022. That broad production meant Iowa could withstand Gavin Williams, a former heir apparent to the RB1 job, packing up for Northern Illinois over the offseason.
Depth is still a concern at spots in the Iowa offense, most notably along the line and at wide receiver. And that's before the grind of a regular season takes its toll on rotations and availability. But thanks to the Transfer Portal, Iowa should be able to fill just about every spot in its offensive two-deep with legit, Big Ten-level talent and the ability to execute both the run and pass games effectively.
The Elephant
Because no discussion of the Iowa offense can be had outside the shadow of its coaching, it's worth recalling offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz's most recent press conference appearance, where he said he "[doesn't] know that there are any notable changes to the offense."
To Brian Ferentz's credit, that's been consistent with everything he's told Iowa fans since last season ended. But the talent influx also means he's losing the excuse of personnel causing last season's debacles on offense.
And yes — the personnel issues were real and substantial, undeniably so. Borderline crippling, when the freshman-heavy offensive line had to keep some of the nation's best defenses out of the backfield.
But those same issues effectively clouded any ability to evaluate the Iowa offense when it's working the way it ought to. With the talent (and depth) that's been added to on this coming season's offense, the runway is clear for Ferentz to run the offense his way. So again: he'd better be right.
Stepping In and Stepping Up
One player — especially one with limited playing experience — rarely makes or breaks a position group, especially at a Power-5 level. But as Kirk Ferentz already knows, one impact player can have massive ripple effects for a position group, an entire side of the ball, or even a program itself.
Back in 2000, with Iowa flailing at 1-7 (1-3) and Ferentz staring at a second consecutive one-win season to start his Iowa tenure, freshman Bob Sanders stepped into a starting role at strong safety for Iowa's last four games amid a strong season on special teams and instantly transformed the entire identity of the defense.
Not only did Iowa finish that 2000 season 2-2, the two losses by a combined nine points, but the Hawkeyes earned an Alamo Bowl bid the next year before trips to the Orange Bowl and Outback Bowl and consecutive No. 8 finishes. And Ferentz went from that 2-17 start to his Iowa career to reaching 6+ wins in 21 of the ensuing 22 years (and counting) leading the program.
Brown doesn't have to match Sanders' accolades to be considered a successful addition to the Iowa offense, obviously. But as the highest-ranked high school recruit to play wide receiver for Ferentz at Iowa, the stage is set for Brown and/or one of his fellow transfers to make a similarly quick impact — and maybe even help change the narrative of the hapless Hawkeye offense.