During the winter transfer portal window, Kelvin Bell and Iowa heavily prioritized adding defensive tackle depth. Over several weeks of searching, Bell was able to sign a seasoned-veteran from the MAC in Central Michigan DL, Jonah Pace and an FCS Freshman All-American out of South Dakota State, Bryce Hawthorne.
The pair made quite the impression in winter workouts and spring ball.
"They're coming from good programs, and they played a lot of football," Phil Parker said at last week's coordinators availability. "I think they're going to be able to help us out. I see those guys getting into the mix right away. I think they will give us depth, but you can see them rolling them in even on the first series or whatever it is. They've done a good job."
One of the leaders of the DL group, Aaron Graves says moving on from a teammate like Yahya Black has been difficult, but adding the two new faces has been a positive.
"It's been a lot of fun, just getting new guys in the room," Graves said. "I think they've been doing great this spring, they've been picking up on the defense very well. They're quick learners. That's the difference between a transfer and a high school freshman -- they kind of already know what college football is about."
As shared with premium subscribers early on in the spring, Hawthorne impressed in winter workouts and showed some "twitchiness" that stood out to the staff and his teammates.
"We do a lot of change of direction drills," soon-to-be fifth-year senior Max Llewellyn said of winter conditioning. "I could tell very quickly that he's got some ability. The ceiling is really high for him. He's a little young and he's got some technique to work on, but the ceiling is super high."
"He's very athletic," Graves added of the Osseo, Minnesota native. "He reminds me of Anterio Thompson a little bit, in that sense -- the athleticism aspect. He's a tough kid, too."
Thompson, who transferred to Iowa from Iowa Western and then followed it up by moving to Western Michigan and now Washington, was well-known for his explosiveness and freakish athletic ability for his size while in Iowa City.
Between the two, Pace has several more years of experience playing college ball. With the added time on the gridiron, he's been able to add a few more of the intricate pieces to playing defensive line to his repertoire.
"Jonah is a little bit more technical," Graves said. "He's got a little more ball knowledge because he's a little bit older, so his learning has been a little bit more accelerated."
Pace came in with good habits, too.
"I think the biggest thing is the basic fundamentals, pad-level and reading the run," Llewellyn said. "I feel like Jonah does a good job of trusting what he sees because he's got more experience."
Each of the new Hawkeyes have relied on one another to keep up as the spring went along, bouncing ideas off each other and helping the other learn.
"It's amazing. Bryce is a great guy," Pace said this spring. "We get to talk about our transitions and what's different about each school. Bryce is a great kid and has a bright future. I'm looking forward to playing with him."
"It definitely makes things easier," Hawthorne said. "Having someone that's also learning the playbook, it helps a lot. We're both asking questions. We're both in there working our butts off at the same time."
Both have had the opportunity to learn from players like Graves and Llewellyn since they arrived on campus.
"Max, Ethan (Hurkett) and Aaron have all been tremendous," Pace said. "The help they've provided me -- I'm blessed to be able to have them on my side. They've given me ideas on what to do on pass rush -- I've really enjoyed it so far since I've been here."
"Aaron has been a real help, a real leader for me," Hawthorne added. "As soon as I got here, he's done nothing but show me the utmost respect and kindness. He's helped me grow, learn and master the playbook."
