Iowa is set to kick off the season on August 31 against Illinois State. While there are still plenty of question marks surrounding the offense, the defense looks to once again stack up as one of the best in the country once again.

Between what we know and what we've been told, let's rank each position group on the defensive side of the ball for the Hawkeyes.

Duh.

With two potential first-team All-Americans, two Butkus Award nominees, one of the top tacklers in the country last year and another who may end his career as the all-time leading tackler in Division I history, Iowa's linebackers are among the best in the country.

Ranking the pair of Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson at the top of the position rankings for the Hawkeye defense is easy in itself.

Then, one remembers fifth-year senior Kyler Fisher is back and will play snaps at the leo linebacker spot. Then, there's Jaden Harrell, Karson Sharar and Jaxon Rexroth to back them up.

And then, there's a trio of freshman who were each considered for the high school version of the Butkus Award last season. One of them was Iowa's MaxPreps Player of the Year, and another played in the Army All-American game.

This group is loaded -- from top to bottom.

Because we've made this position-specific and the CASH doesn't fall into the category of linebacker, safety or cornerback, Sebastian Castro gets his own categorical ranking.

In the early running for the Bronko Nagursky Trophy Watch List along with Higgins and Jackson, Castro may be Iowa's most important player on defense in 2024.

Yes, Higgins holds down the mike linebacker position and could be considered the quarterback of the defense, but Castro is entrusted with so many different responsibilities as Iowa's CASH.

Castro is relied upon to cover receivers and tight ends for the Hawkeyes. He's called on to make big tackles on the outside if a running back tries to break free. He's sent on blitzes to blow plays up before they start -- and boy, does he blow them up. Last season, he made game-winning interceptions against Iowa State and Wisconsin.

As the CASH, he's the best athlete on the defensive side of the ball for Iowa. By the end of the season, he may be named the best player on one of the best defenses in the country.

Don't miss out on any of our exclusive football, basketball, and recruiting coverage. Sign up with Hawkeye Beacon here.

WIth former five-star recruit Xavier Nwankpa at strong safety and Quinn Schulte, back for his sixth season, at free safety, Iowa has one of the top safety duos in the country.

Nwankpa provides the high-end talent with big hits and the potential to cause more turnovers, while Schulte may be the second-most important player behind Higgins for the Iowa defense. Schulte makes a significant number of calls for the Hawkeyes, and serves as the safety valve preventing big plays on the back end as well.

Like the linebackers, Iowa's safety depth is tough to match in the Big Ten, and in the country.

Behind Nwankpa is Koen Entringer, who has only continued to impress the staff throughout his career. He's mostly known for the run-down tackle he made against Michigan in the Big Ten Championship Game for now but his high-end talent will get him on the field regularly soon enough. He may even be next in line behind Castro for the CASH spot.

Then, behind Schulte at free safety is redshirt freshman Zach Lutmer, who has received some strong praise from Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker after his first year with the program.

A group that suddenly appeared more deep than expected is corner after the rise of John Nestor to CB2 behind Jermari Harris.

Harris is the incumbent CB1 after the departure of Cooper DeJean to the NFL, but the second corner position was expected to be handled by Deshaun Lee after he held down the position last season.

Following the spring and summer, Nestor surpassed the redshirt sophomore to earn the starting position opposite of Harris on the pre-training camp depth chart.

If Nestor's leap holds true and Lee has either maintained or also improved his own level of play, then the depth of the cornerback room won't be a question at all. Add TJ Hall, who returns after spending a decent portion of last year sidelined with injury, and the cornerback room appears loaded with talent.

Nestor is also currently listed as the backup CASH, showing some serious versatility from the redshirt freshman defensive back from Chicago.

The top of the depth chart at defensive tackle is legit. Between Aaron Graves and Yahya Black, the Hawkeyes have two bona fide NFL defensive tackles on the interior of the defensive line.

Last season, the pair combined for 88 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. The duo received the most snaps on the field in their careers to date with the Hawkeyes last year. With that season under their collective belt, expect them both to have solid, productive seasons - and maybe even breakout years for the Hawkeye defense.

The question mark lies with who's behind them on the depth chart.

Jeremiah Pittman proved to be a serviceable backup last season. Playing in ten games in 2023, he finished with six total tackles. His snap count will only increase this season after Logan Lee left for the NFL, and the Hawkeyes will want him to be more than serviceable.

Beyond that, there's no on-field experience -- Jeff Bowie, Will Hubert and Luke Gaffney are the current second and third-string defensive tackles on the roster. Bowie is the lone scholarship player on that list, but injuries have kept him off the field and slowed his growth.

There's always the possibility that a player like Brian Allen or Deontae Craig shifts over to play the three-tech defensive line spot, but I imagine Iowa will cross that bridge if and when they need to.

Like the defensive tackles, the top of the depth chart isn't a concern. Deontae Craig tied for the the team-lead in sacks (6.5) in 2022 and served as a full-time starter in 2023. Ethan Hurkett also played in 13 games last season, totaling 52 tackles and six tackle for loss.

The first line of the defensive end group is definitely there. It may not be as high-end as the talent at defensive tackle, but it's there.

The second group brings in Max Llewellyn, who played in a 14 games last season and registered 13 tackles plus 2.5 sacks. If there's a player that could step up big this season and be much more productive in this group, it's Llewellyn.

Then there's Brian Allen, who came into the program as a four-star pass-rusher, but has yet to put it all together in game situations. As noted before, Allen showed a taste of what he can do at the Kids Day open practice last season. If he can put together anything close to that level of production on a consistent basis on Saturdays this fall for the Hawkeyes, then that would do wonders for the depth at defensive end.