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Top 20 defensive players of the Ferentz Era

Bob Sanders leads the list of defensive players in the Ferentz era.
Bob Sanders leads the list of defensive players in the Ferentz era.

The backbone of the success that Iowa football has had under Kirk Ferentz is the defensive side of the ball.

Under the direction of Norm Parker and now Phil Parker (no relation), the Hawkeyes have usually been one of the top defensive teams in the Big Ten year in and year out. They have relied on a bend, but don’t break philosophy for most of the past 20 years and look to be fundamentally sound and create turnovers whenever possible.

During the past twenty years there have been many standout performers on the defensive side of the ball. While there have been fewer national award winners than the offensive side of the ball, Iowa had had several All American’s and All Big Ten performers on the defensive line, at linebacker, and in the secondary.

A few thoughts on the process. First, the #1 spot was the easiest selection and I doubt any Iowa fan would disagree with the choice.

Second, picking from 2-7 was extremely difficult. We could have gone in a number of different directions, but I don’t see anyone else making a strong case to be ahead of those six players.

Lastly, the rankings from 10-20 seem about right. Choosing between Hodge and Angerer was again very difficult. Went with Hodge because he had more tackles and flipped what we did for the All Ferentz era team. Overall, I think the second half of the rankings were pretty fair, but it was hard to leave off a few really good cornerbacks like Amari Spievey and Shaun Prater.

With all that said, here’s the rankings for the Top 20 defensive players of the Ferentz era.

1. BOB SANDERS

Is there really any discussion about who would be #1 on this list? As Kirk Ferentz has said over the years, when Sanders showed up in Iowa City it was like your big brother showing up for a street fight. Sanders changed Iowa football when he arrived from Erie, PA. He gave the Hawkeyes a toughness and a swagger that was contagious. Amazingly, he was only a second team All American one time, but first team All Big Ten three straight years. Sanders finished his career with 348 tackles.

2. DESMOND KING

The national award win made the difference and put the Detroit native in the #2 spot on the list. King arrived on campus and was the next man in when Jordan Lomax was injured in the first game of the year. He never left the lineup and started the rest of the way for the Hawkeyes. King won the Jim Thorpe Award in his junior year and was a two time All American (consensus one year). He also won the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year Award from the Big Ten in his junior year.

3. ADRIAN CLAYBORN

It was a tough call to figure out which defensive lineman would be at the top of the list. Honestly, it could have been any of the three listed, but we went with Adrian Clayborn. He was a first team All American and two time first team All Big Ten performer at defensive end. His dominant effort against Georgia Tech led to him being named the MVP of the Orange Bowl. In his Iowa career, he had 192 tackles, 37.5 for loss, and 19 sacks.

4. MITCH KING

After coming to Iowa as a linebacker, Mitch King moved to defensive tackle and while he was undersized early on, the Burlington native more than made up for it with toughness and heart. By the time he was a senior, King was the best defensive lineman in the Big Ten. He was also named a second team All American in 2008 and first team All Big Ten in 2007 and 2008. King’s overall stats are pretty amazing with 228 tackles, a stunning 52.5 for loss, and 16 sacks in his Iowa career.

5. MATT ROTH

There are really two legendary figures during the Ferentz era on defense. Sanders is one and Matt Roth is the other. Roth played with an edge and emotion that was almost unmatched on the field. He was an outstanding rush end for the Hawkeyes after starting out at linebacker when he arrived on campus. Roth was a second team All American in his senior year and a two time All Big Ten selection in 2003 and 2004. Roth finished his Iowa career with 30 sacks, the most of any player in the Ferentz era.

"The Outlaw" is the top linebacker of the Ferentz era.
"The Outlaw" is the top linebacker of the Ferentz era.
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6. JOSEY JEWELL

There have been several outstanding players who earned scholarship offers from the Hawkeyes very late in the recruiting process, but none better than Josey Jewell. The in-state linebacker moved into the starting lineup late in his redshirt freshman year and never left. He piled up 437 career tackles, including 28 for loss, and 10 sacks. Jewell was a first team All American in 2017 and was named the defensive player of the year in the Big Ten. Jewell was also named the winner of the Jack Lambert Award in 2017. He was a two time 2nd team All Big Ten selection and first team All Big Ten in his senior year.

7. CHAD GREENWAY

In high school, Chad Greenway played 8 man football and basically did everything for his team in South Dakota. He came to Iowa City and found a home at linebacker and was a multiple year starter for the Hawkeyes. Greenway finished his career with 416 career tackles. He was a 2nd team All American selection in 2005 and a first team All Big Ten honoree in 2004 and 2005 with second team honors in 2003.

8. JOSH JACKSON

Heading into his junior year, Josh Jackson was battling for a starting job at cornerback. Then his junior year happened and Jackson became arguably the best cornerback in the country. He was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and a consensus All American in 2017 after hauling in eight interceptions. He picked off three passes against Ohio State, including a spectacular one handed grab, and then followed it up by intercepting two passes (returning both for touchdowns) against Wisconsin. Jackson was also named the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year in 2017.

9. MICAH HYDE

There are certain players who always seem to find the football and Micah Hyde was one of those players. Hyde came to Iowa as a fairly lightly recruited defensive back out of Ohio and immediately found his way on to the field. He moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore and ended his career with 240 tackles and 8 interceptions. He returned two interceptions for scores. Hyde was also a very good return man for the Hawkeyes in his final years. He earned first team All Big Ten honors in his senior year and was named the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year in 2012.

10. JONATHAN BABINEAUX

When he arrived in Iowa City, the Texas native was planning to be a fullback. Then he moved to defensive tackle, added some weight and became a force in the middle of Iowa’s defense. He was named first team All Big Ten in his senior year after earning second team honors in his junior year. He led the led the Big Ten with 11 sacks in 2004 and had 25 tackles for loss that season, which is a school record for a single season.

Abdul Hodge is 3rd all time in tackles for an Iowa player.
Abdul Hodge is 3rd all time in tackles for an Iowa player.

11. ABDUL HODGE

The Florida native was a significant recruiting get for the Hawkeyes and he didn’t disappoint once he arrived in Iowa City. Hodge moved into the starting lineup in his redshirt sophomore season and never left the lineup for the rest of his career. Hodge is third all-time at Iowa with 453 career tackles, including 158 in his senior year, which is the second highest for an Iowa player in one year. Hodge was a second team All Big Ten selection as a sophomore and first team in his junior and senior seasons.

12. PAT ANGERER

The Bettendorf native turned his career around in his junior year, winning a battle for the starting job and becoming an All American selection in his senior season. Angerer finished his career with 258 career tackles, including 11.5 for loss, and 6 interceptions. He was a first team All American and first team All Big Ten in his senior year and a second team honoree in his junior year.

13. TYLER SASH

Much like Micah Hyde, the football had a way of finding Tyler Sash in his Iowa career. The in-state standout moved into the starting lineup for the Hawkeyes as a redshirt freshman and ended up leaving for the NFL after his junior campaign. Sash finished with 13 career interceptions and an Iowa record 392 yards in return yards off those interceptions. Sash also had 217 career tackles. He was named first team All Big Ten in his junior year.

14. AARON KAMPMAN

After starting his Iowa career as a linebacker, the Iowa native moved to defensive end and found a home. Kampman piled up 342 career tackles with the Hawkeyes, including 209 solo stops. After being named honorable mention All Big Ten as a junior, Kampman earned first team honors in his senior year.

15. COLIN COLE

Colin Cole was one of Iowa’s first big recruits out of Florida and he proved to be a key performer in the middle of the defensive line for four years with the Hawkeyes. Cole played as a true freshman and by the time he was a senior, he was a first team All Big Ten performer and second team All American on Iowa’s historic 2002 team. He ended his Iowa career with 213 career tackles for the Hawkeyes.

James Morris had 400 career tackles for the Hawkeyes.
James Morris had 400 career tackles for the Hawkeyes.

16. JAMES MORRIS

There’s a case to be made that James Morris is one of the more underappreciated players of the Ferentz era. He was forced into the starting lineup due to injuries late in his freshman year and never left the middle linebacker position. Morris finished his Iowa career with 400 career tackles, which is 7th best for any Iowa player. He had 32 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, and 6 career interceptions. Morris was named 2nd team All Big Ten as a senior.

17. CHRISTIAN KIRKSEY

The St. Louis native came to the Univeristy of Iowa and found himself in the mix for playing time early on at linebacker. He moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore and finished with 315 career tackles, including 13.5 for loss, and 5.5 tackles. He also had four interceptions in his career with the Hawkeyes and scored a pair of touchdowns.

18. ANTHONY HITCHENS

When he came to Iowa City, Anthony Hitchens had some designs on playing running back. He moved to safety and then to linebacker, where he played the rest of his Hawkeye career. He started is last two years at linebacker and finished up with 270 tackles, including 19 for loss, and 3 sacks. He also had one career interception. Hitchens was named 2nd team All Big Ten in his senior year.

19. JOVON JOHNSON

Iowa has had some success with players from Erie, PA and Johnson was among them. The small cornerback saw playing time early on in his Iowa career and was a multiple year starter for the Hawkeyes. Johnson had 17 career interceptions, which is one away from Iowa’s all-time career record. He returned one interception for a score. Johnson was a first team All Big Ten selection in 2005.

20. BRETT GREENWOOD

If you talk to players on the Iowa defense during his time leading the Iowa secondary, they will tell you that Greenwood was the key player for the Hawkeyes. Greenwood walked on at Iowa and earned a scholarship and a spot in the starting lineup early on in his Iowa career. He had 12 interceptions in his career and compiled 229 tackles. Greenwood was named second team All Big Ten in 2009 and 2010.

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