Spring Opponent Review: Iowa

With spring practices now wrapped up around the country, HuskerOnline.com will look at where each of Nebraska’s 12 opponents in 2021 currently stands coming out of spring ball and heading into the summer.

Today, we wrap up our previews with the Iowa Hawkeyes, who travel to Memorial Stadium to close the regular season in the annual Black Friday rivalry game.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz is back for his 22nd season in Iowa City, and the Hawkeyes are again hoping to push for a Big Ten West title this year.

We caught up with Tom Kakert of HawkeyeReport.com to get the latest on Iowa coming out of spring ball.

Iowa returned its starting quarterback in Spencer Petras and has one of the best running backs in the Big Ten with Tyler Goodson.

But the most pressing questions facing the Hawkeyes came at its two bread-and-butter units on the offensive and defensive lines.

Iowa introduced a new o-line coach in George Barnett and lost first-team All-Big Ten left tackle Alaric Jackson, second-team all-conference right guard Cole Barnwart, and starting right tackle Mark Kallenberger.

The shoes weren't any easier to fill on defense, either. The Hawkeyes lost three starters on the front four, including two consensus first-team All-Big Ten selections in Chauncy Golston and unanimous All-American Daviyon Nixon, the 2020 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

The good news for Ferentz and Co. was there was still strong talent to rebuild around on both sides of the ball. Tyler Linderbaum returns as arguably the best center in the country, and second-team all-conference defensive end Zach VanValkenburg is back as a Super Senior.

Iowa felt good about some of the new faces starting to emerge in the trenches this spring, but how those lines develop this offseason will ultimately determine what 2021 will be for the Hawkeyes.

Goodson and Petras highlight Iowa's offensive skill positions, and Sam LaPorta might be one of the Big Ten's best tight ends this season.

But the Hawkeyes are still revamping their wide receiver room after losing two of their top three pass catchers in Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Brandon Smith.

Nico Ragaini and Tyrone Tracy combined for 32 catches in 2020, but neither has proven to be a bonafide No. 1 threat. As a result, young guys early-enrollee freshman Keagan Johnson could be in line for an immediate impact.

While there are many questions on the defensive line, the back seven is about as experienced as it gets.

Linebackers Jack Campbell and Seth Benson and CASH 'backer Dane Belton will be the heart of the defense, while all four starters return in the secondary.

A consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection last season, Goodson took the reins of Iowa's offense as a true sophomore.

He rushed for a team-high 762 yards and seven touchdowns, along with 15 catches for 152 yards in eight games.

The Suwanee, Ga., native returns with even greater aspirations in 2021, including a 1,000-yard season and more all-conference honors and beyond.

Goodson's big-play ability as a runner and receiver makes him the most dynamic threat on Iowa's offense, and the Hawkeyes' offense will go as far as he takes them.

While there were far more decorated players on Iowa's defense last season, few were more reliable than Campbell.

The highest-graded defensive player for the Hawkeyes in 2020 (83.4), Campbell only played in five games last season after missing the first three due to an undisclosed illness.

The Cedar Falls, Iowa, native still finished with 29 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack, an interception, and a forced fumble. He had a career-high eight stops against Nebraska.

Campbell moved from middle linebacker to weakside outside 'backer this spring, and some in Iowa City are already drawing comparisons with him to former Hawkeye standout Chad Greenway.

One of the top prospects in Nebraska last year, Johnson decided to cross the border and commit to Iowa after a decorated career at Bellevue (Neb.) West.

Now the former four-star recruit has a chance to make an immediate impact in the Hawkeyes receiving corps as a true freshman this season.

Because of the lack of returning experience and production at the position, Johnson got significant reps right away as an early enrollee this spring.

His quick grasp of the offense and physical talents caught everyone's attention right away, and the window of opportunity is now wide open for Johnson going into his first Iowa fall camp.

When Iowa is good, its offensive and defensive lines are among the best in college football.

Such was the case last season, where the Hawkeyes' loaded fronts paved the way for a 6-2 record that included six straight wins to end the year.

So it's understandable why those two units have been the primary focus of the offseason.

The offensive line has been blessed with NFL talent for years now, and that will continue with Linderbaum. But can a group that helped Iowa average 4.5 rushing yards per game in 2020 return to its form after three significant departures?

It's also rare to have to try and replace two first-team all-conference players at the same position, but the Hawkeyes must find a way to fill the voids left by Nixon and Golston. That will be no easy task for a group without a single start beyond VanValkenburg.

Kakert: "The series has been kind of interesting the last few years, and there have been tight games with some last-second field goals to win it.

"It's just an interesting series, and I don't know what to think this year just because I don't know what to expect from both teams.

"I know Iowa in the early betting lines is a slight favorite, but it's hard to predict what these teams are going to be in late November when we're sitting here in late June."

Kakert: "Right now, I am leaning towards a 9-3 record. We'll know a lot about Iowa in the first two weeks. We really will.

"They host Indiana, which is a really good team with a bit of a chip on its shoulder, and then the second week, Iowa goes to Ames to face a top-10 Iowa State team.

"Matt Campbell has not beaten Iowa. He's 0-5 against Kirk Ferentz. So I think we'll know a lot about the Hawkeyes after those first two weeks.

"Now, having said that, last year Iowa started 0-2 and ended up winning the last six games. So who knows?"