Iowa Preview, Best Players, Top Transfers, Season Prediction, Win Total 2024

Iowa Hawkeyes Preview 2024

Everyone wants Iowa to be more interesting.

Come up with more offense. Complete a downfield pass. Quit trying to win games 3-2 ...

But why?

The Hawkeyes have 11 straight wining seasons under head coach Kirk Ferentz, three 10-win campaigns in the last four full seasons - not counting 2020 - and they at least got to shoot their shot in two of the last three Big Ten Championships.

How many double-digit win seasons does Minnesota have over the last, I don’t know, 118 years? 2.

Wisconsin has one ten-win season since since 2017. Nebraska? 2012 was the last one. Illinois? 2001.

If you really want to get mean, Iowa State has never had a double-digit win season.

Iowa’s formula under Ferentz works. It’s not pretty, it’s not always fun, and the punt, baby, punt style gets mocked and ridiculed mercilessly - whatever.

You know what's interesting? Winning lots of college football games no matter what, but this year …

NOTE: The previews were published early this summer. We tried to catch the changes, but if we missed anything, please let us know at @ColFootballNews and we'll fix it right away.

Iowa Preview 2024: Offense

- The Iowa offense will try to score. It will try to throw the forward pass. It will try to run the ball. It will try to do more than just not try to screw up.

The 2023 Hawkeyes averaged 15.4 points per game - the defense accounted for some of that - only came up with more than 300 total yards twice, and struggled to do anything fun. But …

- Welcome to Tim Lester. The new offensive coordinator will get the Iowa passing game going, and it starts with welcoming back a healthy Cade McNamara at quarterback - he missed a bulk of last season with an injured knee. Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan will at least provide a push for the gig.

Tight end Luke Lachey is a good one who’ll be more than just a midrange outlet, but the receiving corps that generated just three touchdown catches has to emerge around junior Seth Anderson.

- The Iowa offensive line has a great reputation, but it hasn’t been all that amazing over the last few years production-wise. The talent is there with OG Connor Colby and C Logan Jones All-Big Ten talents, but the pass protection has to be stronger, and backs Leshon Williams and Kaleb Johnson need room.

Iowa Preview 2024: Defense

- The Iowa defense was finished seventh in the nation should be every bit as good, if not better. It doesn’t seem like the Hawkeyes are doing anything special, and then all of a sudden, it’s midway through the third quarter and you have ten points on the board.

The pass rush is just okay, and the takeaways weren’t there - 15 in 2023 after 23 in 2022 and 31 in 2021 - but the overall formula continues to work.

- If the linebackers aren’t the best in America, they’re not far off. Jay Higgins made 171 tackles, Nick Jackson 110, and these two will once again hit everything - they don’t miss. Kyler Fisher isn’t a bad option on the outside with experience and size.

- There might not be a sure-thing pass rusher to count on, but the Iowa rotation inside and out will once again be enough to get the job done. It’s Iowa. The defensive front will be great, and so will the defensive backs.

There’s no Cooper DeJean at corner, but the safety tandem of Xavier Nwankpa and Quinn Schulte will be all over the place. The Hawkeyes were fourth in the nation in pass efficiency defense - they won’t be far off that.

Iowa Key To The Season

Convert third downs, and keep doing it.
It’s still Iowa. It’ll keep doing what it does with elite defense and special teams, and the offense will never come out and hang 50 on anyone. That doesn’t mean it can’t at least do more to control games.

Just get to 30% on third down conversions. That’s hardly a high bar - Iowa’s offense was among the worst in the nation converting just 29.4% of the time - but the team was 7-0 when hitting on 30% of its chances.

Dream the impossible dream of 40% - 59 teams last year averaged that or more per game; 128 of 134 got to 30% - and Iowa is 9-1 in its last ten games since 2019.

Iowa Key Player

Cade McNamara, QB Sr.
So you’re really going to start winging the ball around the yard, Iowa? So you’re going to not fight it anymore and will care about scoring points? McNamara has to stay healthy and be the veteran producer who can keep the chains moving, and if he isn’t it, Brendan Sullivan could step right in.

Iowa Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss

Top Transfer In: C Cade Borud
The already great Hawkeye line has a versatile transfer from North Dakota to fill a few roles on the inside. Able to work at either guard spot or center, the staff can now play around with the combination a bit more in fall camp.

Top Transfer Out: QB Deacon Hill
No, star Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor isn’t being counted here - he was never part of the Iowa fun - which means Iowa doesn’t take too much of a hit in the transfer portal. It lost a few quarterbacks - Hill would’ve at least provided a bit of a veteran backup, but whatever. The Hawkeyes are fine.

Iowa Key Game

Washington, Oct. 12
Iowa opened up the 1937 season with a 14-0 loss to the Huskies. It lost two Rose Bowls among the six all-time meetings, but the last game was a 38-18 Hawkeye win in your 1995 Sun Bowl.

Assume a loss at Ohio State on October 5th, because everyone will likely lose to that monster. However, beat Washington, and all of a sudden the rest of the slate just isn’t all that bad. (More on this at the end.)

Iowa 10 Best Players

1. Jay Higgins, LB Sr.
2. Nick Jackson, LB Sr.
3. Connor Colby, OG Sr.
4. Logan Jones, C Sr.
5. Luke Lachey, TE Sr.
6. Sebastian Castro, S Sr.
7. Mason Richman, OT Sr.
8. Yahya Black, DT Sr.
9. Xavier Nwankpa, S Sr.
10. Leshon Williams, RB Sr.

Iowa 2023 Fun Stats

- Penalties: Opponents 85 for 728 yards - Iowa 51 for 433 yards

- Points Per Game: Iowa 15.4 - Opponents 14.8

- Fumbles: Iowa 23 (lost 11) - Opponents 18 (lost 5)

Iowa 2024 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen

The schedule is just manageable enough to expect nothing less than another push for a huge season and a fringe chance to push for a Big Ten Championship appearance.

No, the Hawkeyes won’t win the Big Ten title - there still won’t be enough offense - but don’t be shocked if they’re sneaky good.

They don’t play Illinois - that matters with that D - and miss Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, and USC. That’s not bad.

The road trips to Minnesota, Michigan State, UCLA and Maryland are manageable. The date at Ohio State isn’t, but Washington, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Nebraska could all be home wins.

The lack of offensive punch won’t be as bad as 2023, but it’ll be enough to cost the Hawkeyes at least two games. But Iowa will go Iowa enough to be in the mix for another ten-win season with a little luck.

Set The Iowa Win Total At … 8.5

Likely Wins: Illinois State, Northwestern, Troy

50/50 Games: Iowa State, at Maryland, at Michigan State, at Minnesota, Nebraska, at UCLA, Washington, Wisconsin

Likely Losses: at Ohio State

2024 Iowa Football Schedule

Aug 31 Illinois State
Sept 7 Iowa State
Sept 14 Troy
Sept 21 at Minnesota
Sept 28 OPEN DATE
Oct 5 at Ohio State
Oct 12 Washington
Oct 19 at Michigan State
Oct 26 Northwestern
Nov 2 Wisconsin
Nov 9 at UCLA
Nov 16 OPEN DATE
Nov 23 at Maryland
Nov 29 Nebraska
Missing: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, USC