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Home / Sports / Iowa Hawkeyes Sports / Iowa Football
Kamari Moulton, John Nestor among younger players who appear to be on the rise
May. 2, 2024 5:30 am
IOWA CITY — When Kirk Ferentz talked with reporters during the second week of spring practices, he noted the depth chart “doesn’t mean a lot” on March 26.
“Nobody knows what it’s going to look like on August 31,” said Ferentz, who will embark on his 26th season as Iowa’s head football coach in 2024.
A little more is known on May 2 than on March 26. Iowa’s 15 spring practices — and therefore 15 opportunities for the coaching staff to evaluate the players — are complete. Portal departures are out of the way. (The deadline to enter the portal was Tuesday.)
Other variables remain, though. Players currently in the portal still have time to commit, and Iowa has some portal needs (especially at quarterback). Given that Iowa is currently at 87 scholarships, some roster attrition (or at least change in status) still needs to happen.
Then there are the four months of the offseason that loom between now and the start of the season. A lot can (and probably will) change ahead of and during fall camp.
With those disclaimers in mind, here are The Gazette’s post-spring depth chart projections for the 2024 Hawkeyes:
Quarterback
Quarterback is by far the Hawkeyes’ most pressing need in the transfer portal. Iowa is down to three quarterbacks on the 2024 roster; two will be freshmen, and the other one is recovering from knee surgery.
Running back
Kamari Moulton’s work with the first-team offense during last month’s open spring practice — he split reps with Kaleb Johnson while Leshon Williams was out — was the latest sign of the redshirt freshman’s rapid ascent.
Fullback
Iowa’s fullback usage might look different in Tim Lester’s offense, but when there is a fullback on the field, Rusty VanWetzinga appears to be the top option.
Tight end
Tight end again appears to be an area of strength for the Iowa offense in 2024 despite the losses of NFL fourth-round pick Erick All and undrafted free agent Steven Stilianos.
Wide receivers
Iowa’s spring open practice showcased how useful Kaden Wetjen can be in Tim Lester’s offensive scheme. The Williamsburg native appears to be at least Iowa’s No. 3 wide receiver, with a good case to make for one of the top two spots.
Left tackle
Mason Richman approaches the 2024 season with a rare level of experience as he begins his fourth year as Iowa’s starting left tackle.
Left guard
With the addition of former North Dakota center Cade Borud via the transfer portal, that could free up Tyler Elsbury to compete for a starting spot at guard. Beau Stephens and Nick DeJong are other viable candidates.
Center
Iowa has the benefit of added depth behind Logan Jones at center. Borud was a starting center last year for North Dakota — a team that went above .500 in the best conference in the FCS.
Right guard
Connor Colby, like Richman, will be entering his fourth season as a starter on the Hawkeyes’ offensive line. He has more than 2,000 career snaps on the offensive line, according to Pro Football Focus.
Right tackle
Repeat Solon Beef Days Hay Bale Toss champion Gennings Dunker could potentially perform at an all-Big Ten level if he stays healthy in 2024. DeJong, meanwhile, could realistically play four different positions on the offensive line, depending on what Iowa needs.
Defensive ends
Ethan Hurkett is expected to step into the starting role opposite of Deontae Craig now that Joe Evans is out of eligibility (and in the NFL). Evans was the only Iowa defensive lineman with more tackles for loss in 2023 than Hurkett, who had six.
Defensive tackles
A big question ahead of spring practices was who would step up at this position after the obvious one-two-three of Yahya Black, Aaron Graves and Jeremiah Pittman. Luke Gaffney, a walk-on and former Linn-Mar standout, could be part of that answer.
Middle linebacker
Jay Higgins had a tall task last year as the successor to Butkus Award winner Jack Campbell, and he exceeded expectations. Higgins tied the program record with 171 total tackles in a single season.
Weakside linebacker
The return of Nick Jackson was a somewhat unexpected (and very pleasant) surprise for the Hawkeyes after the NCAA granted him a waiver for a sixth season of eligibility. He needs another 114 tackles in 2024 to break the NCAA record for total tackles in a career.
Leo linebacker
Iowa has the luxury of another veteran linebacker after Kyler Fisher decided to come back for his sixth and final season of eligibility. Fisher has 1,279 career snaps, per PFF.
Cash safety
Sebastian Castro showed significant improvement between 2022 and 2023 and is one of Iowa’s best defensive backs ahead of the 2024 season. It would not be a surprise to see him move over to strong safety when Iowa is not using the Cash position.
Cornerbacks
John Nestor, Deshaun Lee and T.J. Hall all appear to be candidates for the first-team cornerback spot opposite of Jermari Harris. Nestor had an impressive spring while drawing comparisons to former Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year Riley Moss.
Strong safety
Former five-star recruit Xavier Nwankpa will now be in his third season with the Hawkeyes. He had one interception, two pass breakups and two tackles for loss in his first full season as a starter.
Free safety
Quinn Schulte’s return for his sixth and final year of eligibility was a big win for the secondary. He had one interception and four pass breakups while being described by teammates as a “coach on the field.”
Kicker
Drew Stevens experienced some adversity at the end of last season, going 5-for-10 in the month of November. Before that month, though, Stevens was 29-of-34 in his career.
Punter
Expecting Rhys Dakin to immediately be “Tory Taylor 2.0” would not be fair, but the fellow Australian has plenty of punting potential as he takes over for the NFL-bound Taylor.
Long snapper
Luke Elkin earned the starting long snapper duties as a true freshman in 2021, and the Neenah, Wis., native has never relinquished the role.
Holder
Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods indicated Ty Nissen “has the upper hand” in the competition for holder. This would be far from the first time that the No. 1 punter is not also the No. 1 holder.
Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com
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Mike Hlas
John Steppe
Reporter, The Gazette
Iowa Hawkeyes football reporter for The Gazette. Sign up for my weekly newsletter.
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