Iowa CITY, Iowa– Preseason rankings are always pure speculation, but at least they give college football fans something to talk about in the early parts of the summer. The Hawkeyes are among the teams that have been popular in the top 25.
KeynoteUSA released their Football Power Index in recent days and it’s safe to say they’re not expecting much from Iowa. The Power Index ranks Iowa 37th, behind programs like Colorado, South Carolina, West Virginia and others. They are projecting Iowa to finish with a 7-5 record with a 0.1 percent chance of winning.
The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 6 in the Big Ten behind Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, USC and Washington.
Iowa hasn’t finished with fewer than eight wins since the 2014 season, when they finished 7-6 (excluding the 6-2 2020 COVID season). The Hawkeyes also have a favorable schedule ahead of them. They may be favorites in 10 or 11 of their games next season.
Outsiders know Iowa’s offense could be the deciding factor heading into the 2024 season, but not enough has been said about the defense. The Hawkeyes had one of the best defenses in the country last season. And they return a wealth of experience and talent.
Name, Image and Likeness does not always harm Universities. Iowa managed to retain talents such as linebackers Jay Higgins, Nick Jackson, CASH Sebastian Castro, sixth-year cornerback Jermari Harris and defensive tackle Yahya Black.
“It’s always a little difficult when you’re going through that transition of, hey, you’re going out into the real world, whether you’re going to the NFL or going to dental school like Quinn.” (Schulte) is going to do it, and he had the opportunity to slow it down, which gave him a reason to be able to come back and start,” Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker said.
“Everyone has different philosophies or reasons why they want to go. I just thought about the connection that everyone had and saw the opportunities here, what they could do this year, how we can be better than last year, and I think the connection is really good “With these guys, the way they’ve been together for so long and played together. It’s hard to leave because once you leave, there’s no going back.”
Iowa will return eight starters and numerous depth pieces. They will lose Joe Evans, Logan Lee and Cooper DeJean, and trying to replace them will not be an easy task. But the leadership in Iowa remains strong with a tight-knit group returning.
Summer workouts are scheduled to begin next week and there will be three position groups here that 247Sports will be watching closely.
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