Noah Fant - 2019 NFL Draft Scouting Report

With the Chicago Bears eliminated a couple weeks ago, it is officially NFL Draft season. Since the Bears (smartly) don't have any of their picks for this draft, I'm not sure how interested I will be in the top names, and ultimately, this quarterback class isn't all that inspiring at first glance either, so for right now, I only know that I am going to focus on one thing: The Iowa Hawkeyes. I am starting with the guy that seems to be the consensus top guy coming out of Iowa this year, Tight End, although not the Tight End that won the Mackey Award, Noah Fant. I checked out his games against Penn State in 2018, and then his 2017 games against Ohio State and Iowa State.

I should start that even though there was the dig about the Mackey Award, I do not blame Fant for that as Iowa GREATLY underutilized Fant this season. They called him a specialist, but his specialty is being a large super athletic target for the quarterback who is also at least good enough at blocking in the run game.

Check out the way he clears out the linebacker on this run play. He does have some misses in blocking, but I do think he is at least average and just gets underrated due to how good of a blocker Hockenson is, because it is nearly impossible to separate the two.

Is Noah Fant athletic?

Yes, Noah Fant is athletic. He not only blows by the safety because of a bad angle, he was only building distance as he got further down field. Also, watching 2017 film reminded me that Nate Stanley could not complete a deep ball to save his life that year.

If Stanley waits another beat and keeps his eyes open, Fant is wide open down the middle of the field for an easy touchdown here.

The key is that Fant accelerates so quickly that linebackers are going to have absolute hell trying to keep up with him, especially on a double move.

In fact, it is not going to be easy for anybody to keep up with Fant if he has the chance to accelerate in the open field.

Check out the acceleration as he crosses the field. First, he outruns a safety who tries to dive at his feet, and then he EASILY gets the corner on a linebacker who is also in pursuit.

One thing that didn't show up in the games I watched but was something that was a concern of mine were easy drops from Fant. Matt Waldman does a great job of breaking it down in this video.

I do think some of his technique needs to be refined to make more consistent catches, but at the same time, the guy made some pretty impressive catches as well.

Still, the most frustrating part of watching Iowa this season was not how few times they threw to Fant, but how few times they even looked his way. It is a massive coaching blunder to not design more plays for their most dangerous weapon.

I always supported Noah Fant, but seeing how effective Hockenson was in comparison to Fant did make me lose sight of how good he really was when Iowa actually targeted him. Basically all of their best performances coincided with Fant actually getting thrown the ball. He's really freaking good. Also, everybody is expecting him to blow up the combine with ridiculous athletic testing scores.

There are two names that come to mind when looking at Fant. The first is arguably the best tight end in football, Travis Kelce. Fant does have that kind of upside. At the same time, the name that really clicks with me is Eric Ebron. The fun thing about that comparison is I don't know if it's a compliment or not. If you ask Lions fans, it's a horrific diss, because drops and inconsistency marred his time with them despite his incredible athletic gifts. But if you ask Colts fan, he's a top-five tight end who can stress defenses down the middle of the field. I think the latter is a very likely outcome for Fant, but his raw talent gives him a chance to be the best tight end in football.

The 5 Most Important Iowa Hawkeyes Who Could Declare For The NFL Draft

The Iowa Hawkeyes somehow managed to show a tremendous amount of skill yet have an incredibly disappointing season this past year. They showed they could blow the doors off teams, but also showed that if they were in a close game, they would make that one mistake that would cost them at the worst possible time. It was so frustrating and yet I look at this team, and I would feel totally confident picking them to win the Big Ten West if everyone returned next year. The problem is there is close to a zero percent chance of that happening. I would say there are five guys who could at least consider the possibility, so let's rank them to see who Iowa most needs to come back for their success in 2019.

5. Noah Fant
I hate doing this, because Noah Fant is awesome. He came in as a true freshman, and it was like holy shit, that guy owns. The his sophomore year, he made a massive leap and set a record for touchdowns by a tight end. Even though he nearly matched those numbers this past season, it was still seen as a disappointment as he could have done so much more. Unfortunately, Iowa did not find the right fit for him, and although that seems incredibly stupid, "That's football." Since Iowa does not know how to best utilize him and (SPOILER ALERT) there is another person at this same position later in the list, I can't put him any higher than fifth on the list even though he will probably be the first guy off the board in the draft if all of these guys declared.

4. Nate Stanley
If Stanley leaves, what does Iowa have at quarterback? No freaking clue, but what Iowa needs at quarterback is not greatness but consistency. Stanley has shown far more greatness and consistency, and it leads to games like Penn State where an average performance is likely enough to get the Hawkeyes the win. There is a chance that although Iowa would be less talented at the position next year, they could still have a better record. There is also a chance that this puts Stanley way too low on the list, and there could be a massive dropoff without him. I feel like it's closer to the former than the latter so that is why he is only fourth on this list.

3. Anthony Nelson
This may seem high for Nelson as Iowa has AJ Epenesa ready to take over one starting defensive end spot and would seemingly be fine with Chauncey Golston taking over the other, but a lot of the strength of this year's defensive line has been their depth. They already need some new faces to show they can play at the interior of the defensive line, so keeping depth at defensive end is very important. With Nelson and Epenesa starting with Golston giving them a breather, the Hawkeyes would again have the best defensive end situation in the Big Ten. The defensive line has always been what makes the entire defense great at Iowa so here's to hoping that Anthony Nelson can hold off those NFL dreams for another year.

2. TJ Hockenson
So if Hockenson and Fant both go, this Iowa offense could be in some serious trouble. The tight ends made the offense go, and there was nobody I felt better about than Hockenson as he reliably got open and made the catch. He even occasionally leaped over people. So it will definitely hurt to not have those options. But when has Iowa not had a good tight end? Before Hockenson and Fant it was George Kittle, before him CJ Fiedorowicz, before him Tony Moeaki, then Brandon Myers, Scott Chandler, Dallas Clark, and Austin Wheatley. Hell, even before Ferentz got there, there was Iowa great, Scott Slutzker. I don't think I could be any more confident in Iowa finding a good option at than tight end. It's going to hurt, but there is hope that a tight end steps up, that Brandon Smith and Ihmir Smith-Marsette take a big step forward, and that my main man, Tyrone Tracy is the real deal.

1. Amani Hooker
Hooker was Iowa's Defensive MVP. The dude was all over the field, and I had mixed emotions when he won the award for best defensive back in the Big Ten. Like, yes, he deserves it, because the dude was phenomenal this year, but also could the Big Ten do me a favor and keep his dominance on the down low? Where Hockenson made me feel the best when Iowa threw to him, Hooker was the guy that I felt the best whether they were running toward him, passing toward him, or just letting him be anywhere near making a play, because I knew that he would. Iowa is already losing Jake Gervase, so safety depth is already at least somewhat of a question mark. Without Hooker back, it would leave a massive hole in the defense, because his versatility makes everyone around him better. For the Hawkeyes, I really hope he comes back.

That being said, with Hooker, and anyone listed above, if they can get paid, then get paid. Outside of Stanley, it's tough to see anybody significantly increasing their draft stock. And even though my heart would love to see the Hawkeyes run it back next year, my head knows that these guys have all given far more to the University of Iowa than they will ever get back, so if they can get paid, go ahead and make money. 

3 Takeaways from the Iowa / Nebraska Game

I know I'm a little late this week, but there is still likely to be over a month before Iowa's next football game, so I think it's still timely enough. Anyway, it wasn't pretty, but at least Iowa got a win over Nebraska. Here are my big takeaways.

1. Mekhi Sargent Is The Man

Iowa has been going by a running back by committee approach this entire season. Sometimes it's Ivory Kelly-Martin, sometimes it's Toren Young, and other times, it's been Mekhi Sargent. As the season has gone on, Iowa has leaned more and more heavily on Sargent. Unfortunately, IKM has been battling injuries all season long. Toren Young is a good power back but Iowa coaches have not trusted him in the passing game. Luckily, Sargent has stepped up, and against Nebraska, he stepped up in a big way. He went for 173 rushing yards and two touchdowns and had teh big game from an Iowa running back that fans have been waiting for all season. His vision, quickness, and versatility in that he can fill any role you need from a back separates him from the pack, and I expect to see him as a big part of Iowa's bowl game.

2. TJ Hockenson Is The Best Tight End For Iowa

Before I get going, let me just say that I love Noah Fant. He's a freak of an athlete and should make a team very happy if he leaves school to ply his trade in the NFL. And although Fant is the most talented tight end on the roster, TJ Hockenson is the best tight end for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He's a better blocker, he consistently finds ways to get open, and he is more sure handed. Never was this more apparent than Iowa facing a fourth and eight with less than a minute to go while in Nebraska territory. They had plenty of options, but they chose to go for it, and they chose to throw it to Hockenson. It paid off as Hockenson caught the ball and two plays later, Miguel Recinos hit a game winning field goal as time expired. Yes, they should be using Fant more, but don't let it overshadow how great TJ Hockenson has been for the Hawkeyes.

3. Let's Appreciate Our Senior Defensive Linemen

AJ Epenesa had his one "holy shit" play, and Anthony Nelson was an absolute monster against Nebraska, but let's take a step back and appreciate the contributions of Matt Nelson and Parker Hesse, two seniors who were instrumental in filling a gap for Iowa's defensive line before helping build something special by the end of their time in Iowa City. Neither guy is a future first round pick, and honestly, I'm not sure if they will even be drafted at all. 

Parker Hesse ends the year with four sacks, a solid, yet unspectacular total, but the guy hustled his ass off and made some incredible plays in the running game. He was excellent at diagnosing plays which helped him outperform his athletic measurables.

Matt Nelson had even less impressive statistics, but he filled his role as the tallest defensive tackle in Hawkeye history (not looking this up, but it sounds right). Nelson only had one sack this season, but that was not his role for this defense. He was there to take up blockers and allow others to make plays. Had he stayed at defensive end, he may have been able to put up some decent numbers as he had five sacks in his sophomore year before moving inside. That just speaks to the type of player Nelson is. He is not built like a defensive tackle, but the team needed one so he moved inside and did the dirty work. Although Iowa has guys waiting in the wings, both of these guys will be missed in 2019.

4 Takeaways from the Iowa / Illinois Game

63-0 is a nice score. Yes, six more points would have been nicer, but let's just take this totally stress free and awesome win and enjoy the moment. 

In Your Face, Hawkeye Fans

Clearly, the Iowa coaching staff heard the complaints about a lack of usage for Noah Fant and Toren Young, so in the third drive, they decided to shove those two down our throat, and it proved the fans are all stupid idiots when Iowa easily scored a touchdown. Take that, Hawkeye fans. I think the latter is overblown as even though Young has the best yards per carry, I still think Mekhi Sargent is the best back. But not having Fant on the field in that loss to Northwestern was a crime. Not throwing to Fant is one thing, but just him being on the field will make it easier for other guys to get open. It appears the coaching staff has come to their senses, and it sets them up to smash Nebraska to end the season next week.

OMG, AJ Epenesa

OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD (deep breath) OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD. AJ Epenesa is pretty good, right? He ended with eight tackles, 3.5 for loss, and 1.5 counting as sacks. He also had a pass defensed, a fumble recovery, and a touchdown. I've gotta say, it's pretty cool having a five-star recruit on the team. Physically, he is absolutely incredible, and he's starting to get more refined in his technique. He has the ability to take over a game, and he does it as a part-time player. For funsies, I decided to see what people thought of him for the 2020 NFL Draft, and it turns out he is not flying under the radar since he is already projected as the seventh overall pick, but at least we still have a year plus with him on our side. I plan on enjoying every snap of this experience.

Amani Hooker Is a Football Player

Amani Hooker had three tackles, one was for a loss, and one pass defensed. And even with that stat line, it jumped out that there is nobody that is more of a football player than Amani Hooker on this Iowa team. Epenesa and Fant are the most talented on their respective sides of the ball, but when it comes to instincts and always making the right decision and being in the right spot, there is nobody that touches Amani Hooker on this team. He is the guy that most reminds me of Desmond King in his incredible instincts out there. His stats don't jump off the page, and it appears he isn't considered much of a prospect as the only real projection I saw for him was the 13th best strong safety for the 2020 NFL Draft. Thank God people don't realize how good he is, because Hooker is what makes this defense so potent. It's easier to enjoy Epenesa, but watching Hooker is just as satisfying.

New Kirk Is The Hot Chick

New Kirk is great. He goes for it on fourth down, he doesn't punt when he is on his opponent's side of the field, and he even embraces trick plays. But New Kirk doesn't totally understand this new change. Basically, he's the teenage girl that switches bodies with an adult in a movie. Old Kirk is like, oh neato, not punting can be pretty exciting. Going for it on fourth and short is neato. But the child always runs into adult body problems that they did not expect. I mean, we all remember the cinematic classic, The Hot Chick. It was very jarring for Rachel McAdams to have Rob Schneider's body. This is New Kirk. He will often call timeouts at the end of the first half, even though he still won't have enough time to get the ball back. And then, when he was about to enter halftime up 35-0, he called a fake victory formation fumblerooski play just because he could. It was totally pointless, absolutely hilarious, and it's just New Kirk's version of how weird it is to have body hair. 

Come back next week to learn how Dalton Ferguson is actually a lot like Deuce Bigalow, European Gigolo (obviously Parker Hesse would be the original Deuce Bigalow). 

1 Takeaway from the Iowa / Northwestern Game

I went out of town this past weekend so let's just make this short and sweet.

Iowa Gonna Iowa
I need to keep this in mind anytime I get excited about a team. Iowa gonna Iowa. They are going to make inexplicable calls on offense and not only refuse to utilize their best players, they aren't even going to let them on the field. The Iowa Way excels at making mountains out of mole hills. They did it with DJK, they did it with Marcus Coker, and it sure as hell seems like they are doing it with Noah Fant. And Iowa isn't a team with enough talent to pull off these maneuvers. They do everything they can to make their job difficult, and it takes an impossible set of circumstances to make them a contender. Yes, it has happened, but it's not likely.

Iowa has two games left, and although they should easily win both, I wouldn't be surprised if there was an upset or two.

Iowa gonna Iowa.

5 Takeaways from the Iowa / Minnesota Game

Iowa overcame all the odds and somehow managed to win a game after a bye week. Although the final score was 48-31, that doesn't show how dominant Iowa managed to be in this game.. Here are my five takeaways from Iowa keeping Floyd of Rosedale with its proper owners.

Nate Stanley Is Improving
The most lasting memory from this game may be Nate Stanley's awful interception, but I'm going to chalk that up to a case of Nate Stanley hearing how awful Minnesota is at football and truly testing the limits of how awful they could be. It turns out they can catch an interception if you gently loft it directly into their chest. Good to know.

But the biggest takeaway is that Nate Stanley has improved leaps and bounds from last year in his ability to move within the pocket. He is seeing pressure and stepping up while keeping his eyes down the field, and it was instrumental in keeping Iowa marching down the field.

Feeling the pressure is still an issue as it led to a fumble and an errant throw, but considering the improvement that he has made in handling pressure, I certainly won't bet against him in getting a better feel for pressure. Nate Stanley is getting better, and that should make future Iowa opponents very concerned.

Trick Plays Are Fun When They Work
Could Iowa craft an entire offense out of plays where the offensive line is far away from the center? I think so. Anyway, the trick play for a TJ Hockenson touchdown was magnificent, and I enjoyed it so, so much. But I heard a lot of people complaining that it was "wasted" on Minnesota. Iowa showed they were way better than Minnesota, but that trick play meant that I could relax when Nate Stanley had a turnover, so it was totally worth it. Also, this trick play worked to perfection, and it gained four yards. It looked like if Hockenson needed to, he is getting five, maybe six yards. If we don't use that play then, when exactly are we going to find a more ideal time to use it? Just be happy and enjoy the good times, and know that LeVar Woods has at least 30 more of these.

Julius Brents...Yes Please
(Insert Heart Emoji Eyes Here) My God, Julius Brents. Minnesota tried multiple strategies against Brents yesterday. The first was to avoid him at all costs. That strategy was definitely the most effective. The second strategy was try to throw his way. That strategy led to Brents continually breaking up passes and making an incredible interception. And this is not a man who has grinded with the program and refined his skills. He is a true freshman who made his first start yesterday. Iowa has had some incredible defensive backs. Bob Sanders, the criminally underrated Jovon Johnson, and Desmond King and Josh Jackson over the last couple years. Brents showed the skills where he could be mentioned along those greats at the end of his Iowa tenure. I already love this guy.

Riley Moss - The Best Bad Debut Ever
Instead of attacking Brents, they went after another Freshman making his first start, Riley Moss. Now, anytime a white cornerback shows up, all simple football brains must immediately think, "Is this the next Jason Sehorn?" As an Iowa fan, I realized that Adam Shada was a very real possibility, and that is more what we got. Minnesota went after Moss, and they had a lot of success doing it. Even addressing the bad, it's still good to see that his fundamentals were strong and he was staying close to guys, just not quite close enough.

On the bright side, he ended up with two interceptions, and interceptions are the ultimate way to judge a good cornerback. Therefore, as much as I like Julius Brents, I must admit that Moss is twice as good.

In all seriousness, Moss played admirably, but he's not quite ready for the big time. Still, two interceptions is really freaking cool, so good for him.

Shout Out to TJ Hockenson
I just want to give a shout out to TJ Hockenson as the Iowa pass catcher that I trust the most. If I see a ball thrown near Hockenson, I have so much confidence that he can actually come down with it, where I don't have anywhere near that confidence with anybody else. Brandon Smith might be second in my completely arbitrary rankings, but let's shout out Hockenson, Iowa's other tight end, because he's a guy who knows how to create separation and catch footballs. Noah Fant may be the most talented tight end in Iowa history (I know that's a bold statement, but NFL.com currently ranked him as the sixth best prospect in the nation), but Hockenson ensures that even though Fant will be missed, it won't likely be a huge dropoff in production.

What To Expect From The 2018 Iowa Hawkeyes

College football is finally back, and oh, how I have missed you, my sweet mistress. I mean, what a pleasure it is to be a B1G fan as we have coaches helping other coaches beat women, and that doesn't even register on the "this is really bad" scale since another coach not only helped players get away with assaulting women; he also set up workouts that killed a player. Sorry, SEC, but you ain't got shit on the B1G.

Fuck, college football is some truly awful shit.

But, since we didn't create a workout that made guys piss blood this offseason, the Iowa Hawkeyes are in the clear, so let's look at the football side of things. Can the Iowa Hawkeyes be good? Yes. Could they be very good? It's possible. Will they shock the world and win a National Title? Only time will tell...but no, they will not.

But Iowa is still interesting.

Quarterback
Nate Stanley exceeded all expectations in his first year as a starter last season. It feels odd saying this, but outside of tight end, this may be the position to feel best about going into the season on offense. Stanley had ups and downs, but with experience, he can hopefully minimize the lows while still helping Iowa put up 50+ on the blue bloods of the B1G. There are a lot of people predicting big things for him this year, and it certainly wouldn't be shocking if he was the best quarterback in the conference. That's going to depend a lot on the people around him.

Wide Receivers
Nick Easley seems to have the best chance as long as he can convert a few of those drops into catches with Brandon Smith as the second receiver, who has shown he has some size and athleticism, but not much else. Ihmir Smith-Marsette is a legitimately fast player who plays for Iowa, so that's exciting, but it's not clear that the coaching staff has much faith in him. Right now, it's probably unlikely that this team is going to have a great passing attack that is led by its wide receivers.

Tight Ends
But even if the receivers fail to take a step forward, Stanley will have reliable options in tight ends Noah Fant and TJ Hockenson. Got some good news and bad news when it comes to Fant. The good news is that he is one of the best tight ends in the nation and is a damn game changer at the position. The bad news is that if he comes anywhere near repeating last year's performance, his ass is gone to the NFL. There are worse things to deal with than players being so awesome that they leave early for the NFL, especially at a position like tight end where Iowa just keeps sending dudes to the pros. TJ Hockenson is going to be so involved that Iowa has two tight end spots on the depth chart, so he should not only be an important contributor this year, but the obvious heir apparent if Fant leaves after the season.

Running Back
At running back, there is no proven commodity, but they have a three-headed monster that should do well. Ivory Kelly-Martin is listed as the starter, with Toren Young and Mekhi Sargent backing him up. I could see any of the three guys emerging as the top back, but I don't think anybody completely takes over the role to be a true #1 at the position. Young and IKM looked good in limited action last year, and Sargent has been getting great reviews after transferring, but this is more a position group that should be fine. They probably won't be great, and they probably won't be bad; they'll hopefully be good enough.

Offensive Line
The running game will likely be dependent on the performance of the guys up front. The offensive line is led by two sophomore tackles who both started all of last year (although they are both suspsended for the first game) in Alaric Jackson and Tristan Wirfs. I wouldn't say that they were great last year, but considering that it was two freshman that at least held their own, hopes are pretty high for the outside of the offensive line. The interior of the line is a bit of a question mark, but there have been positive reports on Keegan Render at center as being able to play his way into a potential draft pick after this season. This isn't going to be a legendary Iowa offensive line, but as long as the interior can hold up, they should provide more good than bad.

Defensive Line
The defense has the most exciting and most terrifying position groups on the team. The defensive line is stacked. Parker Hesse and Anthony Nelson have extensive experience on the outside with production to match. Matt Nelson and Cedric Lattimore started last year and should only improve from last season. With those four, Iowa should be in great shape up front...

...but let's be real here. This is all about AJ Epenesa. Epenesa rotated in at defensive end last year, and his talent jumps off the screen when you're watching Iowa. His explosiveness is incredible, and he is a mismatch for all but the most elite offensive tackles. He is still raw as he did put himself out of position on occasion so he has some things to refine, but the raw materials are incredibly exciting and all Iowa fans are basically head over heels in love with him already. I'm as guilty of this as anyone, and I make no apologies for it.

Linebackers
On the other end of the spectrum, we have linebacker. Linebacker is not going to be good; it's not that the players don't have talent, but they have about as close to zero experience as is possible in a linebacking corps. They have never started before, and Iowa rarely cycles in linebackers, so their big experience is special teams. Amani Jones is the middle linebacker which makes him the most important guy of the three. He has been getting the most positive reviews, but that may have just been that they were only really confident that he would be one of the starters. Number two is Nick Niemann, who should not be confused with Nick Nemeth as I do not believe he has plans to tag with Drew McIntyre anytime soon. The good news with Niemann is that his brother, Ben, played linebacker for Iowa, and he is supposed to be the better athlete. Ben was solid, so solid+athleticism=pretty darn good? I hope that's the case at least. Getting the last spot is Kristian Welch who nobody knows anything about, but he was good enough to beat out the other guys, at least to start the season. Go Kristian Welch!

Secondary
Secondary could actually be good, but there is no depth, and for the first time in a while, there is no clear shutdown corner as Iowa was spoiled with Desmond King and Josh Jackson these past few years. Instead we have Matt Hankins and Michael Ojemudia. Hankins appeared to edge ahead of Ojemudia at the end of last year, so he's likely what you would consider the number one corner, but both guys have gotten a decent amount of playing time and have the potential to be solid. There is also the possibility that they come out of nowhere like Josh Jackson did last year and become an absolute game changer at the position, but the odds are against that. At safety, Iowa has two returning starters in Jake Gervase and Amani Hooker. The latter showed a lot of potential and could take a big step forward this year. The former got better as the year went on, but I'd be surprised if Iowa got much more than adequacy from him.

Special Teams
Iowa also has many kickers and punters.

Prediction
After doing a look at all of the different position groups, there are a lot of factors to weigh. I think this is a year where Iowa can only slip into a bowl game. That bowl game will be the College Football Playoff Semifinal, where Iowa will win. Don't you see? I lied at the beginning, because Iowa is definitely winning the National Title this year. Bama ain't got shit on the Hawkeyes. 15-0!

Are The Iowa Hawkeyes Any Good At Football In 2017?

The Iowa Hawkeye football team sits at 4-3. That is not good. It's not terrible, but it's not wowing anybody. Sometimes they look pretty good, yet other times they look pretty bad. So it's time to dig in and figure out if this team is any good.

Offense
Quarterback
Overall, I would say the quarterback position has been a pleasant surprise. Is Nate Stanley good? Eh, I wouldn't go that far, but he is competent, and considering that this is his first real experience, that's a pretty good start. His biggest issue is the deep ball, which has caused my dog much grief as she gets scared when I scream profanities at my television, but even those are getting better. He's not a world beater, but I don't think much more can really be expected from the guy.

Running Back
Akrum Wadley is a super good running back who is badly misused as a bellcow back that is trying to run between the tackles. The outside zone is where he makes his money, as he can stretch a play out, make a hard cut and get up field. Grinding between the tackles, especially with nine guys charging through the line is not a recipe for success. The backup running backs have all looked good as well. It's one of those situations where the guys have played well, but they haven't always been put in a  position to succeed.

Receivers
I'm going to group the wide receivers and tight ends together here. The tight ends have been the stars of the show as both Noah Fant and TJ Hockenson have played very well this year. Yes, there have been some drops, but these are the guys who are finding ways to get open consistently, and I'd like to see more designed plays for both of them.

As for the actual Wide Receivers, I don't think anyone can be anything but ecstatic over the performance of Nick Easley. There were rumors that he looked good in practice, but the fact that he has risen to be Stanley's go-to receiver is pretty incredible. He hasn't been perfect, but let's not get nitpicky. Matt VandeBerg has been fine. I feel like he's still ramping up, and the chemistry that he had with Beathard has not been repeated with Stanley. He's still shown flashes, and I do expect him to play a larger role during the final handful of games. Outside of that, nobody has really stepped up. ISM had his moments, but Brandon Smith has not. Is there anyone else really worth mentioning? These guys are performing well, but Iowa flat out doesn't have a talented enough receiving corps for them to have a big time pass game. That is why teams can continue to stack the box to stop the run, as none of these receivers, nor the quarterback throwing to them are really terrifying.

Offensive Line
Since expectations were fairly low for every position but running back, the offensive line is probably the most disappointing unit from the first half. A major factor in that is injuries. Losing Cole Croston for the year really put a wrench in Iowa's plans, and I'm not sure if Boone Myers has been completely healthy all year long. I think they have done a good job in pass protection as Nate Stanley has had a decent pocket most of the time. The big issue has been the running game where Iowa has not found any way to create consistent holes.

Defense
Defensive Line
The best of Iowa's three defensive units. This is the one area where Iowa has almost too much depth as I constantly want more AJ Epensesa, but like, Parker Hesse is pretty good too. Nelson & Nelson have both been solid on the line, and Bazata continues to be very important without having many flash plays. I was expecting a little more impact from Cedric Lattimore, but this is where we get nitpicky. Iowa has so many guys who flash special traits, but we still see everybody stuffed at the lines. I thought they would have more of an impact in the pass game, but Iowa style dictates that they stay their lane as opposed to always trying to make impact plays.

Linebackers
The linebackers are exactly who we thought they were. Josey Jewell is Iowa's best defender, and my only complaint with him is that he got injured and had to miss a game. Ben Niemann and Bo Bower have both been good, although I am going to be slightly terrified when Ohio State spreads out the field and makes them play in space. Iowa fans had high hopes going into the season, and I think the linebackers have lived up to those expectations.

Secondary
Josh Jackson is probably the most pleasant surprise of any Hawkeye this season, even more than Nick Easley. He has been running amok in the secondary, and he is close to getting crunk ON the field, something only Jovon Johnson and Desmond King have officially done as Iowa players. I think hopes were a little too high for Manny Rugamba, since it was almost entirely based on the single play of him yanking a ball away from a Michigan receiver for an interception. Ojemudia has been solid, but he was more thought of as a third cornerback going into the year, who got bumped up to number two due to Rugamba being hurt.

As for the safeties. Holy shit, Brandon Snyder. I know he is already hurt again, which, uh, yeah, he did just tear his ACL six months ago, but man, when he was in, I felt so much better about the Iowa secondary. Also, Amani Hooker is learning on the fly, but you can already see the improvement. Poor Miles Taylor and Jake Gervase. Together they could make a good safety, but Taylor's instincts just aren't there, and Gervase's athleticism just isn't there. But when Iowa's safeties are healthy, there isn't a huge weakness in this defense.

Coaching Staff
Soooooooooooooooooooooo the coaching staff. Let's start out by saying that Phil Parker has put his defense in a position to succeed, so he's fairly clean on all of this. My only issue is that Iowa has A TON of defensive line talent, but too often on pass plays, we just see four  or more guys charging into offensive linemen without a real plan to get to the quarterback. That really bothers me, but again, it's really tough to give any fault to the defense.

Which brings us to the offense. The good news is that it is better to watch this year than last year. They throw the ball in the middle of the field which is the most hallelujah thing I can imagine after the Greg Davis era. Unfortunately, although the receivers are doing their best, their just isn't enough talent to really depend on them to get open for big plays. This is causing an issue as teams are definitely keying in on the run and blowing up Akrum Wadley before he has a chance to make anything happen. I'd like to see Iowa send some non-wide receivers deep. Get Fant going deep, or put Wadley in the slot and send him deep. Worst case scenario is they protect against Wadley and that opens up a little space for Toren Young. But nobody's going to stop stacking the box until Iowa makes them pay for it.

Before last week's game, Iowa has consistently struggled in the first half, and then put things together in the second half. The good news is that Iowa has been good at halftime adjustments. The bad news is the game planning during the week has not been getting the job done. Iowa moved the ball well to start off last week's game, so hopefully that continues against Minnesota, and I don't know, maybe Iowa will play two good halves of football on offense. It could happen, right?

Luck
You will notice that I didn't bring up Kirk Ferentz in the section above. That's because he more belongs in this section. Because, really, what this Iowa season has come down to so far is just luck. Despite all of the issues they have had, it's not like Iowa is that far off from being 7-0. If Amani Hooker tips the ball against Penn State, if Iowa flips the turnover situation against Michigan State, if Iowa scores early on drives where they dominated to start the game, Iowa is 7-0, and they look just as good as the team that went to the Rose Bowl.

But although they got a bit of luck in the Iowa State game, the ball has not been bouncing their way this season, and that is one of the biggest factors in this season seeming more disappointing than it really is. Overall, the team is playing well, but it's Iowa; they're never going to blow the roof off the place. They're going to fight; they're going to grind. Sometimes they'll have amazing wins, but they are also going to have maddening losses.

So is Iowa any good this year? Yes, they are somewhere between "not very" and "quite" good this year. If their luck continues, it'll be closer to the former, but if it reverses, it might end up closer to the latter. Either way: In Kirk We Trust