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The 2024 Big Ten Media Days are suddenly just three weeks away. That means the start of fall camp is right around the corner as well.
As the final stages of summer workouts take place, outlets around the nation are sharing their final preseason predictions. Athlon Sports just unveiled its 2024 Big Ten football predictions.
Per Athlon Sports’ Steven Lassan, Iowa is expected to finish sixth in the 18-team Big Ten standings.
Despite a struggling offense and the distraction of former coordinator Brian Ferentz’s contract terms, Iowa won its second Big Ten West Division title in three years and posted the program’s eighth double-digit win total under coach Kirk Ferentz.
The elimination of divisions makes a return trip to Indianapolis to play for the conference title a greater challenge for Ferentz. However, Iowa’s defense is good enough to carry this team into the top 25 once again. Coordinator Phil Parker returns eight starters, including All-America picks in Nick Jackson and Jay Higgins at linebacker. The Hawkeyes have a strong defensive line in place, and while the secondary will miss standout Cooper DeJean, this unit is still among the best in college football.
Finishing inside of the top four in the new 18-team Big Ten all hinges on how Iowa’s offense performs under new coordinator Tim Lester. The former Western Michigan head coach will certainly put his own stamp on things, but don’t expect the Hawkeyes to stray too far from a backfield featuring Leshon Williams and Kaleb Johnson. For this unit to improve on last year’s dismal performance (15.4 points a game), better play in the trenches is a must, and there’s a question mark at quarterback to address. Is Cade McNamara healthy after missing most of ’23 due to injury. Or will the Hawkeyes turn to Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan? – Lassan,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/athlon-sports-reveals-iowa-football-230035773.html
Author : Hawkeyes Wire
Publish date : 2024-07-02 23:00:35
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