Out of spring: Iowa

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In our "Out of Spring" series, Orange and Blue News takes a look at spring football for the Illini's 2018 opponents.

Next up, we break down the Iowa Hawkeyes, a Big Ten West division opponent. Illinois hosts Iowa at Memorial Stadium on November 17, 2018.

Last season, Iowa cruised past Illinois in Iowa City, 45-16. Hawkeyes' quarterback Nate Stanley threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns. Turnovers loomed large, as the Illini turned the ball over four times.

Iowa finished witn 8-5 overall record in 2017, 4-5 in the Big Ten. The season culminated with a win over Boston College in Pinstripe Bowl.

Orange and Blue News caught up with Tom Kakert from HawkeyeReport.com to get the lowdown on Iowa coming out of spring football. Follow Tom on Twitter @HawkeyeReport. Follow Iowa football @HawkeyeFootball.

What were some of the top storylines for the Hawkeyes this spring, and what did you learn about the team?

Tom Kakert: I think there were a couple of top storylines and honestly, I’m not sure how much we learned about any of them. We probably won’t learn a whole lot until the games get underway in September.

One of the top storylines of the spring was the linebacker position. Iowa lost all three starters at linebacker, including All American Josey Jewell. Those are some big shoes to fill when you consider that all three were multiple year starters. This spring, one of the expected starters at WLB, Aaron Mends, tore his ACL towards the end of the spring and will miss his senior year. The good news is that Amani Jones appears to be the frontrunner to replace Jewell in the middle and he looked very good. Having said that, he has played zero snaps at middle linebacker at this level. Nick Niemann appears to be a lock to replace his brother Ben at OLB and Kristian Welch is the odds of favorite to fill Mends shoes.

One of the other top storylines was at wide receiver. Iowa had more bodies this spring, but beyond last year’s leading receiver, Nick Easley, it’s really unproven. Freshmen Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Brandon Smith showed promise this spring, but they need to show it during the season. The same can probably be said at running back. There were times when Toren Young and Ivory Kelly-Martin looked pretty good last season, but they have significant playmaking shoes to fill with the graduation of Akrum Wadley.

The Iowa offense struggled at times last season. What did you see this spring that gives some indication that things will improve in 2018? Who were some of the play-makers that fans should be aware of? How did QB Nate Stanley look?

TK: There was certainly some rough moments for the Iowa offense in 2017, especially in Big Ten play against Michigan State and Wisconsin. There were also some pretty strong performances against Iowa State, Ohio State, and Nebraska.

I think the hope is that last year they were dealing with combination of issues that led to some struggles offensive. The combination of a true sophomore starting quarterback and a new offensive coordinator in Brian Ferentz. The hope is that Nate Stanley will grow after one year as a starter and the same can be said for Brian Ferentz as the coordinator. I think they will grow, but time will tell. They looked more cohesive this spring, which is a positive development and Stanley played like a veteran starter.

For the offense to really grow, I think they need contributions from Smith-Marsette and Smith at wide receiver to go along with known players like Easley and tight ends Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson, who combined for 14 touchdown receptions.

I think the key for the Iowa offense and Stanley’s development will be the play of the offensive line. If they struggle to establish the run and to protect Stanley, Iowa’s offense will be stuck in neutral.

The Hawkeyes lost some outstanding linebackers to graduation, including Josey Jewell who is now a member of the Denver Broncos. Who are some LB's that stepped into those big shoes this spring, and what can fans expect from that unit?

TK: Already kind of touched on that in the first question. It’s really the most important part of the defense that has to develop if they are going to be strong on that side of the ball. Iowa is at their best defensively when they have a strong front seven. The front four on the defensive line are deep, pretty experienced, and talented. The linebackers are a real question mark and we won’t know how good this group is until we see them play an actual game.

With all three multiple year starters leaving and Iowa really playing only three linebackers and not rotating reserves in for a series or two during games, there are basically zero meaningful snaps in closer game situations from Jones, Welch, or Nick Niemann. They are talented players who have waited their turn, but it’s really unknown how they will react in games. It should also be noted that Iowa doesn’t have any real experience in terms of the players filling out the depth chart, so it’s not like they can go to the bullpen for a veteran if someone struggles.

Who were some newcomers and / or breakouts performers for the Hawkeyes this spring? Any early enrollees or redshirt freshmen who stood out?

TK: There were a few early entry players this year for the Hawkeyes, but they will all be fairly deep reserves and likely candidates to redshirt. QB Spencer Petras will be a name to watch down the road for Iowa and Dillon Doyle could potentially play special teams this season.

I think in terms of a breakout player, I’d keep an eye on Toren Young. Everyone knows Iowa likes to run the football and Young is a classic zone blocking back that usually does well in the Hawkeye system. He also might be more of a workhorse back that anticipated. I’d also keep an eye on Amani Jones. We’ve written about him already, but he looks primed to be a very good player heading into his junior year. I’d also keep an eye on former five star A.J. Epenesa. He played last season and was very good. I think his work rate will go up and so will his impact on the game.

What questions still need to be answered when the Hawkeyes open camp later this summer?

TK: I think one of the real keys to Iowa’s season is the development of the offensive line.

Frankly there are still a lot of moving parts up front that are unsettled. Keegan Render moves from guard to center and that’s never an easy transition. Render started Iowa’s opener last year at center and he looked good this spring, but it’s still very new to him.

The tackle positions are pretty settled with Tristian Wirfs and Alaric Jackson entering their sophomore years. Both are very good and their best days are still ahead of them. Last year, Iowa lost both offensive tackles to injury, but they had the depth to make up for their absence. This year they really don’t have that type of tackle depth.

The real question mark is at guard. Levi Paulsen is expected to start at one of the guard positions, but he missed the second half of spring ball due to injury. His twin brother, Landan, stepped in and did a nice job. The other guard position could be a battle between veteran Ross Reynolds and freshman Cole Banwart. Having said that, Iowa’s just not as strong right now at guard.

Also, Iowa needs to find a punter. They struggled in that area last year and can’t afford to struggle for a second straight season. Either Colten Rastetter or Ryan Gersonde have to grab the job and give Iowa some sort of edge when they are forced to punt.