Since Iowa’s Rose Bowl season of 2015, Phil Parker’s defense has allowed an average of just 18.3 points per game. It ranked in the top six in points allowed per contest in three of the last four seasons. Iowa has been as consistently excellent at that end of the ball as a team can be. The question will be if this 2023 group can match that consistency, or if they’ll take a step back.
Historically speaking, the Iowa defense has been built, not “acquired”. With the era of the transfer portal in full swing, the Hawkeyes have taken steps to acquire transfer portal players for their defense. That includes Nick Jackson at linebacker, the proven Virginia transfer and four-year starter. He’ll be stepping in to replace Jack Campbell. Campbell was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft a few months ago. Iowa is also eying help in the defensive secondary this summer. At cornerback, the Hawkeyes would like to add an experienced piece to aid at the position. The question is, are these transfer portal additions and targets purely a good sign, or is it a possible cause of concern for the depth behind them?
Linebacker Depth
Starting at the linebacker position, Campbell was the team’s leader in tackles for each of the last two seasons. Seth Benson was the team’s second-leading tackler in each of the last three seasons. Both of them are gone. Going back further, from 2015 to 2017, Josey Jewell led the team in tackles for three seasons straight at linebacker. With the exception of Jewell and Campbell, two current NFL players, the team’s leading tackler has always been a senior dating back to 2012. Not only that but each of those leading tacklers was recruited by Iowa and was at least a four-year player in the black and gold. Jackson’s transfer from Virginia is the first time Iowa has re-loaded with a player who was not built up in their program at linebacker.
Of the returning players at the position, Jay Higgins returns the most production with 39 tackles last year. He played in 32 games with two starts under his belt in his three seasons at Iowa. Kyler Fisher is another name at linebacker that will be a regular in the rotation. He had just five tackles last season in 13 games played. The two have solid experience. But given the top of that linebacker room for the last few years, their production has been limited.
For the Iowa defense to go out to the portal and bring in a guy in Jackson with 352 career tackles and 20 tackles for loss is a big addition. They clearly need the return in production at the position. It’s a very significant pickup for Parker’s defense. However, the flip side of this could signal some concern with the depth at linebacker. For decades, it’s been a “next man in” operation. Keeping the linebackers healthy this season will be paramount because this could also point to a depth concern at the position.
Cornerback Depth
The same sort of depth concern could be said about the cornerbacks. Riley Moss was selected in the third round of the NFL Draft. Moss recorded at least one interception in each of his five years at Iowa and was a pivotal piece to the outside defenders. Terry Roberts transferred out of Iowa this offseason. He saw significant playing time in each of the last two seasons as a backup cornerback due to injuries.
In losing both of those guys, Iowa now has Cooper DeJean and Jermari Harris as the starters. DeJean is a projected first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft. He had a team-high five interceptions last season. Three of them he returned for scores. Harris didn’t play last year due to injury but had four interceptions as a sophomore in 2021. He has emerged as one of the team’s leaders during spring practice.
Behind them, however, it gets thin with experience. TJ Hall is a true sophomore who is highly talented. He played in 13 games as a true freshman with four tackles. The skillset is there, but he has room to grow after giving up two touchdowns to Nebraska last year. Deshaun Lee and Brenden Deasfernandes are also on the depth chart but have combined for little playing experience.
In the same vein as for the linebackers, staying healthy on the outside will be paramount. It’s one of the reasons that Iowa has its eyes on some players in the transfer portal to add to this group. Josh Wallace was one of the names on that list, the cornerback transfer from Massachusetts. He committed to Michigan on June 7th, but his experience as a four-year starter is exactly what Iowa is after at the position group. It won’t be a surprise to see Iowa continue to pursue another player to assist at corner this summer.
What Does This Mean?
When looking at Iowa’s offseason moves, the personnel on this defense have the pieces to be right back at the top in points allowed per game. The addition of Jackson at linebacker and the potential of a veteran joining the cornerbacks are all positive. But it’s also important to consider the other side of the equation in what these moves mean. But the need to acquire transfers on defense may hint at the coaching staff and their confidence down the depth chart. Tracking the defensive roster into fall camp will continue to give clues to how this defense can maintain its track record of excellence.
Photo courtesy: Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
