There’s really no room to go but up for this Iowa offensive line, it was arguably their worst position group in 2022. The front five gave up 38 sacks while paving the way for just 95 rush yards per game. The good news for this group is that they return nearly all of their snaps from last season, with the only major loss being Jack Plumb. Iowa landed two solid offensive linemen from the transfer portal, and the group climbs to 114 career-returning starts. This year’s offensive line will be one of the deepest it’s been in the last handful of years and could be the difference-maker for a successful Iowa football season.
Iowa Depth Chart Dive: Offensive Line
Center
Last year, Logan Jones flipped over to the offensive side of the ball from the defensive line to play center. That’s a significant move, and he played well overall given the change of position. He will be back for his redshirt junior season, returning 781 snaps from last year. In the spring, he was a lot more comfortable in the position with a full year under his belt. This season he’ll take a step forward at the most important position on the line.
Michael Myslinski is listed as his backup following spring practice. He is a sophomore who has played in just two games over two seasons at Iowa.
Guard
The right guard spot is where Iowa will use one of its transfer portal additions. Rusty Feth arrived in Iowa City this June after graduating from Miami OH. The grad-transfer is 6’-5” and 325 pounds and will be a very significant newcomer to this group. He started 34 games at both guard and center while at Miami OH and brings loads of experience to the group up front.
The other guard spot will likely be Connor Colby. He was a guy that got flexed out to the tackle spot last season for a lot of early-season snaps due to the lack of depth at the offensive line. Colby will slide back over to guard this year, and that’s where he plays best. The Hawkeye offense also plays their best when he’s at guard. He is returning 714 snaps from last season, and he has started 24 of 26 games played in an Iowa uniform. With these two starting at guard, Iowa will have a very solid interior offensive line.
When you look at the depth of the interior offensive line, Iowa will be able to cycle in a couple of different guys in different scenarios. They have Tyler Elsbury, Gennings Dunker, and Beau Stephens. The three return 672 snaps from last year combined, bringing some solid experience at depth.
Tackle
Protecting Cade McNamara’s outside will be a couple of 6’-6” frames at tackle. Right tackle is another transfer player in Daijon Parker. He transferred from Division II Saginaw Valley State and originally committed to Virginia. Iowa flipped him in the spring and he will now likely line up with the starting five. He has 19 games of experience under his belt and can fit in very well with the group next to the other transfer in Feth.
The left tackle spot is Mason Richman. He started 776 snaps last season and gave up three sacks. He has started every Iowa game since the 2021 season and will be entering his redshirt junior season this year. Given the returning experience he has on the line, it’s expected he’ll have a solid year at tackle, solidifying his role as the most important pass blocker.
As far as depth, Iowa can go into the well again at this position. Jack Dotzler and Nick DeJong are going to be number two on the depth chart at tackle. DeJong returns 487 snaps from last year and is entering his fifth season in the program. Dotzler was a three-star recruit in the 2022 class and redshirted last season.
