Let's face it, Iowa's 2022 team had a generational defense. It was led by two 1st round draft picks, including the Butkus Award winner, and also had two all-American caliber defensive backs and a generational punter. Despite being absolutely loaded on defense, Iowa managed to have just the 123rd ranked scoring offense. The 2022 team finished an unmemorable 5-4 in the conference. If they are remembered for anything, it will be what a waste it was.
Iowa's 2023 team reloaded with another elite level defense and Parker winning the Broyles Award. They too were wasted. The team will be remembered not for the emergence of Higgins or DeJean, but as a national laughing stock. Despite Petras moving on, they managed to have the worst offense in modern college football and a terrible quarterback who managed to play every single snap. Unfortunately, that QB is back next year, as are most of the OL from the nation's 130th ranked scoring offense. Worse yet, the team's top two receivers and top OL are gone and no one has been recruited to replace them.
It has been said by Kirk's son in law/recruiting coordinator that the 2024 recruiting strategy is to dump Iowa's entire NIL war chest on keeping the stud defensive players who are on the fence about going pro. I want to keep them back too, but is that a strategy that will lead to better results on the field? Nope. It's idiotic.
Let's say we luck out and keep our stud LBs and one of the stud DBs...how is next year's team any better than this year's? It's the OFFENSE that makes Iowa so hard to watch and the lack thereof that has forced Iowa to go over a year without beating a ranked opponent. The 2023 team ranked dead last (133rd) in total offense, and the coaching staff is focused on the defense? No effort has been made to prioritize better talent to replace weak links at OL, QB, or WR. Heck, Iowa's top two TEs could also be gone...and I've heard of no TE prospects from the portal either. No new OL coach or WR coach either?
If the goal to have another year where Iowa sets records on the lowest over/under in Vegas history, they may achieve it. However, it's nothing to be proud of to have an offense that can't put up 10 points in a game and a defense that constantly bails them out with super close low scoring games.
The fans need an exciting product on the field...not an elite defense with no offense to support it.