Impact of early departures
Will Ojemudia move into the "Star" position played by Hooker this past season?
Tom Kakert • HawkeyeReport.com
@hawkeyereport
While the end of the year for the Iowa football team ended on a high note on the field, it has come with a price.
The Hawkeyes won their final three games of the season, including the Outback Bowl victory over Mississippi State, to finish the year with nine wins.
The success on the field was certainly due to some outstanding individual performances and that has led to the early departures of four standout players to the National Football League.
Noah Fant announced his decision to forego his senior season at Iowa and declined to play in the Outback Bowl. Amani Hooker, Anthony Nelson, and T.J. Hockenson all played in the bowl game and then announced their intentions to enter the NFL Draft with Fant.
That means four players who could have potentially returned to Iowa next year will not be back wearing the black and gold. For some programs it wouldn’t be a big deal. They would simply insert a four or five star prospect into the rotation and rinse, wash, repeat that cycle in a year or two. For a more developmental program like Iowa, it can and likely does have a much more significant impact on the team in the short term.
With that in mind, let’s look at the impact of each departure on the Iowa team and their position group.
TIGHT END
There’s no doubt that the position group is significantly impacted by losing both Fant and Hockenson. The duo combined for 88 receptions 1,279 yards receiving, and 13 touchdowns this season. That’s 36% of the receptions, 43% of the receiving yards, and 48% of the touchdown passes in 2018.
Both were named first team All Big Ten this season and Hockenson won the Mackey Award, which is given each year to the top tight end in the country.
Most teams are lucky if they have one tight end who is effective. Iowa had two of the best at the position at the same time and unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, they are moving on.
Nate Wieting, who saw action in 12 games this year will lead the group. He had two receptions for 51 yards this year. Many will also remember his big 17 yard reception in the fourth quarter of the 2017 Pinstripe Bowl that set up the winning score against Boston College.
Perhaps the most interesting player at the position and the one who most believe could emerge next year without Fant and Hockenson is Shaun Beyer. The former Cedar Rapids Kennedy prep standout saw his 2018 season end early due to a knee injury, but he has the speed and ability to become a big part of the passing game next year.
Iowa likes to play three or four tight ends in just about every game, which means there’s room for more help at the position. One name to watch will be Drew Cook. He has made the full transition from quarterback to tight end and as the son of legendary tight end Marv Cook, he certainly has the pedigree to emerge in 2019. There could also be room for one of the three incoming freshmen at the position. Logan Lee might be the most physically ready to help, particularly from a blocking perspective, while Josiah Miaman could be the best receiver of the bunch. Sam LaPorta was a late addition to the class and his senior film reminds us of Hockenson, but he may need a year to get physically ready.
BOTTOM LINE: We may never see a duo like Hockenson and Fant again, at least as far as single season numbers. What they did was historic and even if just one of them left, it would have been nearly impossible to duplicate. Even though he didn’t register a reception this year, Beyer will be the player to watch next year and more importantly, he’s going to have to stay healthy.
DEFENSIVE END
Iowa had a really solid four man rotation at defensive end this year with Parker Hesse, Anthony Nelson, A.J. Epenesa, and Chauncey Golston. We knew once the season ended that Hesse, an underappreciated three year starter, would be graduating. What we didn’t know was that Anthony Nelson would be moving on.
The fourth year junior defensive end had another solid season with 45 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, and 6 quarterback hurries. Nelson began the real process of looking at the NFL in December and received feedback that suggested it was time to move on to the professional ranks.
Now, the good news off the top is that Epenesa and Golston are back and now they will move into a starting role. Epenesa led the team in sacks with 10.5, tackles for loss at 16.5, quarterback hurries with 9, and he also forced four fumbles in 2018. Golston came on strong in the second half of the season, registering 3.5 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss.
While losing Nelson hurts, Iowa should be in good shape from a starting perspective. Where it will hurt is there’s no natural third or fourth option waiting in the wings. This past season, Iowa knew they had three great options at defensive end and a fourth in Golston developed during the year. In 2019, Iowa will need to find a third and potentially fourth player at defensive end.
The two most logical candidates are Brandon Simon, who will be entering his junior year, and John Waggoner, who was a highly sought after recruit that ended up redshirting in his freshman year. It also might be worth keeping an eye on walk-on Jack Kallenberger, who could be an option for snaps.
BOTTOM LINE: Iowa was going to take a hit at defensive end no matter what Anthony Nelson did regarding the NFL Draft. The Hawkeyes will have a strong starting duo at defensive end, but depth will be a pretty significant issue. You don’t want to go into the season with just two defensive ends that you trust. Either Simon, Waggoner, or perhaps Kallenberger end up as the third or possibly fourth defensive end.
“STAR” POSITION
While Amani Hooker was listed as a safety, during the second half of the season he was playing the newly created “Star” position. Basically it’s a hybrid between a linebacker and a safety and it allowed Phil Parker to get Geno Stone and his playmaking abilities on the field at safety and also play Hooker and Jake Gervase.
Based on what Parker said leading up to the bowl game, it looks like the “Star” position is here to stay and Iowa will become a 4-2-5 defense against most opposing teams. Now, that could change based on the strength of the safety and linebacker positions in any given year, but for right now, we are going to operate under the assumption that it will be around to start 2019.
When Parker visited with the media in Tampa, he was asked about players who could fit into the “Star” position beyond Hooker, who had at that point not declared early for the NFL Draft. Parker indicated that he had worked cornerbacks Michael Ojemudia and D.J. Johnson at the position. Ojemudia makes a lot of sense because of his size and he is a good tackler. We don’t know as much about Johnson in an Iowa uniform due to the fact that he missed a good portion of the 2018 season battling a hamstring issue.
Then there’s also the impact at safety, which was likely coming anyway. But, if Hooker would have stayed and moved back to safety, there’s a hole to fill. Geno Stone is back and that will be helpful. He had a very good year as a starter, but who will be paired with him?
Again, we go back to Parker’s visit with the media in Tampa where he was singing the praises of sophomore to be Kaevon Merriweather. He was the late find by Parker in the recruiting process and at the time, probably known more for being a basketball player than football. He played this year and Parker seems pretty high on his potential. My sense is Merriweather could end up being paired with Stone at the top of the depth chart at safety.
BOTTOM LINE: In some ways, the loss of Hooker probably impacts Iowa's defense more than any of the other early departures. If it's not the most impactful, it's right there with the tight ends leaving early. There's still a lot to be determined with what position is impacted. If Parker sticks with the 4-2-5, which is seems he will, then I'd bet on Ojemudia as the starter. If Iowa goes back to the more traditional look, then without Hooker, the spotlight focuses on Merriweather, which it probably would be anyway if Iowa stayed with the 4-2-5.
Will Ojemudia move into the "Star" position played by Hooker this past season?
Tom Kakert • HawkeyeReport.com
@hawkeyereport
While the end of the year for the Iowa football team ended on a high note on the field, it has come with a price.
The Hawkeyes won their final three games of the season, including the Outback Bowl victory over Mississippi State, to finish the year with nine wins.
The success on the field was certainly due to some outstanding individual performances and that has led to the early departures of four standout players to the National Football League.
Noah Fant announced his decision to forego his senior season at Iowa and declined to play in the Outback Bowl. Amani Hooker, Anthony Nelson, and T.J. Hockenson all played in the bowl game and then announced their intentions to enter the NFL Draft with Fant.
That means four players who could have potentially returned to Iowa next year will not be back wearing the black and gold. For some programs it wouldn’t be a big deal. They would simply insert a four or five star prospect into the rotation and rinse, wash, repeat that cycle in a year or two. For a more developmental program like Iowa, it can and likely does have a much more significant impact on the team in the short term.
With that in mind, let’s look at the impact of each departure on the Iowa team and their position group.
TIGHT END
There’s no doubt that the position group is significantly impacted by losing both Fant and Hockenson. The duo combined for 88 receptions 1,279 yards receiving, and 13 touchdowns this season. That’s 36% of the receptions, 43% of the receiving yards, and 48% of the touchdown passes in 2018.
Both were named first team All Big Ten this season and Hockenson won the Mackey Award, which is given each year to the top tight end in the country.
Most teams are lucky if they have one tight end who is effective. Iowa had two of the best at the position at the same time and unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, they are moving on.
Nate Wieting, who saw action in 12 games this year will lead the group. He had two receptions for 51 yards this year. Many will also remember his big 17 yard reception in the fourth quarter of the 2017 Pinstripe Bowl that set up the winning score against Boston College.
Perhaps the most interesting player at the position and the one who most believe could emerge next year without Fant and Hockenson is Shaun Beyer. The former Cedar Rapids Kennedy prep standout saw his 2018 season end early due to a knee injury, but he has the speed and ability to become a big part of the passing game next year.
Iowa likes to play three or four tight ends in just about every game, which means there’s room for more help at the position. One name to watch will be Drew Cook. He has made the full transition from quarterback to tight end and as the son of legendary tight end Marv Cook, he certainly has the pedigree to emerge in 2019. There could also be room for one of the three incoming freshmen at the position. Logan Lee might be the most physically ready to help, particularly from a blocking perspective, while Josiah Miaman could be the best receiver of the bunch. Sam LaPorta was a late addition to the class and his senior film reminds us of Hockenson, but he may need a year to get physically ready.
BOTTOM LINE: We may never see a duo like Hockenson and Fant again, at least as far as single season numbers. What they did was historic and even if just one of them left, it would have been nearly impossible to duplicate. Even though he didn’t register a reception this year, Beyer will be the player to watch next year and more importantly, he’s going to have to stay healthy.
DEFENSIVE END
Iowa had a really solid four man rotation at defensive end this year with Parker Hesse, Anthony Nelson, A.J. Epenesa, and Chauncey Golston. We knew once the season ended that Hesse, an underappreciated three year starter, would be graduating. What we didn’t know was that Anthony Nelson would be moving on.
The fourth year junior defensive end had another solid season with 45 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, and 6 quarterback hurries. Nelson began the real process of looking at the NFL in December and received feedback that suggested it was time to move on to the professional ranks.
Now, the good news off the top is that Epenesa and Golston are back and now they will move into a starting role. Epenesa led the team in sacks with 10.5, tackles for loss at 16.5, quarterback hurries with 9, and he also forced four fumbles in 2018. Golston came on strong in the second half of the season, registering 3.5 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss.
While losing Nelson hurts, Iowa should be in good shape from a starting perspective. Where it will hurt is there’s no natural third or fourth option waiting in the wings. This past season, Iowa knew they had three great options at defensive end and a fourth in Golston developed during the year. In 2019, Iowa will need to find a third and potentially fourth player at defensive end.
The two most logical candidates are Brandon Simon, who will be entering his junior year, and John Waggoner, who was a highly sought after recruit that ended up redshirting in his freshman year. It also might be worth keeping an eye on walk-on Jack Kallenberger, who could be an option for snaps.
BOTTOM LINE: Iowa was going to take a hit at defensive end no matter what Anthony Nelson did regarding the NFL Draft. The Hawkeyes will have a strong starting duo at defensive end, but depth will be a pretty significant issue. You don’t want to go into the season with just two defensive ends that you trust. Either Simon, Waggoner, or perhaps Kallenberger end up as the third or possibly fourth defensive end.
“STAR” POSITION
While Amani Hooker was listed as a safety, during the second half of the season he was playing the newly created “Star” position. Basically it’s a hybrid between a linebacker and a safety and it allowed Phil Parker to get Geno Stone and his playmaking abilities on the field at safety and also play Hooker and Jake Gervase.
Based on what Parker said leading up to the bowl game, it looks like the “Star” position is here to stay and Iowa will become a 4-2-5 defense against most opposing teams. Now, that could change based on the strength of the safety and linebacker positions in any given year, but for right now, we are going to operate under the assumption that it will be around to start 2019.
When Parker visited with the media in Tampa, he was asked about players who could fit into the “Star” position beyond Hooker, who had at that point not declared early for the NFL Draft. Parker indicated that he had worked cornerbacks Michael Ojemudia and D.J. Johnson at the position. Ojemudia makes a lot of sense because of his size and he is a good tackler. We don’t know as much about Johnson in an Iowa uniform due to the fact that he missed a good portion of the 2018 season battling a hamstring issue.
Then there’s also the impact at safety, which was likely coming anyway. But, if Hooker would have stayed and moved back to safety, there’s a hole to fill. Geno Stone is back and that will be helpful. He had a very good year as a starter, but who will be paired with him?
Again, we go back to Parker’s visit with the media in Tampa where he was singing the praises of sophomore to be Kaevon Merriweather. He was the late find by Parker in the recruiting process and at the time, probably known more for being a basketball player than football. He played this year and Parker seems pretty high on his potential. My sense is Merriweather could end up being paired with Stone at the top of the depth chart at safety.
BOTTOM LINE: In some ways, the loss of Hooker probably impacts Iowa's defense more than any of the other early departures. If it's not the most impactful, it's right there with the tight ends leaving early. There's still a lot to be determined with what position is impacted. If Parker sticks with the 4-2-5, which is seems he will, then I'd bet on Ojemudia as the starter. If Iowa goes back to the more traditional look, then without Hooker, the spotlight focuses on Merriweather, which it probably would be anyway if Iowa stayed with the 4-2-5.
