Mid-season First Team by The Athletic. The All-Americans and the all-Freshmen.
For the ups and downs of the young offensive line in 2021, some good props for the future for the Hawkeyes.
OL Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa: Linderbaum is PFF’s highest-graded center and highest-graded run-blocking center, a mauler who has played as well as any player at any position through the first half of the season. It’s possible nobody is a greater lock for a postseason award than Linderbaum for the Rimington Trophy.
OT Mason Richman, Iowa: The redshirt freshman has started every game at left tackle this season and has shown big upside. Richman was a three-star signee out of Kansas who played defensive line in high school. He quickly pulled off the transition to the O-line, appearing in three games last season before winning the starting job in camp.
OG Connor Colby, Iowa: Colby has started each of the last four games for Iowa and has the second-best PFF rating (79.1) among starters on the Hawkeyes’ line behind their All-America center Tyler Linderbaum. The four-star true freshman from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, hasn’t allowed a sack so far in 220 snaps. Only five other linemen have started as true freshmen during Kirk Ferentz’s tenure.
Some love for one of our young DTs, as well.
DT Lukas Van Ness, Iowa: Van Ness currently leads all Big Ten freshmen in tackles for loss (5.5), and four of them were sacks. The Illinois native came in as a three-star recruit and bulked up more than 30 pounds during his redshirt year. He has developing into a talented defensive tackle.
P Tory Taylor, Iowa: A field-position wizard, Taylor has pinned 21 of 43 punts inside the 20-yard line this season while averaging 46.2 yards per punt. Against Penn State, Taylor pinned six of nine punts inside the 20, including four inside the 5. Against Iowa State, he pinned five inside the 20, including three inside the 10.
Second Team props for two Hawks:
For the ups and downs of the young offensive line in 2021, some good props for the future for the Hawkeyes.
OL Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa: Linderbaum is PFF’s highest-graded center and highest-graded run-blocking center, a mauler who has played as well as any player at any position through the first half of the season. It’s possible nobody is a greater lock for a postseason award than Linderbaum for the Rimington Trophy.
OT Mason Richman, Iowa: The redshirt freshman has started every game at left tackle this season and has shown big upside. Richman was a three-star signee out of Kansas who played defensive line in high school. He quickly pulled off the transition to the O-line, appearing in three games last season before winning the starting job in camp.
OG Connor Colby, Iowa: Colby has started each of the last four games for Iowa and has the second-best PFF rating (79.1) among starters on the Hawkeyes’ line behind their All-America center Tyler Linderbaum. The four-star true freshman from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, hasn’t allowed a sack so far in 220 snaps. Only five other linemen have started as true freshmen during Kirk Ferentz’s tenure.
Some love for one of our young DTs, as well.
DT Lukas Van Ness, Iowa: Van Ness currently leads all Big Ten freshmen in tackles for loss (5.5), and four of them were sacks. The Illinois native came in as a three-star recruit and bulked up more than 30 pounds during his redshirt year. He has developing into a talented defensive tackle.
P Tory Taylor, Iowa: A field-position wizard, Taylor has pinned 21 of 43 punts inside the 20-yard line this season while averaging 46.2 yards per punt. Against Penn State, Taylor pinned six of nine punts inside the 20, including four inside the 5. Against Iowa State, he pinned five inside the 20, including three inside the 10.
Second Team props for two Hawks:
| DL | Javon Solomon |  Troy |
| DL | Jacub Panasiuk |  Michigan State |
| DL | Jalen Carter |  Georgia |
| DL | Cameron Thomas |  San Diego State |
| LB | Nik Bonitto |  Oklahoma |
| LB | Jack Campbell |  Iowa |
| LB | Micah McFadden |  Indiana |
| CB | Antonio Johnson |  Texas A&M |
| CB | Matt Hankins | Iowa |
| S | Xavier Henderson | Michigan State |
| S | Verone McKinley |  Oregon |
