Iowa's Transfer Portal Recruiting Strategy More "Complex" Than the Offense?

[IowasLaw]

The regular season is over and the data is in.

According to SportsSource Analytics, 23% of Power 5 college football starters this year were grad transfers. 0% of Iowa's starters were grad transfers.

What an absolute joke that Kirk and Brian opted to live in fear of the portal despite so many glaring holes on the offense and sabotage the season for an elite defense.

So now it gets interesting. The transfer portal for next year opens on December 5 and stays open for 45 days. Aside from 1 RB and 1 TE, Iowa's entire offense would be better off cleaning house and starting from scratch. The Hawks need at least 2 WRs, 2 OL, and a QB to even have a prayer of landing in the top 100 offenses next season. If players on the defense opt to leave for better pastures after watching how inept the offense continues to be, I can't say that I blame em. It's not easy getting stops when your offense goes 3 and out so often. If that happens, the Hawks could clearly use some help at CB (where they were playing a walk-on against Nebraska from Class A Humbolt) and DL.

Time will tell if Kirk goes the way of the dinosaur or reinvents himself and gets with the times.

 

[IowasLaw]

At this stage, it should come as no surprise that Iowa's current portal strategy appears void of any logic or reason.

OL Weakness. Even a blind observer could tell you that Iowa's OLine this year was the worst in the entire Ferentz era. Despite this, staff appears to have ZERO current interest in OLine prospects in the portal. Not a single one. At a position where Iowa needs to take at least 3 to salvage the season next year. "But we have a lot of guys coming back." Yup, those same guys who became memes because of how awful they played, blocking ghosts and tripping on their own feet.

RB Strength. Similarly, when looking at the only positions of strength going into next year, it should come as no surprise that the staff is instead focusing on portal prospects at the same position. Iowa's lone returning skill position bright spot is RB Johnson, a freshmen all-American. His backup, Williams, has all the potential to start at some schools. Yet Iowa is going all in on the portal making offers to RBs far and wide. How does that make any sense? Johnson will be a sophomore and Williams will be a junior. Both will be #1 and #2 in the lineup for the next 2 years.

WR Weakness. Then there's the gaping hole at WR, which was already the worst in the Big 10 before Iowa's top 2 WRs bolted and it's 3rd WR graduated. So while the rest of the Big 10 targets Power 5 accomplished WRs, Iowa is hitting the D2 level, while snubbing a kid from Alabama who had interest? Defies logic.

 

[RCHdude]

At this stage, it should come as no surprise that Iowa's current portal strategy appears void of any logic or reason.

OL Weakness. Even a blind observer could tell you that Iowa's OLine this year was the worst in the entire Ferentz era. Despite this, staff appears to have ZERO current interest in OLine prospects in the portal. Not a single one. At a position where Iowa needs to take at least 3 to salvage the season next year. "But we have a lot of guys coming back." Yup, those same guys who became memes because of how awful they played, blocking ghosts and tripping on their own feet.

RB Strength. Similarly, when looking at the only positions of strength going into next year, it should come as no surprise that the staff is instead focusing on portal prospects at the same position. Iowa's lone returning skill position bright spot is RB Johnson, a freshmen all-American. His backup, Williams, has all the potential to start at some schools. Yet Iowa is going all in on the portal making offers to RBs far and wide. How does that make any sense? Johnson will be a sophomore and Williams will be a junior. Both will be #1 and #2 in the lineup for the next 2 years.

WR Weakness. Then there's the gaping hole at WR, which was already the worst in the Big 10 before Iowa's top 2 WRs bolted and it's 3rd WR graduated. So while the rest of the Big 10 targets Power 5 accomplished WRs, Iowa is hitting the D2 level, while snubbing a kid from Alabama who had interest? Defies logic.

One that is not true about OL. They have reached out to a couple.
Two, that is also not true about RBs. They have looked at one transfer RB and it isn't even clear if they are still interested in him. Their RB room needs numbers and that is why they have offered other kids in this current recruiting class. Right now they only have 3 on campus and one commit.
Three, apparently the Bama kid had issues that Iowa didn't want to bring on. Nothing wrong with that and there is talent at the D2 level and isn't the only place they have been looking for WRs.

Lastly, do you ever not troll?

 

[HawkeyeInCentralIowa]

At this stage, it should come as no surprise that Iowa's current portal strategy appears void of any logic or reason.

OL Weakness. Even a blind observer could tell you that Iowa's OLine this year was the worst in the entire Ferentz era. Despite this, staff appears to have ZERO current interest in OLine prospects in the portal. Not a single one. At a position where Iowa needs to take at least 3 to salvage the season next year. "But we have a lot of guys coming back." Yup, those same guys who became memes because of how awful they played, blocking ghosts and tripping on their own feet.

RB Strength. Similarly, when looking at the only positions of strength going into next year, it should come as no surprise that the staff is instead focusing on portal prospects at the same position. Iowa's lone returning skill position bright spot is RB Johnson, a freshmen all-American. His backup, Williams, has all the potential to start at some schools. Yet Iowa is going all in on the portal making offers to RBs far and wide. How does that make any sense? Johnson will be a sophomore and Williams will be a junior. Both will be #1 and #2 in the lineup for the next 2 years.

WR Weakness. Then there's the gaping hole at WR, which was already the worst in the Big 10 before Iowa's top 2 WRs bolted and it's 3rd WR graduated. So while the rest of the Big 10 targets Power 5 accomplished WRs, Iowa is hitting the D2 level, while snubbing a kid from Alabama who had interest? Defies logic.

The kid from Alabama got kicked off their team and their staff reached out to Kirk to tell him about the baggage he would bring. That “d2 level kid” is 6’4 210, runs a 4.5 40, and he has a 40+ inch vert. That’s an exceptional athlete.