Yes, of course, practice helps coaches evaluate performance, but any athlete, and any fan, and all coaches should be well aware that what happens in practice--good or bad--doesn't always translate to the games. And, of course, only the games matter.
Some guys kill it in practice but falter in games. Some guys look meh in practice but, if given the opportunity, kill it in games. That's why any player with any talent deserves game opportunities to prove himself. Anyone who evaluates talent based on practice alone isn't giving the player--or the team--a valid evaluation.
So yes, play OM a lot in early games and see what he can do. Same for Charlie Jones. Both would start on a lot of Power 5 teams, which again shows the talent Iowa has collected at the position.