Worth remembering that Iowa is the 5th youngest team in P5 this year when considering the eligibility remaining among their 2-deep. I am going to stray from the thread topic below, but eventually bring it back around...
They will lose a lot on the D-line for the 3rd straight year (Schulte, Gholston, Heflin, Nixon, and Van Valkenburg could all return with the free year of eligibility this season, but all but Nixon will have used up their "normal" eligibility, and Nixon will be 4 years removed from HS). They could potentially lose their top 5 in the rotation. That eventually has to matter, but everyone thought it would matter this year, and they continue to produce. I don't see another freak ala AJE or Nixon coming along, but who knows what some of the young guys will become.
LBs should be stacked. Niemann will likely have some NFL opportunities, but studs like Campbell, Benson, Jacobs, and Higgs remain. And if Colbert comes back, we are talking an embarrassment of riches (I would say Campbell switches to permanent edge-defender in that scenario, giving that unit the freak they will likely lose with Nixon's departure).
Hankins has been awesome this year; no one throws at him, and he will be another in the long-line of Phil Parker-coached all-B1G defensive backs (2014 was last year we didn't have an all-B1G DB). But Brents and Roberts are talented, and we have seen over and over the "next man in" mentality work in the defensive backfield.
OL will lose AJ, another likely all-B1G selection and early draft choice. They will likely lose Banwart (who has been really good) unless he decides to return for a 6th year to boost NFL stock, but they have talent with experience at that position (Schott, Ince, Britt, and even true freshman Richman). Kallenberger is still just a RS Jr (he came in with Wirfs), and Plumb is a RS Soph. Cronk could return for a 6th year to prove his health to NFL teams, and Nick Dejong is just a RS Fr. If Linderbaum leaves early (definite possibility), the line will take a step back. But they will be solid for the foreseeable future (three 4-star recruits in 2021 recruiting class).
RB loses Sargent, but will continue to be a strength with Goodson and hopefully IKM back (how awesome would it be to see IKM light it up next year after being so patient?). Pottebaum is just a soph, as is his backup. The Williamses (both true fresh) are interesting. Curious if Arland Bruce gets a shot at RB next year.
TEs will probably lose Beyer (unless he returns for 6th year), but Laporta and a host of young talent (Miamen, Lachey, Yelverton) return.
WR will likely lose ISM and Smith, but return production in Tracy and Ragaini, as well as potential explosiveness in Charlie Jones. Young guys like Hutson and Vines are interesting, and they are bringing in a 4-star WR in Keegan Johnson (along with Brecht and potentially Bruce if he is not at RB).
So much will fall on QB play going forward. If QB is a net-neutral, this is a really good team. If QB is a net-positive, this is a great team. If QB is a net-negative, this team will be one of the most frustrating underperformers of the KF era.
This is going to be a very impactful decision by coaches this coming offseason, but an extremely difficult one. Petras is loved by his teammates, but Hogan has endeared himself to his recruiting class, and who is to say Padilla isn't the best of the bunch. It will be an interesting offseason.
But before any of that, let's give Bucky the thrashing they deserve for bullying us for the past decade. Time to right the order in the upper-midwest.
