As we move into Week 8 with the Hawks gaining momentum, it's time to start handing out some mid-season hardware, the unadulterated, never sugar-coated, IowaLaw way:
1. Offensive MVP (Nate Stanley). After a slow start to the year, Nate has come on as of late. As his confidence increases, Nate is less indecisive and more willing to chuck the ball down the field. Nate has climbed to 6th in the conference in completion percentage, 6th in passing yards, 3rd in yards per attempt, 3rd in pass rating, and 2nd in touchdown passes. While these are on the cusp of all-Big Ten numbers, and he's still prone to randying around when he loses focus. The good news is that Nate is trending in the right direction for the second half of the season. Honorable Mention: Hockinson.
2. Defensive MVP (Anthony Nelson). Overall, the defense has been top-notch, so it is difficult to single anyone out. Nelson has been the leader of one of the top DLs Iowa has had under Ferentz. He is a run stuffer who ranks 19th in the conference in tackles for loss and 3rd in sacks. The DLs dominance has allowed the new LBs some wiggle room to make mistakes without giving up huge yardage or points. Honorable Mention: Epenesa, Hooker.
3. Most Improved (TJ Hockinson). Coming into the season, TJ was an after thought on offense. All the hype went to our "future first round draft picks" Fant & Stanley, to the flashy young WRs, and to breaking in the new RBs. In 2017, TJ had 24 catches for 320 yards. In 2018, through just 6 games, he already has 22 catches for 400 yards. He leads Iowa in receiving yards and is 9th in the Big 10 overall (1st among tight ends). Honorable Mention: Stanley; Smith.
4. Most Disappointing (Brandon Smith). Smith came in as the team's #1 WR. The "prototypical WR" from the south that we've been waiting for. While Smith has not been bad, he has not come close to meeting basic expectations for a starting WR at a Top 25 program. In 6 games, Smith has 13 catches (he had 5 catches in 1 game, and just 8 the rest of the season) for 189 yards and 0 touchdowns. His long is just 30 yards, which is less than the long of even Mekhi Sargent and Nate Wieting. Smith is going to need to step up for this to be a special season. Fortunately, he's trending that direction. Honorable Mention: Jones; Reiff; Tracey.
5. Newcomer of the Year (Riley Moss). Where did this guy come from? Most thought he was a lock to redshirt after being one of the lesser touted recruits in last year's class. All he's done is come in and be a difference maker at one of the most important positions on the field, cb. What he lacks size and speed, he makes up for with his knack for the ball, similar to Desmond King. Honorable Mention: Colbert; Niemann.
6. Coach of the Year (Seth Wallace). The Hawks lost their top 4 LBs last year in a year. LB play was the biggest question mark on the team. Then our top incoming LB tears his ACL, and our next best LB gets benched in the first quarter of the first game. Despite the adversity, the LBs have not been a huge liability this year. We have started I believe 6 different LBs so far, all with no previous experience, and they are holding their own. Wallace is also the assistant defensive coordinator, so he has helped mold the Big Ten's 2nd ranked scoring defense and 2nd ranked total defense. Honorable Mention: Brian Ferentz; Parker.
7. Poised for a Breakout 2nd Half (Amani Jones). The Amani Jones situation is one of the strangest I have seen under Ferentz. According to the coaches, the guy was far and away Iowa's top LB through fall practices. Then suddenly, after 3 series, he's pulled from the lineup for good? If Bo Bower were treated that way after a few bad series, no one would even remember the guy's name. When Amani did finally see action against Minnesota, he was dominant. He's now back on the bench waiting his turn. With the injury bug going around, it's only a matter of time before Jones gets another shot, and I predict he will run with it. Honorable Mention: Toren Young; Easely.
8. Missing in Action (Devonte Young). It's not often that a guy is good enough to have his redshirt pulled to play WR as a true freshmen. Since WR has been a position that lacks significant talent at Iowa, it would be the one spot where a freshmen should be able to break through. Young recorded no stats that year, and is now in his 3rd year while still yet to make a catch. He had 1 tackle last year and 1 this year on special teams. He also returned 1 kick. Two weeks ago, the coaches asked him to switch to defense and play safety, where we are pretty loaded. I'm not sure there's much playing time to be handed out on that side of the ball. I wish the best for the kid and hope some of his hard work pays off. Honorable Mention: Keith Duncan; Gresonde; Trey Creamer; Drew Cook; Reiff.
