#19 Iowa Hawkeyes

Head Coach: Kirk Ferentz
2003 Record: 10-3

2004 Preview By JJ Pesavento
football.com

2004 MVP: Running back Jermelle Lewis. The Hawkeyes have been a force over the past two seasons on offense, and much of that success has been the result of a dominating ground attack. Fred Russell is now gone, and Lewis will be asked to pick up the slack. Lewis has proved that he can be the man in the running game. While he runs with power, Lewis also has enough speed to break the long runs. For the Hawks to compete for the Big Ten title, Jermelle Lewis will have to produce.

Quarterback: With Nathan Chandler gone, the starting role could fall to sophomore Drew Tate. Tate lacks size and experience, but not arm strength. But while he may be the frontrunner, his name on the starting job is not etched in stone just yet. Sophomore Jason Manson will give Tate a run for his money in summer drills. Manson is more of a pure athlete, and an accurate passer as well. Sophomores Cy Phillips ad Eric McCollum round out the depth chart at the position.

Running Back: While Fred Russell will be playing on Sundays, don't expect the Hawks to be hurting at tailback. Jermelle Lewis was to play a big part in the offense when he blew out his ACL before the 2003 season. One player fans should definitely keep an eye on is junior Marques Simmons. At the spring game, he impressed me more than any of the other backs. His speed will be deadly if the line gives him daylight. Junior Marcus Schoor is another experienced back in the mix with some power. Sophomore Champ Davis will take over at fullback for Edgar Cervantes. Davis looks capable, and more athletic than Cervantes.

Wide Receiver/Tight End: Junior Ed Hinkel and sophomore Calvin Davis are penciled in as the starting receivers for now. Hinkel was hampered by injury in 2003, but looked ready at the spring game. Davis will have to fight for his job with another player that thoroughly impressed me at the spring game.  While not the biggest target, senior Warren Holloway was fearless and displayed some true power after the catch. But everything could change with the return of junior Clinton Soloman, who spent a year at Iowa Central Community College getting his grades in order. Junior Matt Melloy will also play a role in the mix at receiver. Senior Tony Jackson may not fit the mold of the Iowa tight end, but he will fill the bill as the starter at the position.

Offensive Line: All World tackle Robert Gallery is now and Oakland Raider, but opponents should not expect the front wall to be that much weaker. Senior Pete McMahon is the next great lineman in the Iowa stable. With a 6-7, 330-pound frame, he can bury defenders. Junior Lee Gray will anchor the left tackle spot vacated by Gallery. He will have his hands full fending off junior C.J. Barkema, a 6-8, 300-pound former tight end. Sophomore Mike Jones and junior David Walker will man the guards. Sophomore Mike Elgin will fill in for the injured Brian Ferentz at center. Junior Blake Larson is another 6-7, 310-pound monster who will see his share of reps on the line.

Defensive Line: The line will not lack for experience with four seniors projected as starters entering summer drills. The leader of the group will undoubtedly be All Big Ten defensive end Matt Roth. Roth is on the Nagurski Watch List, and the best pass rushing threat the Hawks have. Derrick Robinson will man the opposite end with Matt Neubauer leaving school. At the tackles will be Tyler Luebke and Jonathan Babineaux. Neither is huge in terms of size, but both have playmaking abilities to make up for it.

Linebacker: Junior Abdul Hodge will anchor the linebacking corps in the middle after leading the team with 141 tackles last season. He will be joined by junior Chad Greenway, who notched 132 tackles during the course of the season. Senior George Lewis will take over for the departed Grant Steen on the outside. Another player to keep an eye on is freshman recruit Kyle Williams, who was one of the best prep players in the nation.

Secondary: The secondary returns three starters from the 2003 roster. Juniors Antwan Allen and Jowon Johnson will come back to start at the corners for Iowa. While neither player is gifted with size, both are solid cover corners and can tackle as well. Senior Sean Considine returns at free safety after leading the D-backs in tackles a year ago. Sophomore Marcus Paschal will try to replace Bobby Sanders at strong safety. Paschal is bigger than Sanders, but not as physical. Senior Chigozie Ejiasi will be the top reserve at corner. Sophomores Miguel Merrick and Andrew Becker will back up at the safeties.

Special Teams: Nate Kaeding is now in the NFL, and sophomore Kyle Schlicher will be hard pressed to fill some very huge cleats. Schlicher does not have the power that Kaeding had, but he can be capable. Senior David Bradley will return as punter after averaging a hair under 40 yards per kick in 2003. Ed Hinkel will return punts, and the kick return duties will be sorted out by the end of summer drills.

Final Thoughts: At quarterback, one potential problem is the lack of experience. All the potential candidates for the job are sophomores, and none have starting experience. An area of strength on offense has to be at running back. With Lewis, Schoor and Simmons, the Hawkeyes not only have talent, but depth as well. The receiving corps may not have any budding superstars, but there is enough there to be capable. If the spring game was an omen, opposing defense are in for more problems from the reloaded line. Coach Kirk Ferentz appears to just keep on churning out blue chip linemen on a regular basis. The defensive line looks capable, but after the starting four, there is barely any measurable experience to speak of. Like the line, the linebacking corps is solid, but it has very little depth in terms of experience. The secondary is talented, and could turn out to be the strongest asset of the defense. While the Hawkeyes lost some key personnel, they shouldn't be underestimated. Many experts buried them in the lower half of the Big Ten before the 2003 season, and the Hawks made them eat their words. Iowa should again be a team to be reckoned with, and Big Ten title contenders if the right pieces fall into place.

-- JJ Pesavento