**2026 Iowa Football Season Thread**

douglasbader

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Kirk looks noticeably older this year at media day. He's speaking softer and slower than I've ever seen, definitely can tell he crossed that threshold into his 70's.
 

ChipHilton

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The only one I've seen is RVZ, if he's healthy, he's got the best ball skills I've seen in a game from an Iowa WR since McNutt maybe? Just spatial awareness and the ability to go up and get it. We need to see Diaz do it, but when you've got Lester, Barnes, and Kirk with their public comments about him, plus the fact Bama offered him, hard for me to believe he isn't the real deal, when was the last time Kirk was publicly praising a WR like that?

Behind those two there seems to be some depth/upside between Howard/KJ Parker/James, though I'd agree less proven and likely more on par with what they've had historically until we see otherwise.

The only real concerns I have on this team talent wise is DT & QB, I think they'll be pretty good everywhere else, definitely younger than I'd like to see, but the talent is there. Unfortunately, those two positions might be the two most important to unlocking the ceiling of this team.

EDIT: And as long as you get one of the two (i.e. DT or QB overperforms), they probably still have a pretty high ceiling, you can survive QB being below average if DT play excels, or you can survive suboptimal play at DT if QB excels. If you miss at both DT and QB, that's the formula for 7-5 or 8-4, especially if you mix in a couple of injuries at other positions.
I wouldn't be surprised if Howard is the nominal 2nd starter. I think he has "the trust". Parker probably isn't far behind; he was pretty exciting in the spring scrimmage. (Plus, he killed a Gopher on a Wetjen punt return)

Those two and James probably complete the top 5, with Stinson knocking on the door for a look. Buie could not have picked a worse year to have a lingering injury. Hope we get some scout team/bowl prep buzz on Brody Schaffer this fall.
 

Monster

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I wouldn't be surprised if Howard is the nominal 2nd starter. I think he has "the trust". Parker probably isn't far behind; he was pretty exciting in the spring scrimmage. (Plus, he killed a Gopher on a Wetjen punt return)

Those two and James probably complete the top 5, with Stinson knocking on the door for a look. Buie could not have picked a worse year to have a lingering injury. Hope we get some scout team/bowl prep buzz on Brody Schaffer this fall.
No Diaz?
 

Gushawk

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My concern with RVZ as a pro is that you don't see many big white guys as successful NFL WRs. Most are Wes Welker/Cooper Kupp types. But maybe we can claim Puka as a near white due to the Mormon thing.
 

Monster

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My concern with RVZ as a pro is that you don't see many big white guys as successful NFL WRs. Most are Wes Welker/Cooper Kupp types. But maybe we can claim Puka as a near white due to the Mormon thing.
Also don't see a lot of white corners.
 

Gushawk

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True. Before Riley and Cooper it was basically Seehorn.
 

The Dad

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My concern with RVZ as a pro is that you don't see many big white guys as successful NFL WRs. Most are Wes Welker/Cooper Kupp types. But maybe we can claim Puka as a near white due to the Mormon thing.
 

The Dad

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That’s pretty much the current list.
 

The Dad

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Teslaa has potential to be the next great non-slot white.

McHonkey is slotty
 

L. Wade Childress

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I am finally watching some of this stuff and while I remain unconvinced about montgomerys on field abilities…that’s a high caliber young man.
 

cloudhawk

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I see RVZ as more of a Steve Largent/Chris Collinsworth hybrid.
 
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The Dad

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Don Hutson!!

Nice job understanding the meaning of current, fags.
 

Kerky

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I hadn't taken the time to really look at the schedule this year. Kind of crappy for home slate with 3 shitty non conf games out of the gate followed by only 4 conference games with a lot of separation in between. October is filled with road contests and bye week.
 

Hawk&Balls

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The 3 non-con, 4 big ten schedules always kind of suck. Home slate is almost half done after week 3 and then usually a long time between home games in October
 

Monster

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Another player opts to go back to school for the 5th year rather than fight for a spot on an NFL roster. Hutson never signed a contract but was in a few different camps.

 

Laplace

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"Bottom line is this: right now we don't know the answer. I can only tell you we'll know the answer when we know it. Hopefully sometime in August that will become apparent. It may be in-season. Can't rule out any possibilities," Ferentz said about the quarterback competition.

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So they are both B10 starting QB worthy? Or neither of them are? Hoping for the former. But I must admit past experience isn't exactly reassuring lol.
 

Verbal

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I was at a charity golf outing last week and Dolph
emceed the program, like he always does. He went on about a 2-3 minute tangent about Iowa football and said he thinks Hecklinski is the guy. He’s more worried about the defense. Fwiw. Peace.
 
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