5 Iowa Hawkeyes that could transform into Big Ten stars after the 2022 season
Iowa has a pair of established national stars on defense in linebacker Jack Campbell and cornerback Riley Moss.
Campbell finished the 2021 season with 143 tackles, which led the nation. As a result, the 6-foot-5, 246 pound native of Cedar Falls, Iowa, picked up second-team All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele. He was also a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the league’s media and Phil Steele.
Meanwhile, Moss nabbed first-team All-America recognition from Sporting News, was named the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and picked up first-team All-Big Ten honors from the league coaches and media. That came after the 6-foot-1, 193 pound corner from Ankeny, Iowa, intercepted four passes last season.
Both Campbell and Moss have been popular preseason watch list selections and All-America choices. The latest instance was Campbell and Moss being named to the preseason Bednarik Award watch list.
While Iowa fans are familiar with the following names, here’s five Hawkeyes that could emerge as national stars in 2022 and have college football fans wondering why they weren’t on their radar heading into this season.
Keagan Johnson
Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK
Last year in week four against Colorado State, Keagan Johnson became Iowa’s first true freshman wide receiver to start a game since Ihmir Smith-Marsette did so during the 2017 season. The 6-foot-1, 194 pound wide receiver from Bellevue, Neb., was a four-star signee, so it made sense that he had the chance to impact Iowa quickly.
Johnson finished the 2021 season with 18 receptions for 352 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Hawkeyes are looking to greatly enhance their passing production from a season ago, and Johnson will be the first in line to be the benefactor of that. Now that he has a season under his belt, Johnson just might be set to emerge as one of the Big Ten’s best pass-catchers.
Arland Bruce IV
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Sensing a theme here? Iowa’s pair of super sophomore wide receivers are both on the list as potential Big Ten and national breakout stars. Like Johnson last year, Arland Bruce IV became one of the Hawkeyes’ true freshmen that started.
That happened in week 11 against Illinois. Bruce finished the season with four starts and now heads into 2022 ready to truly burst onto the scene. The 5-foot-10, 198 pound sophomore registered 25 grabs for 209 yards with one touchdown reception last season.
His production should skyrocket this season. According to Pro Football Focus, Bruce saw just 271 offensive snaps last season. For comparison, former Hawkeye wide receiver Charlie Jones saw 469 offensive snaps, Nico Ragaini saw 449, and Johnson saw 411.
Logan Jones
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen
If Iowa’s offensive line improves upon what it looked like in 2021, Logan Jones will likely be one of the primary reasons why. The center competition isn’t over, but Jones was listed as the starter on Iowa’s recent offensive depth chart reveal.
If that’s indeed how it shakes out in fall camp, Jones is set to replace one of the best in program history in Tyler Linderbaum. Don’t forget that the 6-foot-3, 283 pound Council Bluffs native arrived in Iowa City as a four-star signee. Sure, that was on the defensive side of the football, but Jones is a talented football player and the Hawkeyes have the history of Linderbaum for this type of defense-to-offense transformation.
Lukas Van Ness
AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz
The fact that Lukas Van Ness was listed as a second-team defensive tackle on Iowa’s recent defensive depth chart reveal ahead of Big Ten Media Days shouldn’t deter any excitement surrounding the 6-foot-5, 269 pound redshirt sophomore.
Van Ness finished with 8.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 2021. While some national media might be asking how Iowa is going to replace Zach VanValkenburg’s production, Van Ness should be chomping at the bit thanks to his departure. Van Ness should see time both inside and outside on the Hawkeyes’ defensive line and the 15 tackles for loss that VanValkenburg vacates just means more snaps and TFL’s for the Barrington, Ill., native.
Xavier Nwankpa
Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK
Sure, it’s low-hanging fruit, but Xavier Nwankpa signed as a five-star with the Hawkeyes for a reason. He’s really, really talented. Nwankpa already impressed his coaches and teammates throughout the spring, and now it’s time to continue that development during fall camp and into the start of the 2022 season.
The 6-foot-2, 210 pound defensive back from Southeast Polk High School wasn’t listed on the two-deep at either of the Hawkeyes’ safety spots. Instead, the No. 1 safeties were Kaevon Merriweather and Quinn Schulte and the No. 2 safeties were Cooper DeJean and Reggie Bracy. Still, let’s not rule out the scenario that Nwankpa is simply too talented to keep off the field for long.
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