‘Those are the priorities’: Iowa focused on roster retention before transfer portal dalliance
Nowadays, in many instances, it’s adapt or die in college football. Programs can’t ignore the NCAA transfer portal’s existence.
Though the Hawkeyes weren’t quick to take that route, Iowa got more involved in the transfer portal game last offseason. The Hawkeyes brought in impact players out of the portal.
While injuries derailed Iowa’s best-laid plans with former Michigan stars in quarterback Cade McNamara and tight end Erick All, the Hawkeyes did still find their starting quarterback for all 13 games thus far this season in McNamara and Wisconsin transfer Deacon Hill.
Plus, Iowa brought in wide receivers Seth Anderson and Kaleb Brown out of Charleston Southern and Ohio State, respectively. Brown has started to come into his own during the final stages of this 2023 season and Anderson has been one of the Hawkeyes’ primary pass-catchers.
Iowa added offensive linemen Rusty Feth out of Miami (Ohio) and Daijon Parker from Saginaw Valley State. Feth started eight games at left guard and has played in all 13.
Of course, the Hawkeyes also bolstered their defense with the addition of Virginia transfer and three-time All-ACC selection Nick Jackson.
The 6-foot, 237 pound linebacker has been terrific for Iowa, racking up 99 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four sacks, four passes defensed and two forced fumbles. The Atlanta, Ga., native garnered second-team All-Big Ten status from Phil Steele.
As the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl versus Tennessee rapidly approaches, Iowa needs to start thinking about what its roster for 2024 might look like.
Last week, the Hawkeyes welcomed in 21 signees and a number of talented walk-ons into the program. Tyler Barnes, Iowa’s director of recruiting and NFL liaison, was asked if there were any priorities or needs that the Hawkeyes might look to fill out of the transfer portal.
“I mean, the priorities are the six guys we’re recruiting on our own roster right now, and I’ll be fully transparent. This last December, it was a little wild with the portal and the needs we had and the guys we were trying to go after because it’s pretty rapid.
“I have done nothing this December but recruit the six guys on our roster to come back. They’re probably tired of hearing from me. It’s probably why they block my phone number at this point,” Barnes said.
So far, so good. Iowa and senior linebacker Jay Higgins revealed that he would be returning to the Hawkeyes on Tuesday night. Higgins’ message in the Hawkeyes’ social media post was simple: “I got more to prove.”
With the Higgins news, maybe that helps push Jackson in the direction of returning as well. Jackson just got his waiver for an additional season of eligibility approved.
Iowa is also awaiting decisions from fellow defensive stars in unanimous consensus All-American cornerback Cooper DeJean and All-American Cash and safety Sebastian Castro.
Junior tight end Luke Lachey and senior All both have stay-or-go decisions to make as well.
“A lot of it’s dependent upon them. We could have sat down and told them we need a decision by X date so we can go to the portal, but we want all these kids back. They’re fourth, fifth, sixth-year guys on our team. It’s well worth investing the time to recruit these guys back before we even think about going to the portal,” Barnes said.
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