Compared to the annual spring practice, the Iowa football team’s open workout on Kids Day at Kinnick is far more valuable to curious fans. With just a few weeks left before the Hawkeyes open the season at home against Illinois State, the workouts will be as close a preview as possible. After speaking with players and members of the coaching staff at media day on Aug. 9, here are five things to look out for on Saturday.
1. Jacob Gill’s potential
Despite not being listed on Iowa’s preseason roster, wide receiver Jacob Gill, who transferred from Iowa, received a lot of unsolicited praise from his teammates and coaches. Take the words of left tackle Mason Richman, for example.
“I just have to give a shout out to Jacob Gill, he’s one of my favorite players,” Richman said. “When I’m not there and I’ve seen the game a couple of times, I watch him block because he does a really good job for us.”
In May, Gill transferred from Northwestern, where he caught 17 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns in three years. After a 2022 season in which he played in all 12 games, Gill was limited to just four last year due to injury. Although the junior has only two career starts, Gill still turned heads with his playmaking ability, such as his one-handed 20-yard catch against Illinois in his sophomore season.
Offensive coordinator Tim Lester described Gill as a hard-working guy who is a pleasure to watch. For his teammate and wideout Dayton Howard, the 6’0″ and 195-pound Gill thrives in short-yardage situations.
“His consistency alone is what makes people notice him,” Howard said of Gill. “He shines the most when he makes the play when it needs to be made.”
The Hawkeyes’ preseason roster only lists two wide receivers who ever caught a pass in college, so if a veteran player like Gill performs well on Saturday, you can expect him to wear his No. 5 jersey on the field in Week 1.
2. Cade McNamara’s game replays
Quarterback Cade McNamara’s first Kid’s Day at Kinnick was unfortunately remembered for his fall during a scuffle late in practice. The physical play resulted in a quadriceps strain in his right leg that affected the rest of his fall training. Although the quarterback started the Hawkeyes’ first five games before suffering an ACL injury, fans noticed the Michigan transfer’s limited mobility.
Given the fallout from last year’s shock, it will be interesting to see how often Kirk Ferentz and the coaching staff will use McNamara in 11-on-11 play. While it would make sense to avoid unnecessary contact, the quarterback said he has been 100 percent healthy for the past few months.
“There are limits to what you can do in the film room and what you can do watching,” McNamara said. “When you actually have the ball in your hands and are in command, you have the most realistic reps and those are the reps I need.”
Regardless of the number of snaps, fans should also pay attention to McNamara’s presence in the pocket and his playmaking ability. These two factors will determine not only how comfortable he is in Lester’s scheme, but also how “100 percent” the quarterback really is.
3. Moulton mania
The Hawkeyes were essentially a running back team in 2023, consisting of three players who rushed for more than 200 yards. While Leshon Williams, last season’s lead back with 170 carries for 821 yards, will most likely not be in action Saturday due to injury, fans should keep an eye on second-year Kamari Moulton.
A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Moulton shined in his collegiate debut in Iowa’s third game against Western Michigan last season, scoring two touchdowns on eight carries in the end zone. In four games last season, the 5’9″, 195-pound player had 23 touches and totaled 93 yards.
Lester said Moulton impressed him in spring training, particularly with a running game reminiscent of former Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones, whom Lester coached in 2023.
Fans should get a taste of that play on Saturday as Moulton looks to prove his breakthrough game was no one-hit wonder.
4. Depth of the defensive line
Admittedly, it’s difficult to judge the defensive line’s performance in practice because defenders can’t fully tackle the quarterback, but on Saturday it will be important to pay attention to how often the Hawkeyes’ defense gets into the backfield.
Even with the offseason departures of Noah Shannon, Logan Lee and Joe Evans, Iowa still has experienced forwards in seniors Deontae Craig, Ethan Hurkett and Yahya Black, all of whom will be in the starting lineup alongside third-year player Aaron Graves.
However, if any of those four players are out this season, the backups will have to step in. Defensive line coach Kelvin Bell said Jeremiah Pittman will be first in line to fill any vacancies. Pittman, a 6-foot-3, 295-pound native of Palatine, Illinois, totaled six tackles and one fumble recovery last season.
Bell also praised senior Jeff Bowie, who missed last year’s fall camp due to an injury.
Outside of Bowie and Pittman, the reserve with the most field experience is Max Llewellyn. He is ranked below Criag, but played in 14 games last season, recording 13 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
While Llewellyn will most likely be in the starting lineup this season, the performances of Bowie and Pittmam should give an indication of how much talent the Hawkeyes have within them.
5. Replacement for Cooper DeJean
How the Hawkeyes plan to fill the void left by DeJean, who left for the NFL this season, will have to come down to two areas – defense and special teams. Second-year player John Nestor is currently in the starting lineup at cornerback alongside Jermari Harris.
A Chicago native, Nestor appeared in 10 games last season, mostly on special teams, recording two tackles. Despite limited playing time on defense, Nestor is confident in his abilities and has learned a lot from what he has learned from DeJean as well as starters Sebastian Castro and Harris.
“They really taught me so much and it was so good for my development and mental well-being,” Nestor said of his teammates. “What you need is just to listen, come here every day and work your ass off. You have to put in a little more time and rely on your brothers and trust them.”
As for special teams, Ferentz said running back Kaleb Johnson received kickoffs while wide receiver Kaden Wetjen was an option for punt returns.
