Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - GAMECHANGERs? Iowa Hawkeyes Football Post SPRING PRACTICE Depth Chart Updates

Episode Date: April 28, 2026

Iowa Hawkeyes fans get fresh clarity on the football depth chart as spring ends, but key position battles remain razor-tight. Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski are in a virtual dead heat for the starti...ng quarterback role, while Kamari Moulton and LJ Phillips headline an exceptionally deep running back group. Kade Pieper’s potential move to center could reshape the offensive line, and standout tight end DJ Vaname leads a position stacked with young talent. Trent Condon spotlights major questions on the defensive line, with Bryce Hawthorne’s health critical to the Hawkeyes’ season hopes and Zach Lutmer primed for a versatile role in the secondary. Special teams decisions are coming down to the wire, as kicker and punter roles remain wide open. On the women’s basketball front, Iowa’s impressive but shallow roster sparks concerns—will the limited depth pose a problem for Jan Jensen’s squad? Don’t miss this essential off-season breakdown. Follow Trent Condon on X: https://twitter.com/trentcondon LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-hawkeyes-daily-podcast-on-iowa-hawkeyes-football/id1441592240 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GTyz5ygevcGXdTF6QSoEo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnHawkeyes Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get one-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Spring ball is in the books, and the depth chart just got a whole lot clear. Who's rising, who's slipping, and what it all means for the Iowa football team as they hit in to the offseason. You are Locked on Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hey, welcome in. I'm Trent Condon, and this is the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast, your daily Iowa Hawkeye podcast. Today we're going to take a look at the Iowa women's basketball team and a continued concern to lack of depth on this squad. You feel great about the starters, but a look at what is going on trying to fill out this roster and a potential hurdle that the women are facing. We're going to break down the depth chart today.
Starting point is 00:00:50 We'll talk about Phil Parker's defense and take a look at the offense and everything that we saw at spring football, some news and notes and some big ticket items as we make our way through the off season. Well, let's get into it. Let's start here as I take my look at the depth chart, how I believe this is. Nothing official. We're likely not going to get anything official until August, but this is how I see things as we go into the offseason. As always, subject to change. We'll run through here, the position groups, and let's start at the quarterback position. Of course, after what we saw.
Starting point is 00:01:22 We talked a lot yesterday about the battle between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski. And coming into this off season, definitely believe that this was going to be one that was likely going to go into August camp. Still, I felt that it was going to be Jeremy Hecklinsky with the upper hand. If he does have an upper hand right now, I do not believe that it is significant. It is not maybe as wide of a gap as I thought that we were going to see. We have gone through, obviously, last season, Heklinsky taking over that backup roll halfway through the season. And, you know, just to revisit that for a moment, just how rare that is. We know Kirk Barron's and the quarterback position. He is difficult to budge off of where he is and his thoughts. And I thought,
Starting point is 00:02:02 that was just such an eye opener a year ago, seeing Hecklinsky get that job and move into the backup role last year. But as you saw on Saturday at the open practice, definitely not a big gap between the two guys. They do things differently. I talk about pocket presence. That's big for me. And that's why I like Hecklinsky.
Starting point is 00:02:20 You know, I came into this spring thinking 65, 35, 35 edge maybe for Hecklinsky, something like that, maybe even 7030. This thing is basically down to a coin flip now. And if I had to put a bet in and, you guys know certainly with our relationship with Van Duel. And if you listen to me on the radio, yes, I like to dabble in the gambling markets. There's nothing like this out there. You cannot bet on this in any of the real markets out there.
Starting point is 00:02:44 But I would give the edge to Hank Brown. Now, maybe it's 5149, but I think knowing Kurt Farrence, what he looks for in a quarterback that Hank Brown with a little bit more experience, that big arm, that he is ultimately going to be the guy. But still a lot of football in front of us, this is going to be one that goes up to the top. Of course, after that, we've got to see a little bit more Jimmy Sullivan, and he's taking a step forward from where he was coming in as a what would have been a high school senior a year ago. He is definitely making that progression and taking a step forward. And depth at the quarterback position is important, as we've seen here,
Starting point is 00:03:18 these last couple of years after Iowa went years and years and years without quarterback injuries. That has not been the case recently over the last half decade as those quarterback injuries have certainly piled up and in front of a pretty good offensive line during most of it. Definitely one that is something. And, you know, we've been hoping for years and years to see that mobile quarterback. Well, these mobile quarterbacks also have been gotten a dinged up. Mark Arnowski a year ago, obviously the injuries that he played with throughout the course of the year, the injury he sustained in the Indiana game.
Starting point is 00:03:47 We go back before that, Kate McNara, Sullivan, what we saw from him and his kamikaze style that he ran out there and going out there and sacrificing his body. well, when you have a running quarterback, they're going to take more hits. And with it, you need a little bit of depth behind it. Let's jump over to running back. And you talk about just the depth in this room. It's absolutely incredible. I think it'll be Kamari Moulton.
Starting point is 00:04:10 He's number one on the depth chart for me. I got L.J. Phillips right behind him at the number two spot. Definitely think we're going to see a bunch of both of those guys this year. And when you have Zaver Williams, who's definitely shown with that big body, the kind of punch that he has in the offense, obviously Nathan McNeil, who just glides out there. He's got a smoothness to his game. But it's not only that. I mean, we're talking about four guys already.
Starting point is 00:04:32 I think all of us would feel very confident with if they had to be a guy that had to pick up 15, 18 carries in a game. I think we'd be happy with all of those guys. And then you go even deeper than that. Braden Jackson continues to be a name that has talked about and showed a few glimpses on Saturday. Braden Jackson comes in as a walk on. What a coup for the coaching staff to get him as a walk on.
Starting point is 00:04:54 And this guy definitely has got a little bit of burst to him. You can see. understands the position with the bloodlines. Obviously, his father, former NFL player, Fred Jackson, playing at Ankenny Centennial, did a great job there. And Braddon Jackson's going to be a name, certainly to at least file away for a little bit later on. He coupled that with Brevin Dahl, who was injured again here during spring practice.
Starting point is 00:05:14 But Brevin has about as good as speed as you're going to find. You look at some of the weight numbers that are out there. He is at the top of the list of a lot of things. Just has to stay healthy. We'll see if he can get back off the injury and be a part of the return game going forward. We talk about depth, and there's definitely a lot of depth at the running back spot. How about the depth at tight end that they have coming in this year?
Starting point is 00:05:37 You start with DJ Vonameh. And after what we saw from him, Benami last year was outstanding. In the back half of the year, this is a guy that was a high school quarterback, and to see not just what he does as a pass catcher. And that showed up a couple of different times a year ago against Nebraska, against Vanderbilt, how well he was playing at the end of the season. but you also throw into the fact that dude's blocking at a pretty good level. And for a guy that was a high school quarterback, not normally something you'd anticipate,
Starting point is 00:06:04 he would be able to make that position move and do those kind of things. But, Bami has been absolutely outstanding. But then you go a little bit further and you look at this tight end position. Addison Estringo, we'll see where he is when he comes back. For a stranga from a year ago, coming off in Achilles tear, it is an incredibly difficult injury to come back from. and wondering what kind of burst he's going to have. The good news is, though, you have both veterans and young guys that have a ton of upside.
Starting point is 00:06:31 In fact, with a Stranga, not knowing what he's going to look like when he's back out on the field, I think I would go Thomas Meyer number two. Thomas Meyer, the freshman a year ago from Clear Lake, he started to show up towards the end of the season as those injuries piled up at the tight end position. Big guy definitely has the size of the catching ability at another one of the line for Iowa tight ends as it just continues. Michael Burt's another guy, another young guy, I think good blocker and still working on the past catching element for him. Certainly he's got the size to go along with it. He's still got Zach Ortworth with another year of eligibility.
Starting point is 00:07:04 He'll be back for another season. And then even Mason Woods, who popped out a couple of times on Saturday. Just a freak type of athlete in Mason Woods. He's really good. Eli Johnson's still in that room. Just an embarrassment of riches for Iowa at the tight end position. But I'd go, but I'm at number one and Thomas Meyer at number two. two, depending on the health of Addison Stringa and how he's going to like.
Starting point is 00:07:28 Look, but finishing up here on the offensive line, as we go through the depth chart of the Iowa offense here on, Hawkeyes, and I think we feel pretty settled at a lot of spots. Now, one thing definitely jumped out after the game, hearing from Kirk Farrants in the press conference after the ball game, spring open practice, he didn't mention that Kate Piper would be their center. And we didn't see a ton of that. The starting group had Keel Winter out there who, let's see. okay, I thought, but Cade Peeper, I mean, you talk about upside, obviously, we know what a tremendous
Starting point is 00:07:58 road grader he is, guy that can toss a hay bale around. We definitely know that. But if Cade Piper, if you can all click for him, getting the line calls out, understanding where everybody needs on that offensive line, that's going to be important. Snaping the football, something that has been a struggle at times for some guys in the past. Definitely another component that you get into and sometimes overlooked at the center position, but it shouldn't be. And that is what we're going see from Cade Piper, if that's the case. And that's how I put it right now, because that's what Kirk Farrant said. Cade Piper is going to be your center.
Starting point is 00:08:28 We know Trevor Lough is locked in at the left tackle position. Lout, what he did a year ago, his first year as a starter. You returned so much experience and that big question mark. And maybe the biggest question mark of the offseason was what was going to happen at left tackle. It was him. Jack Dotsler fighting for the job and Lout took it and he ran with it. Well, now he got Dotsler back. He'll be your right tackle.
Starting point is 00:08:48 So you're in trench there. You got those parts finished up. you know Layton Jones is going to be the left guard. Also found it interesting that he was practicing a little bit at center here during spring practice. It'll likely be winter if it's not peeper, if an injury happens, if it just isn't working at center, I think winter will be the guy. But just adding that versatility to Layton Jones, Tim Lester said something I thought really good, said it doesn't feel like a drop off going from what they've had at the guard position to Layton Jones.
Starting point is 00:09:16 He played a bunch last year because of injuries, both Stevens banged up a couple of different times. played at a really high level. So that leaves one spot. And I'm going maybe a little bit deeper off the board. I'm going Lucas Allgaier. We see this so many times. And I don't think it's going to be strictly, it's going to be Lucas Algeyer and they're going to let him run. But a lot of people would probably put Michael Mislinski at this spot at right guard. It's just the injuries. And you feel terrible for the guy. We're also still waiting if he's going to get that final year of eligibility. That's another component too. But Ms. Glinski just never has been. been able to be healthy and I don't think you can go into a season just hoping that he's going to
Starting point is 00:09:56 be the guy. Lucas Allgaier maybe he's a right tackle of the future. We'll see on that front. But starting at guard, I was done this a bunch in the past. Guys start in the interior, then bump out to the outside as they get a little deeper into their career. And I think Lucas Allgaier is definitely going to be that guy. Trent Wilson comes in from James Madison, still acclimating himself a little bit. He's going to be a part though, I think of that guard rotation, probably going to see him out there a little bit more. Backup tackle, a Cannon Leonard, probably the guy that need to mention there, six foot nine, just a huge hulking man. He got some depth as well coming in there. We've talked about earlier the true freshman all coming in. Don't anticipate any of those
Starting point is 00:10:34 guys not redshirt this year. But we also know that the redshirt rules might be changing. That could be a different component. But Josh Janowski getting him back out there, Will Nolan, another guy that's been banged up throughout his career. Bodie McCaslin, also part of that depth there. Feel pretty good about that front and where they are on the offensive line. And certainly the biggest story for me of the offensive line of the off season, if that transition works out well for Cade people. If it does, and he plays at all Big Ten level, this is going to be a very good offensive line again for Iowa. That is the offense. Up next, the defense. A look at the depth chart coming out of spring practice. Well, the offense felt
Starting point is 00:11:11 kind of easy. The defense, a lot more question marks, including where do you put your stud, Zach Lutmer. That's next year, Locked on Hawkeyes. The NBA playoffs are here and every possession matters. If you're looking to get even closer to the action, Fandual has a great offer to get you started. Right now, new customers can bet $5 and get $150 in bonus bets if your first bet wins. That's right. Turn five bucks into $150 in bonus bets just by getting started.
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Starting point is 00:12:14 Head over to fendual.com to get started. That's Fandul.com. Fandual, play your game. Trent, kind of back with you once again here on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for being with us and making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We are your daily Iowa Hawkeye podcast. If you're watching us on YouTube, make sure you hit that subscribe button. If you're over on the podcast side, five-star reviews, all that helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans.
Starting point is 00:12:42 And if you are an everyday listener, then the Everydayer Club is built for you. Opportunity for you to get each and every episode, add free. Plus, you can join us on our Discord, Lockdown Hawkeyes, Discord over there as well. Just go to Lockdownhawkeyes.com to get started, lockedon hawkeyes. Dot supercast.com. Let's jump over to the defense now and go through, which is a little murkier than what we have, certainly at this point on the offensive side of the football. Now, yes, I know there's murkiness of the quarterback position,
Starting point is 00:13:14 and that leaves everybody a little bit concerned. Let's start first at defensive end. And I think we know at this point, one spot feels very solid with Kenneth, Kenneth Meriwether. Maryweather a year ago, big part of that rotation on the defensive line. So I've got plenty of experience and definitely has the reps. Another step forward for him now becoming more of a full-time player. You're going to see that. And it's likely going to be Jose F.
Starting point is 00:13:38 andessa on the other side after getting his feet wet a year ago, he's going to get out there a whole lot more this season, the bloodlines, the stud. I mean, just you see the physicality that he can play with. And going up each and every day against a Trevor Lauk in practice is going to go a long ways. I certainly think for Yosea Pinesse. And you wonder about what he can provide this season. You know, if he's a guy that can get out there, Mary Weather, maybe five, six, seven sacks right in that range, something like that for Yosea Pinesza. And then the depth that they have a defensive end. And I do think there is depth there.
Starting point is 00:14:10 Of course, you got Kamari Brown coming in from Elon out of the transfer portal. He was a guy at the FCS level that was able to get to the quarterback, understanding. the fundamentals and how you have to play for Kelvin Bell on that defensive line, defensive line coach that obviously asks a lot of his guys. I say it a lot, the hand placement, the way, the boring nature of kind of what they do, but just being so fundamentally sound, time in and time out. And he can't do your own thing. And as we saw with guy like Brian Allen that had all kinds of talent, but just would work off script too much. You can't do that in the scheme that Iowa plays, the way that you need to be up front to have everybody behind you
Starting point is 00:14:50 be able to make plays. And that will be another step, certainly for Camari Brown. Another guy that really liked, and you've heard me talk about him before, is Joseph Anderson. The size, the athlete, just how he looks in the pads. He is a different looking athlete than what normally Iowa has at the defensive end position. He is a guy that I think has a lot of upside, and maybe the most upside, out of anybody, maybe short of Yosea Pinesse on this group. Adding more size, still going to be a big off-season, big summertime for him, adding to that frame, getting a little bit bigger. But he was all over the place on Saturday. I love what you see out of Joseph Anderson. Another guy, Drew Campbell, who had some injuries early in his career, Jack Campbell's
Starting point is 00:15:31 younger brother, he's a guy with his hand on the ground. He is one that continued to come up throughout the course of spring practice, talking to some people. That was a name that always seemed to jump in there and was able to get him out there. So feel pretty good. You still got guys like Shedike, who is still on campus, still doing work and still trying to build himself into a guy that's going to help out. Defensive end, I just don't have nearly the concern I do when we go to the other spot on the defensive line. And that, of course, is defensive tackle. Now, coming into the year, we know that Bryce Hawthorne is going to be one of the starters. Part of the rotation a year ago, he was banged up a ton in spring and need help out of him.
Starting point is 00:16:08 I mean, you talk about maybe the most important piece of this whole team. It very well could be Bryce Hawthorne. He's a guy, I think, that can compete at a high level. He's a guy that obviously knows what it takes in the Big Ten now after playing a season a year ago after his transfer from South Dakota State. He is about as irreplaceable as anybody on this roster because there are so many question marks back behind him. At this point, I guess the other starter would be Will Hubert, him, Luke Gaffney, both those guys battling long time, walk-on guys. And neither were huge. This is not going to be a big Hulk.
Starting point is 00:16:45 defensive line position. And we've seen this in the past when Iowa has not been good at defensive tackle. There's been some ugly years in there, even as good as Phil Parker is year after year. A couple other names to mention. Devin Kennedy, we've talked about him a bunch. Feels like the time is finally coming. So he's added to the frame. Need to get him as big as his dad played for it. That would be a good thing, Jimmy Kennedy. And he's able to get up there north of 300 pounds and keep building on that frame. But like the upside of Devin Kennedy, Brad Fitzgimmons, is a young guy that has been talked about a ton. The other one that needs to add size,
Starting point is 00:17:18 and that's kind of a big part about this. You continue on. Alabajou, who comes in from North Dakota, certainly looks apart. Just wonder if the skills translate at this level, and it's going to be a big step forward. Another important piece is Bryce Stevenson. This was the only guy that came in as a senior,
Starting point is 00:17:38 the out of the transfer portal. This is the only guy in Stevenson coming in for Holy Cross that just have one year of eligibility. So this is not a building block at that point. Like Lance Ingold, another guy that got out of the portal that's got three years of eligibility, it's different. Stevenson, he's another guy. You have to hope that he can get in there and at least help out at minimum. Can be a guy with the size, make that transition up because he's another important piece up front.
Starting point is 00:18:02 That is as clear as mud. That is defensive tackle, I think, at this point in time. Over to the linebacker spot, Cam Buffington's going to be your starter at Mike. there's not a doubt in my mind. And coming into the year, we heard a ton about certainly what Cam Buffington was, the sideline to sideline moves, equating him to some of the great linebackers of the past. That's been out there a ton. And I thought he was going to be probably your starter over at the wheel spot.
Starting point is 00:18:26 He was going to be the other guy in the two linebacker setup that they were going to have. They were going to lean on the experience of Jane Montgomery. He was going to be your Mike, your middle linebacker, and then over on the will it was going to be Buffington. I don't think that's right anymore. I think I missed on that one. I think it is going to be Buffington that is going to get that spot. And of course, if an injury happens, I think Montgomery would bounce back over. Derek Weiskoff, he's going to be out there a bunch as well.
Starting point is 00:18:50 I think you're going to see him at the will and definitely pushing Jane Montgomery this year. We wait for the return of Preston Reese, him coming back out there. They definitely have that opportunity to get him out there also. And we talked yesterday about Burke Goucher, another one of the younger guys that is out there. I definitely has an opportunity. Feel excited about him. So those are linebackers, and yes, it looks a little bit different. If they go four three, don't be surprised if it is, Landon Van Kekkeritz,
Starting point is 00:19:18 who you've seen a ton running down there on special teams and making plays, I think he would be the guy in that four three alignment. And they'll do that from time to time and against specific matchups. Definitely, you'll see three linebackers out there. But mostly, as we know, it is a move to the cash position. And that's where it gets intriguing. In the defensive backfield, you feel really good. Depth has been built up in a big time way from what they did.
Starting point is 00:19:40 in the portal, the development, even true freshman with Marcelo Vitti, who Vitti is a guy. He's going to play this year. He's going to be out there and maybe he even becomes the cash. After practice, sounds like free safety is still probably where Phil Parker is leaning for Zach Lutmer. Zach Lutmer you can put anywhere. Any of the five positions, you can put him there, and he's going to be good. And it's not fair to coming on the heels of Cooper Dijin to say he's just Cooper Degene
Starting point is 00:20:07 because we know exactly how good. good. But Zach Lutmer as a playmaker all the way around the ball, just a guy that absolutely love to see what he can do at a bunch of different places. And that allows you to mix a match and find the other four best guard. Guys, at cornerback, we know on one spot with the return of Deshaun Lee that he's going to be out there. You talk about a guy that has just continued to build throughout the his course of his career. Deshaun Lee saw some rough moments early on. And he's turned himself into a really, really nice player. Jalen Watson banged up here during the spring.
Starting point is 00:20:41 I think he's going to be the number two guy on the other side. But Jacob Wallace, another good name that just continues to pile up time after time after time. He's going to be out there. He got Rashad Godfrey. We saw a little Darien Jones, well, a lot of Darien Jones on, excuse me, on Saturday. The freshman coming in from Omaha, he looks really good. That cornerback depth is good.
Starting point is 00:21:01 And that free safety, if it is something where he make the decision, you're going to go Lutmer at that spot. And what does that mean at cash? I think Tyler Brown maybe has the versatility. he can bounce back and forth between strong safety and being a cash type position. That could be a direction that you go. How does Anthony Hawkins fit in there? Six foot three, incredible athlete, still are in the speed of the game at the Big Ten level.
Starting point is 00:21:23 He's going to be there. We talked about Viti also just a lot of different pieces that you can go through. Ty Hedkins is a guy that we haven't talked about. He came in from Purdue a year ago, was injured last season, but I think he's going to be at minimum of peace that can help out. Cody had it another transfer from the Big Ten from Ohio State. He's in the mix out there as well. Xavier Stiles, another transfer that comes in.
Starting point is 00:21:45 So a lot of moving parts, a lot of moving pieces here. And it's up to Phil Parker to figure out exactly what they're going to do. And then we wrap things up here on the depth chart of the specialist kicker and punter. If I made a depth chart right now, it'd be Eli Ozick. That would have the nod over Caden Burr because we didn't get to see Burr on Saturday. at the punter. I got Phil Pott by an edge over Boston. Everett going with the Waukee Northwest and Simpson transfer to get the job at the punter position. But as we talked about yesterday, that is going to be, I think, two jobs that are going to come down to August camp. So there it is. A look through post spring and the depth chart. Agree, disagree. Hit us up on the comment section or fireway on us at Twitter at Lockdown Hawkeyes. As we continue here, Lockdown Hawkeyes. Let's get into something that is lingering. A little bit of. basketball talk. The Iowa women's basketball team still with only eight players on the roster for next season. How big of a concern is that? We'll talk about it as we come back, Lockdown Hawkeyes.
Starting point is 00:22:52 Trent, kind of back with you one final time, Lockdown Hawkeyes on your daily Iowa Hawkeye podcast. Jumping from football over to some women's basketball. We get through the weekend. There was a visit on campus, so there was a little bit of excitement, maybe another commitment coming as they had another transfer freshman six foot one guard. All right, you feel pretty good about that. Makes a little bit of sense. Well, here we are now on Tuesday. But still no commitment at this point from Jocelyn Faison, who came in from Georgia,
Starting point is 00:23:20 former top 100 player, didn't play, didn't score a ton in our freshman campaign at Georgia, but good size, good athlete, six one, and definitely maybe a defensive presence. And filling out this roster at this point, this is where it becomes tricky. For Jan Jensen and the rest of the coaching staff for Iowa is. you probably don't have a whole lot of playing time to be able to sell. You also wonder about the funds that are available at this point because Danny Carnegie, I'm sure ate up a ton. We're talking about a top five player out of the portal, a first team all SEC player.
Starting point is 00:23:51 Those aren't cheap when it comes to players like that. And when you go through and you look at what they did, also getting whiting out of the portal from Oklahoma State, you know, that's a lot of your capital that has gobbled up, coupled with bringing back all the players that they did. But still sitting at eight, I understand some of. a little bit of angst at this point in time because last year they had 14 players on the roster. You can go up to as many as 15 on the roster and you're sitting with eight players currently getting through practice, getting through injuries, getting through just the course of a season
Starting point is 00:24:21 where weird things happen. I mean, did you have Emily Rodriguez playing the first six games of the year last year and then whatever happened? No, you never know what's going to happen over the course of a season. Finding those players that are willing to understand, there's probably not going to be a ton of playing time, going to be more of a practice player, a role. What does it look like as it pertains to the NIL element for a bunch of these different players?
Starting point is 00:24:45 I said this at the beginning of the portal. This might be the most difficult part for Jan Jensen because we saw it. They did a really good job of getting and filling out your likely rotation with Whitey and with Carnegie. You're feeling really good about that. We'll see anything on phase on if anything pops there, if she has any other offers, any other interest, any other visits that she has scheduled. And what other name that did pop up?
Starting point is 00:25:07 I just saw this over at Hawkeye Report on Tom Cakert's message board, a name that bears watching at minimum. Jelena Bulevich, who played at South Florida this year, had a season high 15 points, average five points, a couple of rebounds, good-looking shot. Again, looking at highlights. I was not breaking down South Florida tape for you. But highlights look good, good shot.
Starting point is 00:25:29 Not a plus athlete, but again, filling out the roster. And that's where now our expectation, certainly for this women team, need to change and evolve a little bit. When you come into a season like Iowa does. And I saw On 3 updated their latest rankings now as portal season continues. Though the portal is closed in terms of players entering, there's still a ton of players out there that are still looking at home for homes. Your back court, chit-chat right and Danny Carnegie. Really good there. Obviously, Ava Hayden coming back in the middle.
Starting point is 00:26:00 where does where is Taylor Stremlow fit? Does it move back over maybe the small forward position? Is it Journey Houston that is out there a little bit more? Is Amari Whiting, a starter for your squad? Where is McKenna Willitschko go?
Starting point is 00:26:12 The true freshman coming in this season. Still got Lela Hayes as the backup center, feeling good about that part. But those pieces fit in them in the right order that's fine, but you still need to build up that roster and get up to what, at minimum 11 players, I think is a realistic goal
Starting point is 00:26:28 and would even like to lie. See you a few more. than that. Well, that'll do it for today here. Lockdown Hawkeyes, as always, thanks for being with us on the program. Appreciate each and every one of you. If you have it already and you're interested in getting this show each and every day and doing it ad free, then the Every Day or Club is built for you. Lockdown Hawkeyes every day and you get an opportunity to also join us on our Discord, anything that pops up in your head, questions that you have. Topics you like to see me tackle on the show. Go to Lockdownhawkeyes.com.com.com
Starting point is 00:27:00 That's where you can find all the information, Lockdown Hawkeyes.supercast.com to join the RV Dayer Club and go ad free. Have a great day. We'll talk to you again tomorrow. Until then, go Hawks.

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