Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - LOADED? Iowa Hawkeyes Running Back Room SET TO EXPLODE with Kamari Moulton & LJ Phillips

Episode Date: July 20, 2026

Iowa Hawkeyes’ loaded running back room signals a new, explosive era for the offense. Can Kamari Moulton, LJ Phillips, and Nathan McNeil ignite the ground game and unlock Tim Lester’s Shanahan-inspired attack? Trent Condon breaks down the depth chart, spotlights key returners and newcomers, and examines the impact of the 5-for-5 eligibility rule on player roles and high school recruiting—raising the stakes for a program aiming to elevate its Big Ten standing. The conversation shifts to Iowa women’s basketball, where Jan Jensen targets top-100 recruit Sienna Williams amid a crowded roster with few available minutes. How does the new eligibility landscape challenge high school recruiting and roster construction? Plus, baseball excitement builds as Rick Heller’s Hawkeyes prepare for a highly anticipated showdown with Kansas at the iconic Field of Dreams site. Don’t miss this jam-packed analysis of Iowa’s football, women’s basketball, and baseball programs. 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 Photo: Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images 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! Odoo Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon. Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM to play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season. 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.

I was running back room is loaded with depth, talent, and game-changing ability. That depth will fuel a more explosive offense. And the biggest reason, the Hawkeyes are ready to take a major step forward offensively this season. 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's episode is brought to you by Fandual. Join all the action at fanduel.com to play

daily dingers and make your free pick on who's hitting a homer this MLB season. Today we're going to talk a little baseball. Iowa versus Kansas is going to be happening. A nice non-conference game for the Hawkeye baseball program and Rick Heller. But the game, not Lawrence, not in Iowa City, it will be played at the field of dreams. Great sight for that one and we'll break things down. We'll also talk a little bit about recruiting for women's basketball. The Iowa women's basketball program and Jan Jensen involved in a couple of top level prospects. But with the changing of the five for five rule, how that changes the way that the women's basketball program and all the programs are recruiting and what that means for high school recruiting at that level. But we begin

today with some Iowa football and specifically a look at the running back position. Now, we've talked plenty about running backs here throughout the last few months, getting ready for the season. And we've talked about obviously the depth that is there at this spot. Start with Kamari Moulton. the anticipated starter this season. We saw Kamari Bolton a year ago, this kind of season that he was able to put together out there, never got 200 yards in a game, but was incredibly close.

Game in, in, game out. You knew that he was going to be consistent, solid, and very good. Ran for 878 yards a year ago, just five touchdowns. I averaged 5.2 yards per carry in that one as well. Apologies for that as we got a little sight read, but back into it with Kamari Moulton. The five touchdowns, though.

I want to start right. there because as we know a year ago, Mark Grinowski, he took a lot of those touchdowns. A lot of those red zone carries went to the Hawkeye quarterback. And that's not going to be the case this year. Regardless of it's Hank Brown, if it's Jeremy Hecklinski, neither of those guys are the runner that we saw from Mark Grinowski. Neither of those guys are going to be able to put together the season that we saw a year ago at that spot.

So we know that there's going to be more carries in the red zone, more carries on the goal line for running backs this season. And I think Kamari Moulton is going to be a part of that. also stack on top of it, Kamari Moulton, when you look at him and how many times a year ago we saw him just a step away, right? A little juke move, a step, getting hit in the ankle, knock from behind. That eight-yard run is an eight-yard run. Well, now with another season of off-season conditioning and talking to people over in Iowa City, one thing that you continually hear is Kamari Moulton, he's putting in the work big time. He has been putting in the work in the

weight room and becoming more of a game changer. Now, a component of that, you have to anticipate also is how he's being pushed by the other running backs in the room. And not only were they happy with the depth that they had a year ago, they went out there and bolstered it with the addition of L.J. Phillips. We saw L.J. Phillips last season at South Dakota, a guy that wasn't even supposed to be the starter coming into the year. Go out there, run for 2,000 yards behind the coyote offensive line and put together an absolutely monstrous season.

Now, he has built differently than Kamari Moulton. Bolton is that prototypical size, what you anticipate, you know, 5-11, 215 pounds. That's what you get with Kamari Moulton. On the other side, L.J. Phillips, more of the batting ram, the big guy, if you will, the physicality that goes along with it. I anticipate we're going to see L.J. Phillips this year is going to be that goal line back. He's going to be the guy a majority of the time that's going to get there, but he's not alone. We saw that from Xavier Williams, another big running back. And a guy that could catch the ball out of the back field can do some different things, though he had a drop in the bowl game against Vanderbilt

that led to an interception on a wide open play in Iowa could have been up 14, nothing. But that aside, you got Xavier Williams, the big body guy that is there. When we go through this running back room, too, and the embarrassment of riches that they have at this spot, another thing that is huge is a guy like Nathan McNeil. And when we saw him last season as a true freshman, he shows up and we start to hear that buzz during August camp. And it's like, well, does it make sense? It doesn't make sense to play Nathan McNeil again because of the depth that they had a year ago.

He also had Jazzy on Patterson that was a part of the mix a year ago before he departed this offseason and went to Michigan State. With the depth that they had it running back, did it make sense to burn a redshirt? Well, that would I'd say, absolutely. Because of the five for five rule, it wouldn't have mattered if he would have played last season as he did, or if he redshirted last year because you get five years to play. That's it. So red shirts, the ones that were used a year ago really don't matter in the grand scheme of things. There's something different about Nathan McNeil.

and it's the smoothness that he runs with. You see him, he just has that gliding ability. It's very hard to, you know, accentuate exactly what it is. But, you know, when you see it. And that's what Nathan McNeil has. He just, he's built differently. The smoothness that he has out there, really excited about him. And now with a full off season to work on his body, do all the skills,

and maybe more importantly pick up all the little nuances as well of Tim Lester's offense and figuring out all the parts. We know if you're going to play running back at Iowa, you have to be able to block. It has been incredibly rare where we've seen guys that just have the natural ability. They're going to play regardless of that. They're going to put them out there if you can't block. You can't pick up that blitz are coming on third down.

If you can't do those kind of things, you're not going to play. Well, for young people, that's incredibly difficult. I mean, think about it at the high school level. How many times were these guys actually at the high school level that are playing Division I, Big Ten running back? How often were they asked to pick up that block? Sure, it happened from time to time. but it's incredibly rare because, well, if you're good enough to play Big Ten football,

they're going to be trying to get the ball in your hands one way or the other. And even at running back, they're going to use the pass routes and do different things. So you have that component as well with Nathan McNeil. Then he got a couple of young guys that we're still waiting for. And from Brevindal, who we've talked about a ton over the weekend, they have the Solon Beef Days, the Bay Hail toss that they do each and every year. Another offense alignment won this year, Northwest, Waukee Northwest. Kail Winter was the one that won the contest this year.

But another guy finished in the top five, that's Brevindal. Think of that. Brevindal known as a speedster. He looked at his track numbers and what he did on the track for ADM. This guy was absolutely incredible, ridiculous speed that he has, coupled with some physicality as well. And when we hear a running back that finishes fifth in the bail toss, that opens your eyes a little bit.

Now for Brevin Dal, it's about health. And he has to stay healthy in order to gain the trust of the coaches. They know the ability. They know the speed. They know all those components. He was on special teams a year ago. But it's been the injuries continually for Brevindal. If he can put together a healthy season this year and go out there and show what he can do,

this is another element. Maybe it's as a return man. And they can do that and use his part also his skills, excuse me, as a part of that. But another one that you have to talk about going a little bit deeper of Brayden Jackson, Another guy, we continue to hear so many good things about Braden Jackson. He's a walk-on came in from Ankeny Centennial. A guy, though, at the high school level, was outstanding. I thought it was an absolute coup to get him as a walk-on.

Yeah, there had other opportunities, but wanting to go to the Iowa program and go through it. His dad, Fred Jackson, a long-time NFL vet coming out of co-college in the career that he was able to put together. And Braden Jackson has done good things already early on campus and hear good buzz about him. Another guy, Alante Dean, who moved over from the defensive side of the football. They moved him over a year ago over to the running back spot. I mean, it shows you the sheer depth of this room. Is it the best in the Big Ten? Well, when you're talking about at minimum, I don't know, one through six, Camari

Moulton, LJ Phillips, Nathan McNeil, Xavier Williams, Brevindal, Braden Jackson, I mean somebody that's got six better. Now, again, we're projecting a little bit here. There's a couple of guys on that list that really haven't seen much action at the running back position, but that's what gets you excited about this spot. And taking a step further, we know the depth. We've talked about the depth a ton, a step further here of unlocking this offense and going to another level, as we talked about with Kabari Molton. Yes, getting those big gainers going from a nice game, an eight yarder to an 18 yarder and taking that 18 yarder and turn it into a 38 yarder. Those kind of

things are obviously going to grow the offense. But the other component, we haven't seen unlocked a whole lot with Tim Lester bringing in the Shanahan offense. The thing that hasn't developed in the way that you see so many times. And I think a lot of us, when we think about the Shanahan offense and you think about Christian McCaffrey. Now, as we all know as Hawkeye fans, Christian McCaffrey athletically is an absolute freak. This is a guy that is built in a different way. And because of that, there's that many people that can stack up with him athletically

and what he can do on a football field. However, one thing that you see with Christian McCaffrey, it's not just between the tackles and running the football. it's what he does coming out of the backfield. And that's an element of this offense. We just haven't seen a ton. And if they can find that guy, maybe it is Nathan McNeil. That becomes that third down specialist coming out of the backfield

and running those arrow routes and doing different things out of the backfield. Maybe it is another one of these players. Camarie Bolton able to do a little bit more of that. Could it be a Brevindal or a Braden Jackson? Whatever it is, whoever it is, if you unlock that next step, that next piece of the puzzle for the Iowa all. offense under Tim Lester, it takes this to another level. Now, I can hear you all right now.

You're all grumbling. It doesn't matter how good you're able to run the football if you don't have a quarterback. And I get that part of it, the continued conversation of who it's going to be at the quarterback spot. And that's a big part too. Completely agree with that front. But if this running game goes from really good, Joe Moore Award winning

offensive line from a year ago, though you lose three starters, I am confident that at minimum they're going to be solid, good this year. had a chance to be even better. When you have Trevor Loughke and Cade Piper as your foundation pieces, a couple with guys like Layton Jones, who's played a lot of football, Jack Dotsler, who was out there a year ago at the tackle spot, first fighting for the job with Trevor Lough and being part of the mix. You have a guy that they're incredibly excited about and Lucas Allgaier,

a six-year guy and Michael Mislinski, who it's never been about what he can do on the field, and just getting on the field. What they have at that spot, I think they're going to be good. They're going to be a chance to be even better than that on the offensive line. and it opens up all the pieces of this Iowa football team. Exciting time as we get ready for football season. We got you covered here on your daily Iowa Hawkeye podcast here, locked on Hawkeyes.

We go from football over to a little basketball, specifically women's basketball. A new top 100 player has cut her list down to six programs. Iowa is involved yet. Look at the future of Iowa hoops. They don't have a ton of scholarships available or minutes available going forward. What does that mean for recruiting for the women's basketball program? We'll talk about that next as we continue.

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Dot com. Jumping into some women's basketball as Jan Jensen's squad out there recruiting, getting ready for next season. It is that time of year where now a lot of the players that they're looking at for the upcoming class starting to cut down their list and making the decision of where they're going to be playing basketball and going college next season.

So as we know this upcoming season, 11 players on the roster, maybe a touch light, like to have that roster a little bit deeper in case injuries. Hit, not everybody's going to play, but practice players. Now, it is different for the women's basketball program compared to the men's basketball program because they have a number of guys that are out there, a number of former high school players, guys that help out in practice and add a little bit more physicality to it at a little bit more height that he could get out of your typical practice players. And that's something that Lisa Bluter's done for, did for a number of years.

And now Jan Jensen continues with that. front. So it is different. It's not as imperative to have a bunch of bodies out there that can be practice players because of that. But 11, maybe that number is more 12, 13, something like that would be perfect, if you will, for those numbers. Not everybody's going to play, but we know that. But the one thing, as we talked earlier about the five for five rule, is every player on this roster has a chance to come back the following season. So after this upcoming year, 2026, 27 basketball season, everybody on the roster has another year of eligibility. And the here and now, that's not a huge issue.

With recruiting and the open scholarships that they have, that's not a big deal in terms of the roster crunch. However, the difficult part is you're bringing back everybody and everybody does come back the next season. That means a lot of these prospects are saying, where are my men is going to come from? And with Eva Hayden, still having three years of eligibility, and that goes hand in hand with a post player that cut her list down to Six teams are for her services next season. Out of Colorado, Sienna Williams, her list is down to the home state Colorado,

along with Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Utah, and Nebraska, a top 100 player, six foot three post player, but again, looking there, you have three more years left for Ava Hayden.

You have four years left for Layla Hayes. And if you're somebody that looks at the future of the program and sees that you still have that in front of them, maybe that doesn't make a whole lot of sense with Iowa. And one thing I saw David Eichold mentioned, over at hawkeye insider.com, as he mentioned, not sure exactly how hard I was going to push for her services, knowing that part of it,

and that coupled with what they're going to do going forward. The other big name that is out there is one of the best players in the country, if not the best player in the country, in Nation Williams. And the background in Nation Williams, knowing the IA program, knowing the successes, all those different things. Her mom heavily involved in women's basketball as well at the WMBA level. So this is a player you don't say no to. I mean, you get her on the bus and then you figure it out from there in terms of minutes distribution, the way that it goes.

But just another one on the mix. But I want to talk a little bit about that in the roster construction and how things are going to be different. This is not just for women's basketball. This is overall. And we talked about it also on the football side of things. And for football, with the lack of seniors on this roster, what that looks like. We went out there during your standard June recruiting and trying to put together the class for this season, but knowing not only is it about that class of incoming freshmen, but also, you know,

also what you're going to have available in the transfer portal. Is that going to lead to more decisions? This five-for-five rule definitely has changed the equation and what we expect overall for all the athletic teams and the program. Same thing for the men's basketball program and what they have. Everybody could come back yet for another season. We came into the spring and summer thinking that or Kale Combs, Camanyahu, both those guys were going to be finishing up their eligibility.

That's not the case. They have now two years left in front of them. So that's just what all these programs have to do. That's who the people in charge of roster management. That's going to be a big part of that figuring out what makes the most sense. And you put together these rosters and the way that it goes. Wrapping things up on the other side. We talked baseball earlier.

Iowa baseball coming up with Rick Heller in a sweet game. The field of dreams will be the site. That's next as we continue. Stay right there. This is Locked on Hawkeyes. Trent, kind of back with you one final time on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. your daily Iowa Hawkeye podcast as we make our way through the month of July and get ready for August camp right around the corner. Big Ten football media days next week.

We'll have plenty of coverage on that and a whole lot more coming your way as Iowa football gets ready to descend. Before we get two more football talk, though, let's talk a little bit about some baseball. And what an idea this was as Iowa baseball will be playing a game in the non-conference next season against Kansas. Kansas is a very good program, made their way through the NCAA tournament a year ago. put together a great year. This is a big name opponent that's going to be making their way up to Dyersville and the Field of Dreams. Now we're going to get a field of dream by the way for a couple of seasons. A lot of continued evolvement that has happened at that front.

All the new baseball fields that have been put around the area, the stanchion and everything that's been put together for the site where he saw the MLB game, that first game with the White Sox and the walkoff and how great that was and excited to get it back this season as we'll get to see the team I root for the Minnesota Twins, taken on the Phillies. And what should be an entertaining game, though, on Netflix, not going to be on your traditional Fox that we've been used to, going to be a little bit different on that front as it was for MLB opening day this season.

That aside, Iowa baseball getting there. I know this has been in the works for a number of years. There's been a ton of talk. And Iowa baseball now as the only Division I program in the state. Iowa State cut their program 25 years ago. You and I cut their program a number of years ago. Drake hasn't had it for an incredibly long time. And there's there's something that you see in the baseball community about Iowa baseball.

And even people that are a cyclone fan or a fan of somebody else, there's still that rooting interest. There's so much local flavor on the Iowa baseball roster year after year. So many of these kids that grew up in the state dreaming of playing D1 baseball. What opportunity is with the Iowa baseball program. And to be able to have this kind of game, have the extras that'll go along with it, the pomp and circumstance and the excitement, that's going to be incredibly cool to see. And this would be something you'd also anticipate.

Maybe it can get a little bit more national notoriety. You know, as we make our way through and we're getting into that part where college basketball season's over, we're ramping up for the NBA and NHL playoffs. There is a quiet time, though, during that where you can get a little bit of national buzz and get something. And we'll see, you know, BTN with their partner and the ownership stake that Fox has in the Big Ten network. Could this be something instead of just putting on BTN? No, we're going to put this on Big Fox. Could that be a possibility we'll see on that front?

But think big on this one. Think big, big and an opportunity for everybody. As we've seen with basketball, the men's basketball program and the women's basketball program, both going to Sioux City and the games that are happening coming up in Des Moines for the men's program this year. And continuing to expand that reach and for the Hawkeye programs to go to all corners of the state and to go to the places that support the Hawkeyes. It's not just Iowa City. It's not just the Iowa City City Cedar Rapids Corridor.

It is the state. And the state university of Iowa, having this is a great thing and really excited about that game. Wasn't able to pull it off this year to make my way up for the Twins and Phillies. And if you've seen the ticket prices, you could understand why. This one, though, might be a little bit more palpable. And maybe you're not a huge Major League baseball fan. But you love the dreams. You love the movie, all that.

The site is absolutely incredible. And I went up there a number of times. Some kids that I worked with when I was in college, took them there a couple of times. It is all inspiring. It really is. And jaw-dropping. I have not been back, though, in a number of years since all the renovations that have happened on that front. This could be a great opportunity to do that.

If you listen every day, you definitely know I talk a lot about my kids and my daughter's in softball, my son plays baseball and maybe having a chance to have a catch on the field with those. That would be really, really cool. I watch a little Iowa baseball as they take on Kansas coming up this year at the Field of Dreams site. Out of time for today, we will be back with you tomorrow. So Elliot Clough from Hawkeye Insider.com is going to join us. We'll talk with Elliot, some football, some basketball, and a whole lot more, including the big name that is out there. Caden Dottery, Iowa has absolutely put themselves in a great position for his services.

Well, over the weekend at Peach Jam, he blew up. Once again, the MVP of Peach Jam led his team to a championship, and he is the talk everywhere, not just here in Iowa City, not just here in the state of Iowa. this is the national conversation. This is the buzz guy for college basketball, and I was got a real shot to get his services. We'll talk about that more coming up tomorrow with Elliott Clough from hawkeye insider.com.

Again, we are your free daily Iowa Hawkeye podcast, Locked on Hawkeyes. And if you want to get us each and every day, add free, join the everydayer club. Your seven-day free trial right now at locked-on hawkeyes. Dot supercast.com is where you go. Lockdownhawkeyes. dot supercast.com.

Hope you have a great day. We'll talk to you again tomorrow. Until then, go hawks.