Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - QB DECISION? Iowa Hawkeyes Must NAME Jeremy Hecklinski as QB1—Fan Base NEEDS Hope

Starting point is 00:00:01 The Iowa quarterback situation has reached the point where the football staff needs to make a decision. It's time to name the starter. Give them the reins and let this team move forward with its QB1. 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. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listening.

Starting point is 00:00:37 every day. We are your daily Iowa Hawkeye podcast. Well, coming up today on the program, we're going to be sorting out the defensive backfield. Tom Kekert is going to join us from Hawker Report. A lot of football conversation with Tom, and he's got something for us in the defensive backfield with an injury that has been lingering throughout fall camp that very well could change the equation of what they look for in the back five of the defense coming up this season. We'll talk with Tom also about the non-conference basketball schedule. We'll break down Beth gets in her contract extension and a lot of conversation about football, including the quarterback spot. And that's where I want to begin the show today, talking about quarterback and what we saw

Starting point is 00:01:17 a week ago on Saturday at Kids Day with Jeremy Hicklinsky lived things up. He had a day at the quarterback position, really unlike anything that we've seen in an incredibly long time, throwing the football around, making plays, beautiful throws on time, just so on Iowa-like what we normally see during the one open practice that we get during the springtime. It was the fall time, excuse me. It was that one time where the excitement definitely was building. Now, I've laid this out before and my thought pattern behind this, why it is important for Jeremy Hecklinsky, I believe, to get the starting nod.

Starting point is 00:01:53 And it's not just about what happened on Saturday, though that is a big component of it. And really, this is not, for me, a big part of Jeremy Hecklinski. It's more about the Hank Brown piece of it and what has already been built up from the Iowa fan base. After what we've seen from him, when the bright lights have been on, Hank Brown is not delivered. And you go back to the beginning of his career when he started at Auburn. Got a couple of opportunities at a game in a non-conference game where Auburn absolutely

Starting point is 00:02:20 dominated. He looked good in that one. Then he gets a start a week later against Arkansas, a very middling team a couple of years ago. And what does he do? He throws three interceptions early in that football game. It was game over. And Auburn could never get over the hump against a pedestrian.

Starting point is 00:02:35 Razorback squad. Now we fast forward to a year ago. We've talked about the Indiana game and what we saw in that one. The screen pass will be remembered for an incredibly long time. I don't know if that'll be anything that'll ever empty out of my memory bank of Iowa football. You had the national champions on the ropes. You complete a screen pass. It is game over. You make a block. You pick up the first down. You run the ball probably inside the 15 yard line. You got a chip shot field goal. Indiana out of timeouts. You win that football game, and at minimum, we're talking about instead of one undefeated 16 and O Indiana Hoosier Squad, 15 and 1, and their one blemish against the Hawkeyes, and that would have been, oh, so sweet. Alas, that didn't happen, because Hank could not complete the pass. And there was more traffic at his feet, I think, than people maybe remember on that one.

Starting point is 00:03:22 It was not that there was nobody around him. There was traffic there. It was not the easiest pass, but still, as the Division I quarterback, it's a pass that you have to complete. Then we go and fast forward into spring football. And though Hank Brown, I think, closed the gap with Jeremy Heklinsky after fall camp. When we continue to hear, it was going to be close. It was going to go all the way throughout camp. Yes, that is there.

Starting point is 00:03:44 But we know with the fan base where they are, it is time for Jeremy Hecklinsky. This is not to say that Jeremy Hecklensky is going to be elite. Jeremy Heklinski is even going to be good. But for the betterment of the fan base, for the betterment of this team, it is time to go with Hecklenskyklinsky. Glinski and the time is now. And the reason that I come to this conclusion is the timing of this as we go through. Now coming up on Saturday, they will have their final run through, their big scrimmage that they have, the inner squad scrimmage that is always so big for this football program. And it is kind of, if you will, before school begins the last time that you get away from game prep. And it is an opportunity for everybody to get one shining light, one more opportunity to show the coaches exactly what they can. do. The coaches know at this point. I mean, they have a great idea of the way that this thing is going to play out. But when it comes to the quarterback spot, it is different. And it doesn't matter if a call comes from an Iowa reporter, if Chad Leickew gets it, or Tom Caker, or anybody else

Starting point is 00:04:45 on the Hawkeye beat. It doesn't matter where it comes from or somebody on the national scale. If we hear that, but the decision needs to be made. We don't need to take this thing all the way up until game week and have to wait until the Monday press release that will come and we'll get the too deep that'll be there and have either one of the two guys listed as a starter or even put the or in between them. You want to wait. I thought it was maybe going to be a Friday newsdom. Now here we are late on Friday evening and still no decision, no determination has been handed down at least out there in the media and for you in turn to the fans. That has not happened. But I think we're all ready for it. I think we all know the direction that it feels like it needs

Starting point is 00:05:26 to go at this point in time. And instead of dragging that out, go ahead. Give Jeremy Hecklinsky the job. Let's see what the guy can do. He's got some moxie to him. There's something a little bit different. And it's something fun. We as Hawkeye fans, we have had to deal with now a long, long run of all the running

Starting point is 00:05:44 jokes about Iowa football and the boring offense. And for somebody that grew up in the 80s when Iowa was cutting edge, where Iowa football and certainly offensive football, it wasn't just the gadget plays and the trick plays that Hayden would pull out. It wasn't the pink locker rooms. It was also that this was a program that helped A, break up the big two and the little eight. But secondly, that they were innovative offensively, that they were doing things that weren't heard of. And year after year, you're going to have an all big 10 quarterback back there at the helm. That was something that was fun. And those wins are always fun. And it doesn't matter the fashion. You'd certainly rather take that

Starting point is 00:06:20 than the other side of the coin. Still, we have seen, we have dealt with it. We have watched some ugly, ugly offensive football. And there's something about Jeremy Hecklinsky being a little guy with a little moxie, maybe does things a little bit more unconventional that does feel very I will like, very I will like with the quarterback spot that has just struggled so much now over the last six years. And we've just gone through this year after year after year. Let's see something a little different.

Starting point is 00:06:49 Let's shake it up. Let's go a different direction that is not the easy one because Hank Brown, he looks the part. He looks like a quarterback. He throws like a quarterback. He certainly got all the armed talent. The problem is I just don't think it shows up when it matters most. We'll see on that front if we get any determination coming up this week. Maybe Saturday will be enough to push it over the edge and we'll get an answer on that front.

Starting point is 00:07:13 We're going to talk about this a little bit more with Tom Kaker. Hawkeye Report.com, your daily source for Iowa Hawkeye content over there. Tom, Blair, and the whole crew always do great work. Kyle Huesman, who does a lot on the women's business. basketball side. Iowa baseball. He covers soccer. He does a lot. Great group of guys over there at Hawkeye Report. And we're going to talk with Tom coming up on the other side. We'll talk about that. Some special teams, a little basketball, and Beth gets contract extension. Lots of conversation coming up next with Tom Kekert, hawkye report.com. Stay right there as we continue. This is your daily

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Starting point is 00:08:55 with the promo code locked on. Celebrate 40 years. of the game with 40% off, but don't wait. This anniversary offer won't last forever. 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. Time to talk some more Hawkeyes. And we're going to talk a little bit more about the quarterback competition as we're joined by Tom Kaker from Hawkeyeer Report.com.

Starting point is 00:09:27 What to start here at the place that we start pretty much all the time. That's the quarterback position. And I had this working theory that has popped into my mind last night is if it's time for us to know who it's going to be. Now, I haven't heard how practice has gone this week. Maybe you have some on that one. I know you had to report the things were a little bit slow getting started for Hecklinsky at the beginning of fall camp and, of course, what we saw on Saturday. But what is the right time? Not just for the fans and for us in the media, but also for the team, if they're ready to make a decision and not let this thing,

Starting point is 00:10:01 drag into the season. What is the right time for Iowa to announce the choice of quarterback? You know, I think we've kind of gotten a hint from Kirk on when maybe he would want to make a decision. Now, Tim Lester's going to factor into this heavily. I mean, it is really going to be kind of Tim's decision to make here as far as the starting quarterback. And then Kirk will kind of follow suit, I think. Wednesday is maybe the day to kind of point to and look at because after Wednesday, they're going to start their game week prep, you know, and after next Wednesday. So, you know, I think that might be kind of a timeframe of, you know, the Wednesday before the game week. So that that would be maybe the time when they, they, they,

Starting point is 00:11:01 kind of make a decision. So that may be something to point to, you know, may not be anything. It may be, they're going to just drag this out into season, which is still kind of what I feel like might end up happening. I said after the spring, I thought we were going to see both the guys in the first half of the first game after Saturday. I hope that's not the case, but I have a feeling you might be right on that one. You know, Tom, as we go through and we saw it was just one practice on Saturday, but Heklinsky, drop of the ball in a bucket. I go back to Hank Brown. In big moments, he just hasn't shown up. Do they still have their inner squad scrimmage? Is that coming up this weekend? I know in the past it had been like a week after Kids Day that they

Starting point is 00:11:42 had that and kind of their one last final push and really a chance to impress the coaches on True 11 on 11 environments. Do they still do that? And is that tomorrow? Yeah, I think that'll be tomorrow when they'll do that because remember, I have to stop. for these guys Monday. So they're going to have their academic requirements that they're going to have to be a part of and everything. So yeah, I would anticipate that they're going to have a scrimmage on this weekend. And maybe that goes a long way to doing it.

Starting point is 00:12:20 Now, I will point something out that somebody close to the team pointed out to me about Hekowinski is he did most of his damage against the same. second unit on defense. And there is something to that, too, that Hank was going up against first defense, but still, Hank didn't do very well against the first defense either. So, but it was something that was pointed out to me that, hey, you know, let's maybe kind of point that out just to, just to be fair. And I think four of the five touchdowns were against second team defense. So just something that someone pointed out. All right. Well, I also saw Hank against the first and second team and he looked terrible

Starting point is 00:13:04 the whole time. That's what that is a very, very, very, very point to make too. For me, it's not even really a Hecklinsky thing. It's not about the five touchdowns. It's just Hank, we saw him against Indiana. Screen pass wins the game. He can't complete it. We saw him when he was at Auburn. Three interceptions when he finally played a team worth a crap and a very below average Arkansas team. Three interceptions in that one. He just has the same look and the same thing. Yeah, he scrambled around a couple of times, but I'll just put it out this way.

Starting point is 00:13:31 He gives me a lot of memories of Spencer Petra. It's as simple as that. He's more athletic than Spencer. He looks the part, though. He's got the big size, but he's got those elements when the pockets collapsed and he's pooping his pants. He doesn't have the requisite pocket presence of a quarterback,

Starting point is 00:13:47 and I don't think you can fix that, Tom. There is validity to that. Complete validity to it. And I know Kirk is big on proven practice, proven practice, but you have to look at game as well and what that entails. So we'll see what happens here. I just kind of think they want to maybe look at both of them in the game and make that final box checked. But maybe they'll make a decision, you know, before after Wednesday. just kind of go, you know what, or this is the direction we're going to go and just kind of move that way.

Starting point is 00:14:32 I think that would be what Kirk prefers. I wonder if Tim wants to check the game box, just to make sure. I think that's an important one, too, to see how that works. And we'll get more answers coming up here. Have you heard is Kirk going to have a press conference before the week of the game, or is this going to be just kind of a holding pattern until we get there? As far as I know, it's going to just be our usual Tuesday before the game. presser, so we may not get anything, but if they make a decision about quarterback, I think

Starting point is 00:15:03 something's going to trickle out. Just think something will pop. I don't know that they'll make a formal announcement, but maybe they will. But I think there are little things that get out every once in a while, and that's probably one of those little things. Well, Tom, we talk about the quarterback at time, but there's other groups position battle. things going on. Kale Winter looks to be potentially the guy at the center spot. Cade Peeper back to Guard and talking about getting the best five out there. This ascension, though, by Kail Winter.

Starting point is 00:15:36 I remember hearing about him. I think it was maybe as well back when we called it Redshirt freshman year. His name came up a couple of times from some people here in Central Iowa. He's doing a good job, but they really like him over there. Love these kind of stories. And these are the stories we know Kirk Farrant's likes as well. Love story. I first

Starting point is 00:15:53 about him because the guys I'm like hey who's the guy I should

Starting point is 00:16:01 playing really well or showed you something this year and Jennings Dunker told me

Starting point is 00:16:08 with his station watch winter he's really good and I kept tabs on him

Starting point is 00:16:14 and I kept them on the radar and here he is and I think this is the case of

Starting point is 00:16:20 when you sort it out and you put people at center and whoever else you put at guard. It wasn't as strong as winter at center and paid people at guard. And I think that's kind of what ended up happening. And I think Jack Deltzler feels more comfortable with right tackle with Pete at right guard. And I think winter's going to be pretty solid. And he could potentially be a two-year starter for them at center too.

Starting point is 00:16:49 Oh, yeah, I got that extra year, the five-or-five rule. Well, there was an announcement earlier on Friday today that the injunction that had been placed there and the players getting their extra year of eligibility, the class of 2022. Well, now that has been overturned. Of course, that led to a lot of speculation. Maybe Aaron Graves could come back. I talked about that yesterday. It felt like a long shot. Obviously, if he makes the Ravens team, there's not even hope of that.

Starting point is 00:17:12 Well, that's back off the table. You mentioned classes starting on Monday. I mean, these guys got to get this thing figured out pretty quickly. So where are we trading for once again? And is it going to be yet on the other side now, on the player's side, right back to court again? I would guess it's going to be more players going to court. And to date, you know, I do know that Iowa at least kind of after the injunction in Louisiana was put out there. And it also included as NFL players could come back if they wanted to.

Starting point is 00:17:45 And that's when, you know, Iowa starts making a phone call there and Grace's agent. and hey, they're in your interest and see what happened there, you know, but you had to wait to see what happened legally, and now it looks like it's, at least for now, off. And we don't even know if Aaron was firmly interested. We just know that Iowa was interested in him, and why wouldn't they be? It's probably their weakest position group.

Starting point is 00:18:13 And you could get a second team, All-Big Ten guy that played 600 snaps last year back in the fold. He knows what he's doing, and he's in game shape because he's been working with Ravens. So that's a no-brainer if you could get him back, but we don't even, we don't know what it would take. And he, you know, it's probably a long shot. He's going to be on their 53, but could he get on the practice squad potentially? You know, and that's, you know, if you're on the practice squad, the whole season, it's probably about a quarter million dollars. But, you know, Iowa could offer him, you know, I'll just.

Starting point is 00:18:50 Godfather offer and maybe get that done if you offer from a million box or something. You get it done. But we'll see right now. It's not even a possibility because he's not part of that lawsuit. We go right back the other direction. And back and forth we go with the NCAA and athletics and athletes trying to get another year. What to jump over the defense. And we didn't get to see Kenneth Meriwether.

Starting point is 00:19:15 We didn't get to see Tyler Brown. Two anticipated starters for the squad this year. the injury front with both of those guys. I remember Brown said something when I was standing by him. It's not minor and it's not major. Great. Hard to get a lot of determination out of what that injury looks like. The hope both those guys are going to be back at. And what you've heard about Maryweather, the most veteran guy out of that defensive line group at the defensive end position, a guy that got some reps over the last couple of years, just how good he could be this season. Yeah, I think Maryweather, he'll be back. I'm doubtful that Tyler Brown's going to make it for

Starting point is 00:19:50 Week one. Oh, wow. Just don't, I don't think he's going to be ready. It's a hamstring issue, and I'm just, I'm kind of doubtful. So you might see Anthony Hawkins out there for the opener at strong safety. So hamstrings, as you know, can be tricky. And just the fact that he hasn't gotten into practice yet makes you pretty concerned that he might not make it. But I think Meriwether will be there, and Maryweather will give him a presence.

Starting point is 00:20:20 And a guy who's had some experience, he's ramped up his leadership. So they've got something there. But, yeah, at back end, the defense would take a hit because I know they were really high on Brown. Absolutely. Yeah, Brown, I think, is a guy that looks to be special there. And if Hawkins continues to develop, I think that leads to also what you do with Lutmer. We know about his versatility. And if it makes sense for him, go back to the cash position.

Starting point is 00:20:47 What does that mean for Jacob Wallace? what you saw in that defensive backfield and some of those young guys, Wallace, definitely taking a step forward. You know what you have into Sean Lee on the outside, but just overall, take kind of Lutbert out of the equation, but the rest of the group,

Starting point is 00:21:00 a lot to be excited about, I think, in that a Hawkeye defensive backfield. Yeah, I thought Deshaun Lee really took a step forward last year, second half of the year, really improved and played better. Like what I saw from Jalen Watson, and second half the year, you know, Godfrey got better last part of the year. I know Phil is really likes Jacob Baldwin's competitiveness.

Starting point is 00:21:26 So I suspect he's going to beat the cash unless they could find a way to get Lutmer there. But that seems kind of off the table. The other guy, two guys to watch, I would say for freshmen, Marcel Viti, who was working second team at Free Safety and Phil loves him. He's just kind of one of those instinct guys that just plays hard. tough and hits and does all the Phil Parker things. And then Darien Jones, the cornerback, I think he might be, you know, kind of next man in and that cornerback position if they need it. He's got unusual size for a corner, at least 6-1 and just really premium athlete.

Starting point is 00:22:08 So he's a player that I think he's going to have to watch. Tom Kaker joining us from hawkeyeorport.com. You know, I saw varying degrees. So I was there with my son Jack and on Saturday at Kids Day and watching the special teams. I thought both the punters were okay. Maybe Boston Everett has a touch more raw leg talent,

Starting point is 00:22:28 but we also saw a clunker out of him a 20-yarder that went into the stands and then he rips off a 55-yarder right after that. But then the kicking game, I know Blair was charting things for you at Hawkeye Report. It felt like the numbers that he charted were better than I remember. It just felt awful.

Starting point is 00:22:43 The long snapping had some issues. There was a lot there. where my concerns and something we've talked about a lot here recently, Tom, over the last couple of weeks with those special teams, it ratcheted up for me to an even higher degree. I said about a month ago, we're not talking about special teams, and it's kind of, you know, come to the front of the line now. They just, you know, talking to Chris Polisi at Media Day,

Starting point is 00:23:12 you know, it was more of like, yeah, we've got a good competition. kind of thing, which kind of made me think, boy, they weren't great. And I've heard that they were better this week so far than they were on Saturday, at least the field goal kickers. Because the field goal kickers, I mean, 8 of 12, 7 of 11, you know, we like to dabble in the dark arts of gambling sometimes. Over under a number of field goals, Iowa makes over 50 yards this year.

Starting point is 00:23:42 And I put it at one and a half and I take the under probably. I just don't know that they have a kicker that can, that they're going to have confidence in doing that. And how that is going to manifest itself is, do we see Riverboat Gambler Kirk again? He's going forward on fourth and two from the 35 and doing some different things that maybe he might not, might have not done in the past because of the kicking game and the concerns of that and not having confidence in it. We'll see. I think Boston Everett's going to be the punter, but I can't say that with 100% certainty. I'm just basing that on the fact that the number one snapper on their list

Starting point is 00:24:28 was working with him exclusively on Saturday. You told us a little bit about Maddie B. Glaughlin, keep an eye on him, the freshman long snapper that came in. Boy, he looks little compared to Ike's belts and what we're used to. You can definitely tell that's an 18-year-old kid that just showed up on campus, but he's also got a ability. He gets that ball back there. Might just be a size thing for him in year number one.

Starting point is 00:24:49 Tom, I want to mention one thing. And great work out of you because I missed this one and didn't even think about it when we were interviewing the players last week. And that is Josh Janowski, 19-year-old second-year player who has been battling cancer. I completely forgot about the story. I love listening and watching the interview that you have up on Hawkeye Report with him. Just what a great story.

Starting point is 00:25:09 What a great young man. Yeah, I've been waiting to talk to him for a while. And, you know, obviously he was kind of out of commission basically last year for part of the time with, you know, because it was a year ago to the day, a media day when he got diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma and had to start treatment, had a port put in. You know, just incredible story that he's made it back so quickly. And, you know, being 19 years old and happy to deal with that is just, boy, that's heavy. That's really heavy. And to his credit, he's just battled and fought and he's back in there. And, you know, he's making an argument to be the second team offensive linemen for the Iowa Hawkeyes this year and probably get some playing time.

Starting point is 00:25:59 And what a story that would be if he's out there one year later after battling cancer and just had such a great attitude, a positive attitude. And just I root for stories like that and kids like that. Lance Linsky, too, who's dealt with everything in the world and just, you know, and Mike helped Josh get through the stuff because Mike's brother had cancer. And so he kind of knew how to deal with that as a friend. And Josh said he was really instrumental. And so with George Barnett, Kirk Farrant, everybody was just backing him up. So just a cool story. And I'm glad I could talk to Josh about it. You can find it at hawkeye report.com.

Starting point is 00:26:44 Also search on YouTube, Hawkeye Report. You can find the interview there. Really, really good one from Tom. Tom, a couple more for you. A couple of newsy items.

Starting point is 00:26:52 First, Beth gets a contract extension for the Hawkeye AD through 2032, a pay bump that goes along with it up to $1.4 million. But much deserved. I know there were some other programs, maybe starting to sniff around. Speculation, Michigan with Ward Manual moving on. Could that be a destination for somebody that has had

Starting point is 00:27:11 some pretty difficult circumstances. You have to fire the all-time winningest coach in men's basketball in Fran McCaffrey. You have to get rid of the offensive coordinator. Oh, by the way, the coach's son and Brian Farrance in the way that she was able to do that. Well, she was still the interim at that time that she made that decision. She's navigated it coupled with the NIL. She's been an absolute home run and good work out of Iowa locking her up. Yeah, just a tremendous hire.

Starting point is 00:27:37 And, you know, the minute she got hired as, the deputy ad he kind of knew that Gary was going to be leaving soon and that this was going to be the destination for her to be the athletic director and it took a while to get through that interim process too so but she is just she's terrific and I I'm almost certain that Michigan probably inquired about her because it's got a flawless resume and reputation just you know she is high quality and I think she's nimble enough to kind of man the changes that are going on in college athletics and be ready for them where you know no disrespect to Gary Barta but I'm not sure Gary would have navigated these waters as well as Beth has because it was more

Starting point is 00:28:32 of from the old world of athletic directors so Beth I think is able to navigate the NIL and be able to continue to put out good product on the, on the field, on the floor, whatever sport it is for the University of Iowa. And then the non-conference basketball men's schedule has finally been released. We've been waiting for this. Now, we do the major components of it. We've known them for a long time. The neutral court games with Virginia Tech.

Starting point is 00:29:01 One thing that jumped out to me, Tom, I mentioned this yesterday, Virginia Tech, at least according to Torvick's kind of preseason projections, a little bit better than I thought coming year, I think number 36 for them. The Alabama game, Iowa State, on and on and on. The by games are kind of whatever here. But you can kind of see the method behind the baddest here of how Coach McCollum is looking to build out this schedule and maybe a glimpse kind of going forward of what they want to do. And one of the things they're doing is with those neutral games.

Starting point is 00:29:31 And it's part of that net where the qualification for being a Q1 win, in the net is a little different out of the neutral site games. So that's why they're doing some of those. And I thought the other buy games, I mean, they are what they are. It's just, you know, you're going to have some of those. But Xavier, I think, is going to be a little better than people think. I think they're 56 at Torvik, and maybe they're probably going to be a little bit better than that.

Starting point is 00:30:00 But, yeah, Virginia Tech surprised me, too, 19 and 13 last year. I think they've got a good chunk of their team back. But, yeah, it would be an interesting stretch in there when they've got the Virginia Tech game and Creighton in the same week in November. So we'll find out a little bit about this team. And then right after that, it's a Friday night game at Savior, too. So we'll get three pretty good tests early in the season. And, of course, we have the double plays. They'll have a couple of those early December games.

Starting point is 00:30:34 But it's not always against your double plays, right? that it's simple that we know it's going to be Nebraska, Ohio State, or Wisconsin, probably at least at minimum one of those three teams, you'll have one of those games. But it's all over the place. It feels like, you know, never know what it's going to look like. Some years, they've had a couple of really difficult games. And overall, that is something that sunk Brains team so many times. How many 0 and 2 starts that have in the Big 10 there, including some head scratching losses? Oh, my gosh. And they've had some where they've thrown them up against Lake Michigan State and whoever else.

Starting point is 00:31:05 You know, Michigan State on the road or something. What are you doing? Poor Fran. Or a Purdue game. There's a Purdue game, I think, one year and there. And it's like, oh, goodness. But yeah, that'll be good because that's, you know, right before the Iowa State game, too.

Starting point is 00:31:22 So that'll be a good stretch for them as well. A couple of important ones. And I'll tell you when I was looking through the schedule, I got a little PTSD when I saw Eastern Illinois pop out. Oh, Marty Simmons. Yeah, they beat the Hawks. noted that when I wrote a piece about, you know, I ranked at the teams yesterday in terms of difficulty. And I kept them out of the basement simply because Marty Simmons and crew came

Starting point is 00:31:45 into, came into Carver Hawkeye and walked out with a 92 to 83 shocking win in 2022. I remember it, unfortunately, too vividly, Tom, and a weird, wasn't that an afternoon game on top of it? Yeah, it was just a weird, you just kept waiting and waiting. And then it was just never happened. And there they were. Losing to a really bad eastern Illinois team. But Western Illinois, and I hate that, say that for my friend, John Bonnick, but Western Illinois is the worst team that they play. Leathernecks.

Starting point is 00:32:21 Yeah, not looking like a good one on that one. Well, Tom, out of time for today. Always appreciate your time joining us here on Fridays. We'll be closer to football next week. It'll be week one of the high school season here in the state of Iowa, and week zero for college football. Looking forward to that. Tom appreciated all the work over at hawkeyeorport.com.

Starting point is 00:32:40 And that good deal still continues for Hawkeye Report. Still going. I don't know they keep extending it. We keep selling a lot of subs. So they're like, hey, let's just keep rocking and rolling. So, yeah, 75% off. That's $2.50 a month to get it. So, yeah, stop by and join us if you can.

Starting point is 00:32:59 Hockayreport.com. Thank you, Tom. Thanks, Trent. Coming back on the. That's Tom Kaker, Hawkeye Report.com, joining us here on. a Friday as we get closer and closer to football season. Well, Tom dropped a major nugget there. Tyler Brown potentially not even being ready for the start of the season. What does that do for the defensive backfield? We'll shift that around and talk about that when we come back. This is

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Starting point is 00:34:27 Play ball and swing for the fences on Fandle, an official partner of MLB. Try and kind of back with you one final time here on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for being with us and making lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. As we wrap things up today, it is time to take a peek at what we have in the defensive backfield. Now we know Zach Lutmer, the versatility that he plays with. He can be your free safety, which we anticipate he's going to be this year. He can move over and play the cash position while we saw so much. I mean, you need an extra quarterback.

Starting point is 00:35:04 He can go there. He is that Swiss Army knife that can go all over the place. It is that versatility that goes a long way. plus the playmaking ability that he has. Jacob Wallace looks to be the heir apparent at the cash position, plays with physicality, though not the biggest frame. And they've had all kinds of different kind of body types at that position from Dick and Stoddy with Sebastian Castro,

Starting point is 00:35:26 the more lanky guy with Dane Belton, who got it all started, and on and on. They used a bunch of different guys in that kind of role. We know Deshaun Lee, he's going to be back there, but Anthony Hawkins has been the guy that has been playing strong safety with the Tyler Brown injury while he has been out, the Villanova transfer, very ranging at 6'4 3. I asked him over at Iowa Football Media Day,

Starting point is 00:35:49 excuse me, last week, and he mentioned he likes to play with that physicality, coupled with the big frame, definitely like that component too. But maybe this is something that does open things up and some different ideas that they can have in that defensive backfield. They also brought in Xavier Stiles out of the transfer portal. He's another guy that was getting reps, mostly with the twos and threes over at kids. day last week, but at least another name to the mix.

Starting point is 00:36:11 And Marcella Vitti, that is the youngster, the freshman that they really like. Garion Jones is another freshman that they really like on the outside. We saw Rashad Godfrey a year ago in the Nebraska game. He had a big lick in that one. The depth that they are building once again at defensive back. It is interesting, Tyler Brown. This is a guy that they really had penciled in and maybe you could argue one of their best transfer portal additions that they have.

Starting point is 00:36:37 If this thing lingers into the season and with the soft tissue injury, with the hamstring injury, we know even when you're back, boy, those things can pop right back up. But if that's the case, definitely have to have that depth this season. It looks like Phil Parker has it in the defensive backfield. Out of time for today. We'll be back with you tomorrow over the weekend. Got a little bit more for you from over at Media Day. Some more player interviews will bring to you and give you something to do while you're out mowing.

Starting point is 00:37:03 For me, it's going to be on the softball fields as we kick off our fall. season with my daughter's softball team coming up this weekend. Thanks for being with us and making Locked-on Hawkeyes, your first listen every day. A shout out as well to everyone with us every single day, our everydayers. Thanks for being a part of the club with us over there and couldn't do it without your support. Make sure you hit subscribe if you're watching this on YouTube. If you're on the podcast side, five-star reviews, all that helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans.

Starting point is 00:37:31 We'll talk to again tomorrow. Until then, go Hawks.

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