Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - SURGE? Iowa’s Offensive Depth Chart REVEALED—Jeremy Hecklinski, LJ Phillips Primed to Elevate

Episode Date: January 19, 2026

Iowa Hawkeyes gear up for a bold new era as the transfer portal closes—could this be the most dynamic passing attack fans have seen in years? Trent Condon sets the stage with quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski primed to lead the offense, while key additions like LJ Phillips at running back and Tony Diaz at wide receiver infuse fresh talent alongside mainstays like Reese Vander Zee.Breaking down the Hawkeyes’ offensive depth chart, Trent Condon highlights positional battles, evaluates returning starters on the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line, and explores how playmakers like D.J. Vonnahme at tight end could elevate Iowa’s scoring punch. Can the revamped skill positions and solid O-line help Iowa compete for a Big Ten title? Get the latest roster analysis and hear which breakout stars might shape the Hawkeyes’ 2026 campaign.Follow Trent Condon on X: https://twitter.com/trentcondonLISTEN TO THE PODCAST: APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-hawkeyes-daily-podcast-on-iowa-hawkeyes-football/id1441592240SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GTyz5ygevcGXdTF6QSoEoYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnHawkeyesEverydayer ClubIf 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!GametimeToday's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.Turbo TaxFor a limited time, you can have your taxes done by a local TurboTax expert for just $150 — all in, if a TurboTax expert didn’t file for you last year. Just file by February 28. Take taxes off your plate and get back to your life.Visit https://TurboTax.com/local to book your appointment today. FanDuelToday's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Football season is around the corner, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now.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.

The transfer portal has closed and we have a good feel of what the Iowa football team and its roster is going to look like. Where will the breakout stars come from for Iowa football at a chance that this could be one of the best passing games we've seen in a long time? 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, Hock-Inty. Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We're available wherever you

find podcasts. You can also find us on YouTube. While you're there, make sure you hit the subscribe button. I've been covering the Hawkeyes for over 20 years on the radio. Here in the state of Iowa, you can find me on the Iowa Sports Radio Network each weekday from noon to two. Talk in the world of sports and a lot of Hawkeyes with you

with stations Des Moines, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, the Quad Cities, and Sioux City. Today's episode of Lockdown Hawkeyes is brought to you by Fandul The college football playoff is here, and Fandual is the best place to get into the action all playoff long. Visit Fandual.com to get your college football playoff profit boost. Today, it is going to be a deep dive into Iowa football after the roster, though not completely set. They're still work being done in the transfer portal, but it did close last Friday meeting.

Guys had to have their names in there. Iowa still continues to look around, looking at positions, and still guys that have not. found homes and there's lots of them out there, but we have a pretty good feel about the way things are going to look. So we are going to talk about the offensive line. It was the Joe Moore Award winner this season. We're going to look at how big of a step back do we anticipate the offensive line is going to make. We're also going to talk about the skill positions after Iowa went out and upgraded not only the absolute necessity that needed at the wider receiver position, but also what they did at running back with the addition of LA, L.A. L.

LJ Phillips is we're going to take a stab here at the depth chart, see if we can at least get a feel of what this Iowa football team. Today we're going to do the offense. Later in the week, we will do the defense as we break down the Trent Condon depth chart. This is not from Kirk Farrant's. And we know Kirk Farrant's depth chart really doesn't matter. Let's get into it and, of course, start at the top with the quarterback position. Now we know in front of us we still have all the offseason workouts,

everything they're going to be doing, strength and conditioning, working with Coach Braithwaite and that staff of getting themselves ready for spring football. This is how I see it. Let's start at the quarterback spot. And if you're an everyday listener, part of the everyday club, you know, I believe there is no doubt. Jeremy Hecklinsky is going to be the guy. I think we saw throughout the course of last year, Hank Brown got the opportunity. Yes, against Indiana team that is a game away from winning a national championship.

And I think we want to be careful not to just say, oh, absolute, there's no chance for Hank Brown. It's not going to happen. We saw a quarter of action from him. If he makes a screen pass, they got the Hoosier's beat. That's not fair. It's not fair to him. And it's not fair. You don't have the whole picture of what he is. But one thing that I've grown to love over these last two years is seeing what a quarterback with running ability can do in the Iowa offense. And with Tim Lester as the offensive coordinator, how things have just been unleashed to another level when you have that quarterback that can move. That's not Hank Brown.

Though he's not as stiff, he's not back there. It's not me back there, right? It's a guy with some athleticism. It's not at the same level. It's certainly what we've seen of Grinowski, what we saw with Brennan Sullivan. And in a different way, because this guy's built much different

than those two quarterbacks with Jeremy Hecklinsky. I think it also painted a pretty good big picture. When we go back to the time when Mark Grunowski was injured earlier this year before the Wisconsin game, during the Indiana game, they had that by week. I know it was touch and go for, a while. And big questions if he was going to play during that time as he's not practicing,

he's getting treatment for the knee injury. During that time period, though, we saw Hank Brown drops down to the number three quarterback, Jeremy Hecklinsky elevates. That was an opportunity when the Iowa staff got a lot of look at both of the quarterbacks. Hecklinsky was the guy. Here's the other part, though, Jeremy Hecklinsky is small. There's no two ways about it. He is stall, not big in stature. He is not a big, thick guy by any means. He is built physically, much different. Not just the height, the physicality compared to Grinowski and Sullivan both.

You need to have a competent backup backup backup. That is ready to play because the likelihood at 5 foot 10, 190 pounds of Jeremy Hecklinski is going to be able to make it through a 12, 13, 14, 14, 15 game gauntlet of college football unscathed. Maybe seems like a bit of a stretch. we hope, but also bring it back to reality. I think that's the way it's going to go. Very simply, Jeremy Hecklinsky, Hank Brown, those are your one, two,

and pretty clear cut, one and two. Still in the quarterback room. You got Jimmy Sullivan. Jimmy Sullivan redshirted this past season, though he was recruited by the prior offensive coordinator once. There was an opportunity for Tim Lester to get his eyes on him. He liked what he saw. He is there.

And the other developmental guy deeper down is training. and Bessinger. True freshman comes in. Reality, we don't see true freshman play very much under the Kirk Farris time. And certainly at the quarterback spot, though, wasting a year of Drew Tate. Okay, we're going back 20 years. We'll leave that one aside. So that's what we have at the quarterback spot. Let's go next to the running back position. That is where there is a little bit more intrigue. Of course, Tamari Moulton comes back, but there are some additions. We'll get into that. We'll get into the skill positions. Why this Iowa offense maybe can pop. even more in

2006. It's our first stab of the new year at the depth chart. We'll talk about it more as we continue locked on Hawkeyes. The college football championship is here tonight. And Vandual is giving all customers

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Locked on Hawkeyes, part of the Lockdown Network, number one for sports podcast. Glad to have you aboard with us here today. We are talking Iowa depth chart. A look at the Iowa depth chart, what it's going to look like. And we go next to the skill positions and let's go to the running back spot. So after the addition of. LJ Phillips. He comes in from South Dakota, 510, 225 pounds, thick, good first cut, and really seems to be a guy that fits into what Iowa wants to do incredibly well. I know a lot of people

have been throwing some different comps out there, maybe the kind of guy that he looks like, the kind of guy that he plays with what we do know is he was incredibly imp productive. And though he played at South Dakota, yes, another one of the Dakota schools and the domination that those schools have shown at the FCS ranks. He's not quite at the level of the South Dakota State, North Dakota State, the championships that those programs have fought for here recently. However, South Dakota's turned out to be pretty good here recently. Phillips wasn't even the starter coming into the season, took over,

and then rushed for nearly 2,000 yards on the season. A different type of running back than what they have with Kabari Molton. And we mentioned this a ton. Every day, as you certainly know, Kabari Molton, is good. He's solid. You do wonder if there's another level for him. He banged up his shoulder early in the season. I don't know if we ever got to see him completely at 100%, but how many times we saw from Kamari Bolton, big hole, there he goes, makes the right read. He's a tackle away and he can't shake that tackle. Or he's a step away and somebody grabs him by the ankle or somebody

just gets a piece of his back of his leg and he falls forward and he picks up nine, 10, 12 yards. However, it could have been 25, 35, 45, and maybe LJ Phillips is the guy. I believe when we get into media things, and it might not be right away game number one. However, by the time we get into the depth of the Big Ten schedule for Iowa, that LJ Phillips will be the guy. LJ Phillips, your starter. You got Kabari Bolton as the two, Nathan McNeil is the three, Xavier Williams is the four. You still have the depth of that running back room. Braden Jackson, who impressed people here as a walk on during his redshirt year.

Brevin Dahl still trying to work his way back from injury and be completely 100%. Real elite level speed at the running back spot for Dahl. He played some special teams this past season. You got depth in that room and certainly feel good about the position that they are, even losing Jazzy on Patterson, even with the separation and the moving out of T.J. Washington, still in really good shape at that spot. go to wide receiver. And as we go back to last summer, when the depth chart was first released and we see

three wider receivers listed, what is going on here? Because for years and years and years under Kirk Ferrets, Iowa wouldn't do that. It was just, yes, you'd have a couple. And that was it. Well, that was not the case last season. So that's what we're going to do. And your three starters on my way too early depth chart for 2026. Number one, wide receiver one, yes, is Reese Fander Z.

We need a healthy season, Otter Reese. We want to see him for a full complement of games. We want to see him with the quarterback that can make some of those plays a little bit further down the field. Yes, want to see that Otter Reese Vayner Z coming up this season. He is water receiver one. Number two, I'm buying the hype. It's Tony Diaz. Diaz can play inside.

Diaz can play outside. He was a huge playmaker. I get it. I can hear you already. Yes, but it was at UT Rio Grande Valle. understand. But what scouts say about him, the other programs that were involved for his services,

what Iowa had to do in order to get him, get him to commit before he visited Alabama big time. I want to believe in this guy. I want to believe that it can translate right away, and he can be the kind of playmaker that they need. And not just a guy that has speed and can make those plays as a slack guy, but also we'll go up and get contested catches.

We'll go up there and fight. I believe in Tony Diaz. The other starter, going with another transfer. Give me Evan James. Another one of those big speed guys. It's more than anything, it's not a knock on Dayton Howard. I think we all feel like we know Dayton Howard, right? The Dayton Howard is solid, good blocker, good size.

Had a touchdown against USC, had a big play against Rutgers. He can make some big plays. I don't know, though consistently a guy, that if you're hopeful for him being able to go out there against Big Ten cornerbacks and get you 40 catches on the season if he's that kind of guy. He's going to be important piece. He's going to be used a bunch. I just put those other guys in front of them.

Your other backups, KJ. Parker, heard a lot about him coming into the season. Now he needs to take that next step and get that consistency, certainly that they need. And then my third number two wide receiver, speaking of buying and the hype, I'm going to do it. again with the freshman coming in in Xavier Stimson. Out of Florida, a really good offer list and offer list that Iowa rarely wins in recruiting battles at the wide receiver position. And certainly for a guy from outside the Midwest area from down in Florida, I believe

we're going to see a lot of Xavier Stinson right away. And he's going to be part of the mix. Number three is well, Jared Bowie is still around. It was a weird season for Bowie. We saw him a couple of years ago, looked okay, looked like maybe he had. had a chance to pop. Then we didn't see him at all this year, dealing with an apparent injury. That was certainly odd.

My others, Terrence Smith, redshirt freshman, red shirt this year, good size to him. And maybe he's the heir apparent to Reese Vander Z with that big wide receiver. And finally, this team comes up a lot, Apollo Payne. Another walk on a wide receiver. So there it is. We go nine deep through wide receiver, crazy to say. Let's finish up here looking at the skill position talent in Iowa, not quite an embarrassment of riches yet, but pretty good shape. And that is at tight end, DJ Bonamy,

what he was able to do this past. Vonami obviously had that incredible bowl game of what he was able to do, freshman All-American. He just has the look, right, of those guys that we've seen so many times at Iowa be able to certainly take that big step forward. You coupled that with the return of Addison Estranga now coming back from a significant injury as he makes his way back from the Achilles injury that he sustained in that Iowa State game. Still, you know, a veteran, a guy that at minimum is solid. And as long as he's healthy, he's going to be in the mix. And he goes a step further and go three deep.

How about Thomas Meyer, who comes in? Thomas Meyer, who played quite a bit last year as a true freshman, really had some devastating blocks when he was in there. A couple of different games, I thought he really popped there. No, he's got good size speed, athleticism. Basketball player also there at Clear Lake when he was at high school. Thomas Meyer. He is going to continue, I think, this path here, really good spot to be.

But it all comes together with one question. Who's going to block? You lose three multi-year starters. For many programs, they're in deep trouble. The Iowa offensive line in deep trouble. That's next, Locked on Hawkeyes. Trent, kind of back with you again here, Locked on Hawkeyes. Thanks for being with us and making Locked on Hawkeyes your first listen every day as we go through the Iowa football depth chart.

as I see it with the transfer portal closed. Still some work to be done. We finish up today with our look at the offense and we finish with the offensive line. Now, you go through and there's two easy ones, right? Two easy starters at two positions. Trevor Loutke at left tackle after starting this whole season at left tackle. What a job that he did, graded out incredibly well. That's a guy if he went into the portal, he would have got paid big time.

good work out of Brad Heinrichs and the Iowa staff of keeping him, though, in Iowa City, because in the open market, Trevor Loughke, he would have got paid big time, but he's staying in Iowa City for another year at left tackle. The other returner is Kate Piper. I want to put together this list. I didn't understand that there was possibly a real decision to be made about him potentially entering into the trap. But with Cape Piper, you have a center that feels like he can step in,

and do many of the things at Logan Jones. We talked about him early on in his career, played as a red shirt freshman, is that six offensive line in a starter this season. We knew it was going to happen for Cade Piper. Now he's going to transition over. It sounds like 10 to the center position. Incredibly smart.

Just an absolute workout warrior. Huge, huge power numbers that he has. Now you take that step. And you wonder, local Jones, it took a little while to snap the ball. Well, hopefully Cade Piper's been working on that a little bit more. Wasn't playing defense. it was with Logan Jones when he made the move over.

So got a couple other spots. And I think they're pretty easy, at least right now. Left guard, Leighton Jones. Played there a bunch throughout the course of the season. Leighton Jones came in. I don't know how many times I'd have to take a look at the snap numbers for him. And he was perfectly fine coming at Lefgard. Didn't look out of place when he had to come in there for both Stevens

when Stevens was dealing with injuries this year. Michael Mislinski and one of the great stories of Iowa football is him, these last couple of years, finally being healthy enough to even play because that was not the case early in his career. Kid from Florida would have been very easy for him. Transfer back home. Injuries were starting to pile up. He stuck it out. Looks like he's got a real chance to be a starter this season.

And then over at right tackle, I think this was easy too is Jack Dotsler. So Dotsler fought for that left tackle starting spot this year with Trevor Lout. It went to Loutk, who certainly showed why. but Dolster was right there and he played a little bit this year in different spots. I think a right tackle that makes sense. Really, the biggest thing is what's it going to look like the other way with the backups? Backup, left tackle, Cannon Leonard, huge, 6'9. Is it going to work?

We'll see. Lucas Allgaier, I think eventually going to be a tackle, maybe even the future left tackle for Iowa football. But for now, get some reps inside, got him as the backup at left guard. Kiel Winter, former walk on, always showing up, always, they're always getting reps. We'll see if he's the guy the next walk on that pops. We go to the Trinus for portal. Trent Wilson, who has three years of eligibility comes in

after playing last season for James Madison. He's in the mix and certainly going to be fighting. Very well could be a guy that fights for a starting job this year. And then finally, I got Will Nolan as a backup at right tackle. Some good names, some good faces, some good opportunities. Well, that is our look at the

football depth chart as I see it for Iowa football in 2006. But that's just the offense. We got the defense coming your way a little bit later on here this week and we will get that out too. Thanks for being with us and making lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. Hope everybody out there has a great week. We'll talk to you again soon. Until then, go Hawks.