Iowa wide receiver 2017 is very much a work in progress

IOWA CITY — You keep looking at Iowa's passing game for 2017 and you keep wondering how it's going to get any better.

It's a fair concern. Here's how the last week or so has gone for the Hawkeyes: Offensive coordinator Greg Davis retired and offensive line coach/run game coordinator Brian Ferentz was promoted into the spot. Wide receivers coach Bobby Kennedy wasn't retained, so Iowa is now looking for a wide receivers coach.

That's a lot of newness on the coaching side of this equation. On the personnel front, junior Jay Scheel announced his retirement from the game Sunday on Instagram.

'This was the most difficult decision in my life up to this point, but its what's best for my health,' Scheel wrote.

Scheel had five catches for 56 yards this past season. He was an all-state quarterback at Union High School, which won a state championship his sophomore year, and a 4-star recruit by Rivals.

'I wish my last season playing football hadn't gone the way it did, but there's more to life than statistics,' Scheel wrote.

  A photo posted by Jay Scheel (@jay_scheel) on

Jan 15, 2017 at 8:58am PST

Scheel began his Iowa career with a knee injury and had two surgeries. Another problem slowed him in August and never allowed his 2016 season out of the blocks.

In August, Scheel was pushing for a starting spot. Then, injuries took a bite.

'I'm sure it was frustrating,' Davis said during Iowa's Outback Bowl prep. 'Jay was really pushing hard in August. When we talked in August, we weren't sure who was going to start at the X receiver (it eventually went to Jerminic Smith) in the first ballgame. Then, he got nicked (injured). And even now, he's got some inflammation ... he's not stayed healthy. And where it's really hurt him is at the end of routes, when all of the stress goes down into planting and getting out. That's where it's hurt him.'

Iowa was late getting in the scholarship derby for Kansas (Blue Valley High School) wide receiver Harry Van Dyne. Brian Ferentz visited him. Iowa offered a walk-on opportunity to his older brother Yale, who, according to HawkeyeReport.com, will be a walk-on with Iowa beginning this semester. And yet Harry Van Dyne committed to Minnesota and new head coach P.J. Fleck this week.

Oliver Martin? The recruiting saga continues for the Iowa City West all-state wide receiver, the Iowa Gatorade player of the year and now 4-star recruit, with Martin earning star No. 4 with his performance during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl week.

Martin visited Michigan State last weekend. Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long and special assistant to the head coach Bob Elliott, the former Iowa player and assistant coach under Hayden Fry, visited the Martins last Thursday.

Iowa remains in the race. HawkeyeReport.com reported that Kirk Ferentz will have an in-home visit at some point this week. It appears to be Iowa, Michigan State, Notre Dame with BYU, Florida and Auburn making late pushes.

Iowa is selling opportunity at wide receiver. New Jersey wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette (6-2, 175) does have a visit to Iowa scheduled for Jan. 20 (he's being recruited by Brian Ferentz). Smith-Marsette is a Rutgers commit.

That's the stormy water, let's take quick look at how the receivers group might improve.

— Iowa has commitments from a pair of wide receivers. Mississippi (Lake Cormorant) wideout Brandon Smith (6-3, 198) had 80 receptions for 1,509 yards and 19 touchdowns last season. Wisconsin's Max Cooper (6-0, 175) had 50 catches for 1,024 and 17 touchdowns in leading Waukesha Catholic Memorial to a state title in 2016.

— Senior Matt VandeBerg returns. You know his story. He had a breakout junior season with 65 receptions and got off to a blazing start in 2016 (19 receptions and three TDs) before suffering a broken foot after week 4 and missing the rest of the season. VandeBerg has been granted a medical hardship waiver and will return next season.

What will remain to be seen is the new passing scheme — seriously, no one outside of maybe Kirk and Brian Ferentz knows what it might be — and if the slot receiver remains the go-to. VandeBerg made the slot go when he was healthy, and so did Riley McCarron, who caught the majority of his team-high 42 receptions from the slot.

— If you had to pick a wide receiver currently on the roster who could make a big move in 2017, it's got to be junior Jerminic Smith. The 6-1, 187-pounder caught 23 passes for 314 yards and two TDs in 2016.

Can he be counted on for 40 receptions in 2017? That certainly is one way the Iowa passing game could get better.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com