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7 notes from Iowa football’s 2024 spring depth chart, roster
Griffin Liddle takes medical redshirt, no longer counts against Iowa’s official scholarship total
IOWA CITY — Any talk about the Iowa football depth chart, especially as early as March, comes with a disclaimer. Take it from Coach Kirk Ferentz himself.
“It's March 26 right now, so it doesn't mean a lot, and I told the players that in the first meeting,” Ferentz said of the depth chart. “Nobody knows what it's going to look like on Sept. 1, so right now let's just worry about getting better and worry about your performance.”
That being said, here are some notes from Iowa’s spring depth chart and roster:
- Iowa offensive lineman Griffin Liddle is taking a medical redshirt and is no longer on the Hawkeyes’ roster, Iowa sports information confirmed. Liddle, a former three-star recruit in the 2021 class, did not see any game action in his three years on the team. This move, along with Kadyn Proctor’s planned exit, drops Iowa’s scholarship count to 90. (That number needs to be down to 85 by the start of the 2024 season.)
- Five redshirt freshmen earned spots on the offensive depth chart. Kade Pieper and Trevor Lauck are second-team guards, Jarriett Buie is a second-team wide receiver, Marco Lainez is the third-team quarterback and Rusty VanWetzinga is the first-team fullback.
- Beau Stephens is listed as the starting left guard for now, but he certainly is not a lock to replace Rusty Feth. Ferentz mentioned Nick DeJong and Tyler Elsbury as other options for that position. Elsbury is working at center in the spring while Logan Jones recovers from an injury that required surgery.
- Luke Gaffney, a sophomore walk-on and former Linn-Mar standout, is one of Iowa’s second-team defensive tackles. Iowa lost significant depth at the position after Logan Lee and Noah Shannon’s graduation and Anterio Thompson’s departure via the transfer portal.
- Hayden Large has been working at fullback and tight end, Ferentz said Tuesday. The walk-on transferred to Iowa from NAIA-level Dordt College in 2023 and was Iowa’s first-team fullback last year.
- Monday’s release of a spring depth chart was another reminder of the wealth of experience on the defensive side of the ball. Iowa has eight starting seniors/graduate students — or nine if you count Sebastian Castro and Kyler Fisher as separate starters at the Leo/Cash spot — on the defensive side of the ball.
- Tight end Gavin Hoffman, offensive lineman Josh Janowski and punter Rhys Dakin are Iowa’s on-scholarship early enrollees this year. Hoffman will wear No. 89, Janowski will wear No. 63 and Dakin will (like his predecessor) wear No. 9.
Iowa’s full depth chart is available here.
Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com
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