5 observations from Iowa football’s 2023 Kids’ Day open practice

IOWA CITY — Iowa football has developed a reputation for being a defensive-oriented team after recent disparities in success between the two sides of the ball.

The Hawkeyes’ Kids’ Day at Kinnick open practice — a small sample size of fall camp, but the only sample for the public — did not do much to refute that notion Saturday.

Iowa’s defense, despite absences of key players like Cooper DeJean and Noah Shannon, outclassed the offense for much of Saturday’s two-plus-hour open practice.

Iowa’s quarterbacks threw six interceptions — three by Cade McNamara, two by Deacon Hill and one by walk-on Tommy Poholsky — not to mention the offense’s issues holding onto the ball at times as well.

“The linebackers got 14 points!” Iowa linebackers coach Seth Wallace shouted after Jayden Montgomery picked off Deacon Hill’s screen pass with ease.

Here are five observations across various position groups from the practice:

QB1 injury scare

Hawkeye fans had a scare Saturday when starting quarterback Cade McNamara exited Saturday’s open practice with an injury.

Ferentz said afterward it was a “muscle issue,” and the 25th-year head coach is “not alarmed.” He expects to know more about McNamara’s timeline next week.

The injury occurred as McNamara scrambled outside of a collapsing pocket. After tripping, he gingerly walked and took himself out of practice. He exited for the locker room, but later returned to the sidelines and had no issues walking under his own power.

A speedy return would undoubtedly be valuable for the Hawkeyes as McNamara builds chemistry with a new offense.

Backup quarterback Joe Labas has been out with an injury, leaving Deacon Hill as the clear QB2. (The only other scholarship quarterback on the roster is Marco Lainez, who is a true freshman.)

“Basically he’s competing with me,” Ferentz said of Hill in the second-team spot while Labas is out. “That’s not a fair fight.”

Labas’ return, Ferentz said, “hopefully is this week.”

Some sizzle from Seth Anderson, but quarterback-receiver chemistry still work in progress

Charleston Southern transfer Seth Anderson opened eyes in his first Kids’ Day practice as he hauled in a deep pass near the sidelines during the 11-on-11 portion of practice.

“Today is probably as good of a day as he’s had,” Ferentz said. “He likes to show off for the crowd, apparently. … He works hard. He’s got a great attitude.”

Some growing pains were visible from the reshaped quarterback and wide receiver groups, though, as they build chemistry.

Two of McNamara’s three interceptions came from on-target passes in which the receivers could not hold onto the ball.

Iowa’s top two tight ends, Luke Lachey and Erick All, ran the same route in the same spot on a red-zone play during the 11-on-11 portion of practice.

Offensive line ‘not there yet’

As Ferentz lauded the offensive line’s development at Friday’s local media day and commented on how he feels “a lot better” about the group, he also said “we’re not there yet.”

That latter part was apparent as Iowa’s defensive line, with some exceptions, seemed to get the best of the offensive line.

McNamara frequently needed to work out of deteriorating pockets — his injury-inducing play was Exhibit A — and Iowa’s running backs often could not make it back to the line of scrimmage.

“We’re a lot more mature as a group, but still loose edges,” Ferentz said Saturday. “This is Day 9, so you expect that. If they were all seniors and played three years, there’d still be some of that going on. That’s why you got to practice and go through camp.”

It did not help that the maturing offensive line had to go up against an especially-deep Iowa defensive line. Brian Allen, a redshirt freshman, was not on the preseason depth chart, yet had no issues getting to the quarterback or running back behind the line of scrimmage.

“It was probably his best day, most active day,” Ferentz said of Allen, who did not see any game action in 2022.

DeJean among players out with injuries

Defensive back Cooper DeJean did not participate in Saturday’s open practice because of a soft-tissue injury.

“We got a lot of guys out of camp injuries,” Ferentz said when asked about DeJean’s status. “So hopeful most of the guys that weren’t out here will return sometime next week.”

Other first or second-team players out included wide receiver Nico Ragaini, offensive lineman Daijon Parker, linebacker Karson Sharar and quarterback Joe Labas.

Parker, who missed much of the spring, is dealing with “swelling and stuff like that” in his leg, Ferentz said.

Ragaini is “a little dinged up right now, but nothing major,” Ferentz said a day earlier at Iowa’s media day.

Labas has been out since July with a soft-tissue injury, Ferentz also said Friday, and Sharar is expected to return “sometime next week.”

Defensive lineman Noah Shannon also is battling an injury, but his status was in limbo anways because of his involvement in the NCAA’s investigation into sports wagering.

One absence was not tied to injuries or alleged gambling. Defensive lineman Jeremiah Pittman was not with the team because he had a family wedding, Ferentz said.

‘Doughboyz’ show their depth

No DeJean, seemingly no problem for Iowa’s secondary in Saturday’s open practice.

In the absence of DeJean — media’s preseason pick to win Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year this year — some of Iowa’s younger defensive backs filled the void admirably.

Deshaun Lee, now in his second year, had two of the six interceptions. McNamara’s pass was to Brown was on target, but Lee appeared to practically the pass out of the ex-Ohio State wide receiver’s arms.

“You think about how much he's played or how much he hasn't played more realistically,” Ferentz said of Lee. “It’s good for him to be out here too

Fellow second-year defensive back T.J. Hall grabbed an interception off a Lachey deflection, and Jermari Harris picked off McNamara and ran it into the end zone (although the officials had already whistled the play dead).

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com