Aaron Blom, Drew Stevens ‘could both play’ as Iowa kicking competition remains ‘neck and neck’

Editor’s note: Third in a nine-part series looking at each Iowa football position ahead of the 2022 season.

IOWA CITY — Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods has a star student in his room — Aaron Blom.

“I don’t think he’s ever gotten a B in his life,” Woods said.

Woods isn’t kidding.

“I’ve definitely had a few close calls to an A-minus,” Blom said. “Not really a B. … I work pretty hard to keep my grades up, and I’m pretty proud of that.”

Now, Blom and fellow kicker Drew Stevens are facing an important test on the football field during fall camp — who’s Iowa’s better kicker in 2022.

Woods said at Iowa’s media day the kicking competition has been “neck and neck.”

“They could both play,” Woods said. “I could potentially see a split in duties as well. That’s on the table.”

The two candidates face their own set of challenges as they compete to take over for All-American Caleb Shudak.

While Blom, a sophomore, is not new to Iowa, competing for the No. 1 spot is a lot different from learning behind Shudak.

“I knew I didn’t have anything to really lose the last couple years,” Blom said. “Now I know the pressure’s on.”

Stevens, meanwhile, was playing high school football at this time a year ago. The true freshman enrolled early, resulting in a few more months to acclimate to the college level.

“It’s a big change — something I was ready for, though,” Stevens said. “I was ready to move on to play some Big Ten football.”

Woods said he is “happy” with where Stevens is in his development, but also acknowledged his youth.

“You don’t know what you don’t know,” Woods said. “Some things he just hasn’t experienced. … I think all of us are that way at some point.”

The results have been promising in the fall.

When Woods talked to reporters at Iowa’s media day — nine days after the first practice of fall camp — he said both kickers had only one miss each in practice so far.

Then the next day, Stevens and Blom both hit all their field goal attempts during Iowa’s Kids Day open practice.

Ferentz called the early success from Blom and Stevens in the fall a “big contrast” from the 15 spring practices. Both kickers had misses from 40-plus yards in the open spring practice.

“It wasn't so good publicly or behind closed doors,” Ferentz said on Aug. 12. “Things weren't looking so good there just in terms of consistency.”

Blom and Stevens’ fight for the job has so far been entirely in practices, only two of which had the pressure of fans and media watching. Having sold-out Kinnick crowds will likely add another dimension to the big question in the specialists’ room.

“Until they get thrust in the game, I don’t think we’ll really know who they are,” Woods said. “We’ll figure that out, though, pretty quick.”

For now, it’s not clear who will receive the metaphorical A grade in the 2022 kicking competition.

Blom, who is studying to eventually become a doctor, does seem to have an edge in an unrelated skill — knowing his position coach really, really well.

"The other day he comes in my office like, ‘Coach, are you OK?’“ Woods said.

“Why?” Woods asked Blom.

“You sound a little bit different,” Woods remembers Blom saying. “Your energy looks a little bit low.”

“You’re freaking me out,” Woods said. “I don’t know. Am I OK?”

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