Hawkeyes come away with healthy roster after preseason

IOWA CITY — With football training camp in the past, head coach Kirk Ferentz can feel good about at least one thing.

The Hawkeyes’ roster is boasting a clean bill of health.

“I think it was a really good preseason,” Ferentz said Thursday afternoon. “We’re really pretty healthy right now. I don’t anticipate anything at this point affecting us in preparation for the first game.”

TJ Hall, who missed part of training camp with a bone bruise, has returned to practice. Ferentz had initially mentioned Hall’s injury during the team’s media day at the beginning of the month, saying Hall would be back healthy within a week or two. The senior defensive back started in seven games last season, and is one of three options at corner Ferentz mentioned. Deshaun Lee and Jaylen Watson were the other two.

“I think it’s still those three guys,” he said, “and then we’re going from there.”

In addition to the defense picking up another healthy body, running backs Kamari Moulton and Terrell Washington Jr. also both returned to practice this week. Moulton played in 12 games as a sophomore, making a good impression in Kaleb Johnson’s final season in Iowa.

Washington Jr. split time as a receiver and running back, playing in 11 games. The sophomore made his biggest impression during the Music City Bowl, after Johnson opted out in preparation for the NFL Draft. Washington Jr. has been competing for a few carries in the backfield alongside Moulton, too.

“He looks good,” Ferentz said. “He’s been practicing really well.”

Iowa had a smaller number of “soft tissue stuff,” as Ferentz described it, throughout training camp. He added most of the team was in good shape to begin fall camp.

But at the end of the day, there’s a little luck involved and Ferentz won’t complain about that.

“A lot of it’s luck, quite frankly,” he said. “And I think the guys have done a good job training.”

Comments: madison.hricik@thegazette.com