How Sam Phillips found himself atop the depth chart for Week 1

IOWA CITY — Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz had one play by wide receiver Sam Phillips stuck in his mind.

“One play in particular he made in the red zone probably about 10 days ago or eight days ago,” Ferentz said Tuesday afternoon. “And he went down and basically took a ball off the turf and made a really nice play.”

He called it natural, like Phillips had been making those plays his entire life. The reality is, he has.

“It's a different deal, but that play — the one I'm referencing there — that's what you're looking for,” Ferentz said. “Good players do that kind of stuff.”

When Phillips transferred to Iowa from Chattanooga in January, he knew his presence alone wouldn’t be sufficient. The Hawkeyes receiving core has spent all training camp trying to show improvement under offensive coordinator Tim Lester’s second season and a new quarterback.

The FCS transfer won the starting receiver job just a few days before Iowa kicks off the season against Albany Saturday night.

Phillips initially said the biggest change from FCS football to Big Ten was the speed. Having to get to the right spots faster, learning a brand new playbook — all things Phillips has had to do over the last eight months.

“A little more fast tempo, slightly a little more physical, but not too bad,” Phillips said during Iowa’s Kid’s Day. “But I'd say just adjusting to the tempo.”

It finally clicked on the field during the last week of training camp.

Mark Gronowski saw it. He watched his new teammate put the pieces together and string together the right plays in practice.

“He's been playing at a much faster pace and making decisions faster,” Gronowski said, “which has kind of just climbed himself in the depth chart and gotten him more reps, and he's playing much better than he was obviously in the spring.”

Phillips is slotted ahead of sophomore Reece Vander Zee, who started eight games last season and had 176 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

As much as the starting role shows Phillips’ improvement, Ferentz still expects Vander Zee to rotate into the lineup multiple times during the game this weekend and beyond.

Ferentz doesn’t have anything written in pen just yet. He likes the idea of keeping things in pencil and seeing how the Hawkeyes respond on the field.

“We really don't know at certain positions what our depth is,” Ferentz said. “I think that could go as much as a couple weeks here before we really kind of settle into who's who and what's what.”

The Hawkeye head coach said from the start of training camp he doesn’t expect certain positions on the field to be solidified for a few weeks. Wide receiver was one of those positions, but Ferentz has continually praised the room for its development over the last four weeks.

“We've got a good group of older guys that really work hard and set a good tempo,” Ferentz said. “(Wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr) has done a good job with those guys daily, and they're showing improvement each and every turn. Hopefully they can get involved and help us become a real balanced offense.”

The steady improvement from Phillips was a surefire sign, allowing him to earn the trust of Gronowski and the coaching staff. Ferentz called him “consistent” and the new starting QB added he feels like he and Phillips are on the same page.

Gronowski not only gave Phillips a stronger case for the starting receiver role, but also some extra confidence ahead of his own Iowa debut.

“All of a sudden they're starting to see it at a higher level,” Gronowski said. “So when they're able to play fast and play at a higher speed and make those decisions really fast, it just makes my life a whole lot easier. They're getting open faster, and we get to be more efficient on offense.”

Phillips said he chose Iowa because he believed the coaching staff would elevate his game — on and off the field. His “explosive plays,” he said — whether it be in the red zone like Ferentz described or between the 20s — is Phillips’ speciality.

It’s just a matter of how he’ll prove that to the Hawkeyes this season while the lights are on.

Comments: madison.hricik@thegazette.com