Iowa defensive lineman Yahya Black has opportunity to showcase ‘unique ability’

IOWA CITY — Yahya Black is not one to hype himself up.

“He’s not a guy that’s on social media,” Iowa defensive line coach Kelvin Bell said. “He’s not a guy that’s all about me and not a guy that brings a lot of attention to himself with his mouth.”

When asked about what he thinks he can individually accomplish, Black pivoted to how the “sky’s the limit” for the entire team. Black considers his bull rush to be a strength, but also is quick to say he wants to improve “everywhere.”

“From the run game to the pass game, I know I can improve in all those areas,” Black said.

So let his teammate and fellow defensive lineman Joe Evans do the hyping for him.

“He’s a beast,” Evans said. “He’s just a stud on the field. I think the sky’s the limit for him. ... He’s killing it. You should see him out in practice.”

Black, officially at 315 pounds, is the biggest defensive lineman on the Hawkeyes’ roster. (The only taller defensive lineman than the 6-foot-5 Black is 6-7 Chris Reames, who played sparingly last season.)

“He’s got unique ability,” Bell said. “He’s got unique size.”

Iowa football fans have seen some flashes of that ability.

His forced fumble in 2021 against Colorado State was a turning point as the then-No. 5 Hawkeyes survived an upset scare. He was one of four Hawkeyes to record a sack in the 2022 Music City Bowl.

Going back to his freshman year, he appeared in four games — the maximum while preserving his redshirt year — although his snap count was limited in each game.

But injuries have often gotten in the way of him taking on a larger role.

A foot injury sidelined him for much of the 2022 season. He eventually came back from the injury after missing five games, but it also kept him out of spring practices.

A hamstring injury also bugged him in the summer of 2021.

“It's hard not to get frustrated over injury,” Black said. “But you just keep pushing forward, find other things to be productive in.”

Bell believes Black’s not-all-about-me attitude has helped him “from a mental standpoint`be able to handle some of the adversity that he’s had over the course of the years.”

“He’s kind of been able to, in his own way, persevere through those injuries,” Bell said.

Black is healthy again and listed as the second-team defensive lineman ahead of the 2023 season. He has received some first-team reps in fall camp although Bell said he is one of “six guys that are getting first-team opportunities.”

Iowa has seven defensive linemen returning, including Black, who took at least 160 defensive snaps last year, per Pro Football Focus.

“We like to pride ourselves on our depth,” Bell said. “He’s part of that depth. And if he’s healthy, he’s a big part of that depth.”

That depth could be especially important considering the uncertainty around defensive lineman Noah Shannon’s status.

Shannon said last month he is part of the NCAA’s investigation into sports wagering at Iowa. Interim athletics director Beth Goetz said last week she was optimistic to get “some feedback” from the NCAA regarding player reinstatement.

Even if Shannon does not miss significant time because of the investigation, there is a track record of Iowa defensive linemen making significant year-to-year jumps.

Deontae Craig went from three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 2021 to 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in 2022.

The year before that, Lukas Van Ness went from not playing at all in 2020 to racking up seven sacks in 2021. Joe Evans, meanwhile, went from one sack in 2020 to seven in 2021.

Black had one sack in 2022. Time will tell whether he is the one to make that jump in 2023.

For now, Black said it is a "good feeling” to be healthy again. But like many other things, Black is not going to make a big deal of it.

“We all have our times where we’re injured,” Black said, “but it’s good to be out on the field.”

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com