Iowa football 2023 winter position breakdown: Wide receivers

IOWA CITY — As Iowa’s wide receivers scored touchdowns in spring practices last year, they spun the football in the end zone.

“Literally every single time,” Arland Bruce IV said last year. Well, every time until defensive coordinator Phil Parker “was really getting pissed about that.”

Fast-forward to the regular football season, there were few opportunities for Iowa’s wideouts to be doing any ball-spinning celebrations in the end zone.

Iowa’s wide receivers combined to have two touchdown receptions in 2022.

Defensive back Cooper DeJean caught more passes resulting in touchdowns than all of the wide receivers combined despite DeJean obviously not being the opposing quarterbacks’ intended target.

As Iowa looks for more production from its wide receivers, here is an early overview of where the position stands ahead of spring practices:

Who’s gone

Iowa did not lose any players to graduation, largely because of its past attrition at wide receiver. Nico Ragaini was the only upperclassman last year at wide receiver, and he is using his extra COVID-19 year of eligibility.

Keagan Johnson and Bruce departed via the transfer portal, taking their talents to Kansas State and Oklahoma State, respectively. Both were key contributors as true freshmen in 2021. Johnson rarely played in an injury-plagued 2022 season, though.

Who’s back

The aforementioned Ragaini will be Iowa’s most experienced wide receiver. He led Iowa’s wideouts with 34 receptions for 386 yards in 2022.

Diante Vines played in seven games after starting the season with a wrist injury. He had 10 catches for 94 yards.

Brody Brecht caught nine passes for 87 yards in his first season of seeing game action. Jacob Bostick did not see game action as a true freshman.

Walk-ons Kaden Wetjen, Jack Johnson, Alec Wick, Reese Osgood, Graham Friedrichsen and Alex Eichmann are expected to return.

Who’s joining the mix

Seth Anderson committed to Iowa via the transfer portal after two years at Charleston Southern. Anderson, the son of former NFL wideout Willie “Flipper” Anderson, led the Buccaneers with 612 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions in 2022.

Three recruits — Marion’s Alex Mota and Jarriett Buie and Dayton Howard of Florida — will arrive in Iowa City this summer as incoming freshmen. All three have three-star ratings from Rivals.

Austin Kutscher committed to Iowa from the transfer portal as a walk-on. He spent the previous five seasons as a walk-on at Ohio State.

Aidan McDermott and Luke Pollack are joining the Hawkeyes as preferred walk-ons. McDermott attends Cedar Rapids Xavier and Pollack goes to the same high school that ex-Hawkeye Charlie Jones attended.

Way-too-early two-deep projections

Ragaini is projected to be in the slot after taking most of his snaps there in previous seasons, but Iowa’s offensive packages may push him out wide more often than in past seasons.

X receiver:

Z receiver:

Slot receiver:

Outlook

Iowa’s results at wide receiver were not ideal in 2022.

Having two elite tight ends again — this time, Luke Lachey and Erick All Jr. — will limit the burden on Iowa’s wide receivers in 2023. Having Cade McNamara at quarterback also will help.

The Hawkeyes, nonetheless, need more production from their wide receivers in 2023.

How quickly Anderson adjusts from the FCS level to playing Big Ten foes will be key for the position group’s success. After injuries heavily hit this room in 2022, health also will be a key factor in 2023.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com