Iowa hopes Parker can pivot to playmaker

IOWA CITY - Jonathan Parker produced one of college football's most cringeworthy plays in the TaxSlayer Bowl. The key for the Iowa sophomore now is to forget it ever happened.

With Tennessee holding a 28-0 lead early in the second quarter, Parker hauled in a kickoff at his goal line. Momentum carried him to the 3-yard line near the right sideline. Instead of conceding and running out of bounds on the busted play, Parker tossed the ball forward, which was recovered by Tennessee's Rashaan Gauldin at the 10-yard line.

An official spared Parker with the final indignity, flagging him for illegal forward pass. Iowa retained possession, but the ball was shifted inside the 2-yard line. That was Parker's final kickoff return of the season.

'In that play in particular you're talking about, it crushed him,” Iowa running backs/special teams coach Chris White said. 'As a coach, what are you going to tell him? I've never seen anything like it, and probably most of you haven't. But it was just a reaction and those experience things that he's going to learn from.”

Parker, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 185 pounds, switched from running back to wide receiver this off-season. He also will remain on kickoff return. As a freshman, Parker finished eighth among Big Ten kick returners at 22.1 yards per return. But as of Nov. 10, he led the league in that category with 25.6 yards per return. That also was without the benefit of a touchdown and his longest return was 54 yards.

Late in the season Parker became tentative and often waited until the ball bounced before fielding it. Over his last five games, Parker returned 15 kickoffs for 239 yards (a 15.9 yard-per-return average).

'We haven't lost faith in the kid,” White said. 'He has more play‑making ability than most on our team, and we need to find a way to get him to track the ball better. He had trouble tracking it. He let a couple balls fall on the kickoff in front of him. But that's just, I don't know, reps, reps, reps, and if he can't do it, we need to find someone else.”

Parker showed acceleration in the running game. He carried 16 times for 141 yards (8.8 yards per carry), most of which on jet sweeps. He burst off left tackle on a sweep against Indiana for 60 yards and a touchdown.

Moving to wide receiver should help Parker better track the ball in all areas. Iowa's offense likely will become less predictable when Parker is on the field, too. Last year when Parker lined up in the slot, he almost always ran into motion and often carried the ball. Now he can participate in a different role in the passing game.

Parker should get opportunities to see action. The Hawkeyes lose Kevonte Martin-Manley, who led the team in catches (52), and speedster Damond Powell (19 catches). Iowa returns only two of its top six pass catchers.

'I think that's been a good addition, not only for our group, but also just for our team,” Iowa wide receiver coach Bobby Kennedy said. 'Getting him on the field and allowing him to play in different situations rather than just on the fly sweep I think will not only help that play, but also he's got very good hands. So I'm excited to see him progress this spring.”

Both coaches rave about Parker's attitude and how he has accepted his role.

'This kid is a great kid,” White said. 'I can't tell you how important football is to him.”

'He is a really good kid. He is a willing kid,” Kennedy said. 'And to me, in this game, that is half the battle.”

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