Post Spring Position Outlook: Iowa Linebackers
Once the 2023 season ended, it looked like there would be the beginning of a new era at linebacker for the Iowa football team. Jay Higgins was a senior and his running mate, transfer Nick Jackson came to Iowa using his Covid year.
However, shortly after the season ended, Higgins decided he was going to use his Covid year and return for one more season with the Hawkeyes. Around the same time, Jackson received news from the NCAA that he would be granted an extra year of eligibility after losing several games in his final year at Virginia due to the tragic shoot deaths of teammates.
So, instead of potentially talking about the beginning of the era of Jaden Harrell and Karson Sharar as starters, it’s Higgins, Jackson, and even Kyler Fisher running it back for one more season.
Let’s take a look at the questions and give some thoughts regarding the Iowa linebackers after spring ball.
WHAT CAN HIGGINS AND JACKSON DO FOR AN ENCORE?
It’s crazy to think that before last season, Jackson and Higgins never played a down together because they fit like a glove from the first game on.
Higgins tied Iowa’s all-time single season record for tackles with 171. He was named an All American by The Football Writers Association, Phil Steele, and Sports Illustrated. He was also first team All Big Ten this past year.
Jackson topped 100 tackles in a season for the fourth straight year. He was named third team All Big Ten for his effort and was second on the team in quarterback sacks with four last season. One thing of note for Jackson is he is within reach of the NCAA record for career tackles. He has 464 according to the University of Iowa web site and the record is 578 by Carlton Martial from Tory. Last year, Jackson had 110 tackles, so it’s within his reach.
The thing that I come back to is if this duo looked that good playing together last year with no experience playing as a unit, imagine what they can do in 2024. It feels like these two are just getting started.
THE NEXT WAVE OF HAWKEYES STAYING PATIENT
In the era of the transfer portal and players moving on for instant gratification and playing time, it’s really quite amazing that the Hawkeyes have had essentially zero exits from the program at linebacker.
In talking with Jaden Harrell, who appears to be next in line at middle linebacker, he said it’s the culture and being a Hawkeye that kept him and his teammates in Iowa City. Make no mistake that this next wave is very talented. Harrell would be starting at a lot of schools. Same could be said for Karson Sharar, who looked outstanding this spring.
Another couple of players to watch are Jaxon Rexroth and Ben Kueter. During the spring with Fisher out, Rexroth was Iowa’s third linebacker, which tells you he’s in the mix to be a starter if the opportunity presents itself. Kueter really came on during bowl prep and then transitioned over to wrestling, but keep an eye on him this fall.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT CASH
While technically not a linebacker, the “Cash” position has becomes staple of the Iowa defense. More importantly, Iowa has found some really good players to slide into that fifth defensive back spot. From Amari Hooker to Dane Belton to Sebastian Castro, Iowa has found some very good players and it’s been a launching pad for being an NFL Draft pick.
Along with Jackson and Higgins, Castro came back for another season. He could have probably heard his name called at the NFL Draft, but he’s back for another run. Let’s not forget about the incredible season that Castro had earning first team All American honors from Pro Football Focus and third team by the Associated Press. The incredible thing is that Castro really kept getting better as the season went along and he was really flying around in the second half of the season.
The post Post Spring Position Outlook: Iowa Linebackers appeared first on On3.
