Iowa LB Jack Campbell's Grandfather William Smith Jr. Dies Before Music City Bowl
Dec 31, 2022
Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell runs on the field during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Wisconsin, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Iowa senior linebacker Jack Campbell helped the Hawkeyes defeat the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, but the 22-year-old received some devastating news afterward.
Campbell's grandfather, William Smith Jr., who was 76, died Friday night after a car struck him as a pedestrian, per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg. He was transported to Vanderbilt Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Campbell's parents decided not to tell him until after the game so he could have "one last time to play with his Iowa Hawkeye teammates," the school said, via Adam Hensley of Hawk Central.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said in a statement:
Our hearts are with Jack and his entire family as they grieve the tragic death of their grandfather and father, William Smith, Jr. We know Mr. Smith was a strong influence on his grandson and a faithful Hawkeye football supporter. All of us -- players, coaches and staff members -- will keep the Campbell family in our thoughts and prayers during this profoundly difficult time.
Campbell played a significant role in Iowa's 21-0 win over Kentucky, posting one sack, 10 tackles and two tackles for a loss.
He had an outstanding 2022 campaign for the Hawkeyes. In 12 games entering the Music City Bowl, he had posted one pass breakup, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, two interceptions, 115 tackles and 3.5 tackles for a loss.
Campbell was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and also became the first Hawkeye to take home the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker.
Jack Campbell NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Iowa LB
Dec 30, 2022
Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell (31) looks to make a tackle during the second half of an NCAA college football game against South Dakota State, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
HEIGHT: 6'5"
WEIGHT: 249
HAND: 10 1/4"
ARM: 31 7/8"
WINGSPAN: TBD
40-YARD DASH: 4.65
3-CONE: 4.24
SHUTTLE: 6.74
VERTICAL: 37.5"
BROAD: 10'8"
POSITIVES
— Quick to key and diagnose zone versus gap runs to put himself in a good position to make plays.
— Comes downhill in a hurry to fill his gap on the front side of gap runs. Takes good angles in pursuit against stretch runs or outside zone.
— Physical and strong at the point of attack to get extension against offensive linemen. Has plenty of upper-body strength to stack and shed.
— Wraps up and uses good pad level when tackling.
— Gets his hands on and can force reroutes against receivers and tight ends when playing underneath in zone coverage.
— Has good eye discipline. Locates threats coming into his area and can read the quarterback's eyes to step into throwing windows.
— Impressive ball skills for a linebacker. Uses his height and long arms well to force quarterbacks to try to make perfect throws to beat his coverage between the second and third levels over the middle. Has shown the hand-eye coordination to make one-handed interceptions.
— Hustle player who will make tackles down the field in pursuit.
— Great size for an NFL linebacker.
NEGATIVES
— Falls for a lot of pre-snap eye candy and can get caught out of position against motion.
— Has a habit of taking on blocks square and stopping his feet on contact, which can cause him to lose ground if he doesn't win at the point of attack. Reliant on his upper-body strength.
— Only adequate hip fluidity. Doesn't have enough speed when spot-dropping/running backward to play a lot of Tampa 2 coverage.
— Subpar change of direction is an issue in man coverage against running backs and shifter tight ends and on scramble drills.
— Doesn't have any moves as a pass-rusher. Just runs full speed and tries to run through blockers as a blitzer.
— 2022 Honors: First-team All-Big Ten (coaches and media), Consensus All-American, Butkus Award winner (nation's best LB)
— 2021 Honors: Team MVP on defense, Academic All-Big Ten, second-team All-American (FWAA and Phil Steele), first-team All-Big Ten (league media and Phil Steele), third-team All-Big Ten (coaches)
— 2020 Honors: Academic All-Big Ten
OVERALL
The combine will be key for Jack Campbell, as questions remain about his athleticism when it comes to his transition to the NFL. He was athletic enough to be the most decorated linebacker in college football this season, but his change of direction and hip fluidity are questionable for a modern-day NFL linebacker.
With that being said, Campbell isn't devoid of traits that will translate to the NFL. He has impressive speed when coming downhill, which helps him plug gaps against the run and close on pass-catchers in zone coverage. He's also arguably the best linebacker at stack-and-shedding in this draft class, and he has good instincts in zone coverage.
Schematically, the Hawkeye would be best as a middle linebacker in a system that uses a lot of one-high looks and Cover 3. That would give him some help over the top and keep him from having to carry wide receivers in Tampa 2, while still taking advantage of his ability to tighten throwing windows as an underneath defender in zone coverage.
Campbell is not a one-size-fits-all type of player. He could slide in the draft if teams are looking for a linebacker with more man-coverage skills. However, he could be a great Day 2 pick for a team seeking an impact run defender on the second level of its defense.
Report: Michigan QB Cade McNamara Transferring to Iowa
Dec 2, 2022
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 03: Cade McNamara #12 of the Michigan Wolverines runs during warm ups before the game against the Colorado State Rams at Michigan Stadium on September 03, 2022 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Former Michigan Wolverines quarterback Cade McNamara is transferring to Iowa, with a formal announcement expected soon, per ESPN's Pete Thamel.
McNamara entered the transfer portal on Monday as a graduate transfer.
McNamara was a 4-star prospect in the 2019 class and ranked 268th nationally, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He originally committed to Notre Dame before flipping to Michigan.
The Nevada native didn't play at all in 2019, sitting behind starter Shea Patterson. However, he appeared in four games during the 2020 campaign, replacing Joe Milton III before being named Michigan's starter for the 2021 season.
In 14 games in 2021, McNamara completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 2,576 yards and 15 touchdowns against six interceptions. He also rushed for 37 yards and one score. The Wolverines went on to win the Big Ten and earn a berth in the College Football Playoff.
McNamara lost his starting job in 2022 following a quarterback battle with J.J. McCarthy.
McNamara started the first game of the season against Colorado State, completing 9-of-18 passes for 136 yards and one touchdown. McCarthy started the second game against Hawai'i, completing 11-of-12 passes for 229 yards and three touchdowns to win the starting job.
The 22-year-old appeared in the win against Hawai'i and the following week's win over UConn, but he suffered a knee injury in that game and underwent surgery before being ruled out for the season.
McNamara can play at Iowa for two seasons. He redshirted as a freshman, and the NCAA gave any athlete from the 2020-21 campaign an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the season.
Iowa finished the 2022 regular season with a 7-5 record, sitting third in the Big Ten West behind Purdue and Illinois. The Hawkeyes currently have Spencer Petras, Joey Labas and Carson May as the quarterbacks on their roster.
Examining Kadyn Proctor's Impact on Iowa's 2023 Season Depth Chart
Nov 29, 2022
Iowa will bolster its offensive line in 2023 after having secured a commitment from Kadyn Proctor.
Proctor announced in June he was staying in the state of Iowa after attending Southeast Polk High School outside of Des Moines.
He's the No. 2 offensive tackle and No. 12 overall player in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2023 recruiting class.
Hawkeyes starting left tackle Mason Richman is only a sophomore, but starting right tackle Jack Plumb will be moving on after graduating. Perhaps Proctor has a path to starting right away as a true freshman. If not, he could back up Richman on the left side or Nick DeJong before assuming a larger role in 2024.
After looking at Proctor's tape in November, 247Sports' Allen Trieu compared him to nine-time Pro Bowler Trent Williams:
Has prototypical size and has short-area burst and twitch at that size. Can run when asked to pull and make blocks in space. Has good strength and looks to finish blocks and plays with good general tenacity. Was not often challenged at the high school level though and often overwhelmed his opponents with pure size and strength. Still does not have any obvious big weak points, but continued technical development and then adjusting to college level competition will help ensure he reaches his upside. Has the physical ability to play very early and can be an All-American and early draft choice.
Given his proximity to Iowa City, the 6'7", 330-pound blocker has also drawn parallels to Tristan Wirfs, who spent three years at Iowa and was a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
However, Proctor distanced himself from any connection with Wirfs since he thought that implied he was also on his way to the Hawkeyes.
"I'm just trying to be myself and make a name for myself," he told the Des Moines Register's Alyssa Hertel. "Of course, I can look like somebody. But when someone's saying I am the next (Tristan Wirfs), that sort of means I have to follow the same path."
He also played down any idea he and Southeast Polk teammate Xavier Nwankpa were any sort of package deal. Nwankpa was the fifth-best safety and No. 53 player in 2022, per 247Sports' composite rankings.
Nwankpa beat Proctor to Iowa City, signing with the Hawkeyes in December 2021. He's made four tackles in 11 appearances so far this season.
Proctor possesses the frame that has become requisite for elite offensive tackles, and his agility isn't in much question, either. Trieu wrote how Power Five coaches became enamored with Proctor after they watched him dunk a basketball when he was a freshman.
Ryan Smith, the founder of Innovative Sports Performance, has trained him since he was in the eighth grade and told Trieu he was "one of the best athletes I've ever worked out in my life."
Proctor still has plenty of work ahead before he becomes an All-American lineman with the Hawkeyes, but he has the requisite tools to thrive in college.
No. 2 OSU Rolls over Iowa as Hawkeyes Slammed by Twitter for 'Coaching Malpractice'
Oct 22, 2022
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud looks for an open receiver against Iowa during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
It wasn't always pretty, but the No. 2 Ohio State football team crushed the visiting Iowa Hawkeyes 54-10 on Saturday in Ohio Stadium.
OSU's defense stole the show. The Buckeyes forced six Iowa turnovers, including a pick-six from linebacker Tommy Eichenberg off Iowa starting quarterback Spencer Petras that gave the Buckeyes a 25-10 lead in the second quarter.
Petras and backup quarterback Alex Padilla combined to complete just 11 of 24 passes for 81 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions. Sam LaPorta was the only Iowa pass-catcher to register more than seven receiving yards.
Iowa's defense held its own for much of the game. Joe Evans sacked Heisman favorite C.J. Stroud, recovered the ensuing fumble and ran 13 yards for a touchdown to put Iowa up 6-3 early. OSU only had 128 yards of offense by halftime, and Stroud tossed an early third-quarter pick.
However, Iowa's offense couldn't get anything going, and Stroud eventually got into a rhythm with four second-half touchdown passes. For the day, he completed 20 of 30 passes for 286 yards.
Ultimately, Twitter pointed the finger at head coach Kirk Ferentz and his son, offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, for the team's performance.
Iowa probably would be worse if they punted on every first down (defense would get tired, they do sometimes score) but they wouldn't be THAT much worse
Sometimes coaches' buyouts sound crazy, then sometimes you see that Iowa pays Brian Ferentz $900,000 to run its offense and you wonder if it might be better to pay him $1 million not to
Brian Ferentz is now the main character in Office Space who just stops trying to do his job and dares his employer to fire him pic.twitter.com/KPrfGFXx4t
Iowa entered Saturday ranked 128th out of 131 FBS teams in scoring (14.7 points per game), including a seven-point outing against Division FCS South Dakota State to start the year.
Iowa will look to bounce back Saturday at home against Northwestern. OSU will visit Penn State on the same day.
Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz Says CFB Needs an 'Intervention' amid NIL Rules, Realignment
Jul 26, 2022
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 26: Head coach Kirk Ferentz of the Iowa Hawkeyes speaks during the 2022 Big Ten Conference Football Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium on July 26, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Iowa's Kirk Ferentz is the longest-tenured FBS coach in the nation, and he has concerns about the evolving landscape of college football.
Ferentz expressed the need for some oversight while speaking to reporters Tuesday at Big Ten media days.
"We need some intervention, and then my bigger concern is: Who's going to do it, right? Where's it going to come from? Where's that leadership going to come from, because we're all busy?" Ferentz said.
Ferentz is entering his 24th season as head coach of the Hawkeyes. Amid an offseason defined by conference realignment and NIL scrutiny, Ferentz has not liked what he's been seeing.
"There's just a lot of vagueness, a lot of uncertainty. We really don't have a firm structure. We don't have a basic set of operating rules," he said. "I don't think anybody right now can really explain the NIL in detail, what you can and what you can't do. I know you can't entice recruits, but it sure seems like maybe that's going on a little bit. There's just a lack of overall clarity."
Ferentz, who turns 67 on Aug. 1, signed a contract extension through 2029 this offseason that will pay him $7 million annually. Further illustrating his frustration with the state of college football, he pointed to the verbal back-and-forth between Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher in May.
"You've got two head coaches, prominent head coaches and both good coaches, who are bickering in the public forum, and you know, that's not a good look for our sport," Ferentz said. "It's not a good look for the conference, and that makes you wonder, 'So, what are we doing here? How come we can't straighten all this out?'"
Ferentz also lamented the effect NIL is having on recruiting and transfers.
"So you go into the portal, you come back in my office and say, 'I got a deal for, let's say, $250,000,'" Ferentz said. "How do I know that's right? We have no way of knowing. Is that what his adviser is telling him? There's a lot of that going on already, and I don't know where it ends."
Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz Ends Football Diversity Committee After Recommendation He Retire
Jan 16, 2022
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 04: Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz looks on during the Big Ten Championship college football game against the Michigan Wolverines on Dec. 4, 2021 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Iowa football head coach Kirk Ferentz dissolved the team's alumni advisory diversity committee on Tuesday, per Vanessa Miller and John Steppe of The Gazette, a week after committee chair and former Hawkeye offensive lineman David Porter called on Ferentz to resign.
"I have come to a decision that this is an appropriate time to dissolve our committee as it stands currently,” he wrote in an email to the 10-member alumni committee. "As we start a new calendar year and prepare to move forward with our preparation for the 2022 season, I am giving thought to how we restructure the committee/board in a way that best serves our program moving forward."
On Jan. 2, Porter wrote in a text chain to the advisory group that it was time to "bring in a new head football coach, football staff, and athletic director."
He added that Ferentz will "fall on the sword for his son and his staff because he thinks it's the right thing to do. I disagree. The only way I see to save his legacy, protect the program, help those kids, and continue to move forward at the same time is for Kirk to retire."
That appeared to reference an October meeting between the advisory committee and the coaching staff on a bye week, which Ferentz had tried to cancel to give his staff time off.
Porter had emailed Ferentz on Sept. 20 with one question he wanted the coaches to answer: "What is your role in creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) environment and what have you done to help foster that environment?"
Porter said that while some coaches prepared an answer for the October meeting, many did not. The conversation also reportedly turned heated when Porter and the committee said they wanted the program to focus more on education, since "football is going to be over somehow and some day, and these kids are student athletes, they're students first."
One coach reportedly responded that "college football is all about money."
Ferentz said his decision to disband the diversity committee was not related to Porter's texts earlier in January.
"Dave Porter did not share his sentiments with me directly,“ he said in a statement. "I was surprised and disappointed by his comment and wish him the best moving forward. His comment had no influence on the decision regarding the advisory committee."
The advisory committee was formed in 2020 after a group of former players said publicly that the Iowa program had issues of racism and disproportionately unfair treatment toward Black players within its culture.
In July 2020, the law firm Husch Blackwell conducted an investigation after interviewing 111 people and found the Iowa program "perpetuated racial or cultural biases and diminished the value of cultural diversity."
In Nov. 2020, 12 former Iowa players—including star running back Akrum Wadley—sued the university. While many of the charges in the lawsuit were dismissed by a federal judge, two were allowed to proceed: one that the school fostered a "racially hostile environment" and the other that Brian Ferentz, Kirk's son and the team's offensive coordinator, and former strength coach Chris Doyle used racial slurs and "intentionally discriminated" against Black players.
"There was always a racist joke, or any little insult that my circle of guys, we all experienced," Wadley told Jesse Washington of The Undefeated in December. "Over time, these little things turn into major issues and they take a toll on you."
The elder Ferentz is scheduled for a deposition in the case this month and signed a new contract through the 2029 season on Friday.
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa Agree to New Contract Through 2029 Valued at $7M per Year
Jan 14, 2022
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Kirk Ferentz of the Iowa Hawkeyes looks on during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats in the Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium on January 01, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
The University of Iowa has rewarded head football coach Kirk Ferentz with a contract extension through the 2029 season.
The school announced Ferentz's extension on Friday, with a statement from athletic director Gary Barta:
Kirk’s consistent leadership and success over 23 years has been amazing and appreciated as he has led our football program in a first-class manner. His success over the past 23 years speaks for itself. He is an asset to the University of Iowa and our athletics department as a whole. The foundation of his program is strong, and the future looks bright.
Per The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach, Ferentz's $7 million annual salary is broken down into a $500,000 base salary with $5.5 million in supplemental compensation plus a $1 million longevity bonus.
The extension comes as Iowa's football program remains embroiled in a legal situation amid allegations of racial discrimination. A total of 13 former Hawkeyes players, all of whom are Black, filed a federal lawsuit against the program in Nov. 2020 claiming they were victims of "targeted discriminatory behavior" from members of the coaching staff that Ferentz enabled.
U.S. District Judge Stephanie Rose threw out some of the allegations during a ruling in May, but claims of intentional discrimination by offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, Kirk's son, and former strength coach Chris Doyle can proceed.
Doyle has since left the program. He reached a separation agreement in June 2020 that paid more than $1.1 million remaining on his contract.
Kirk Ferentz has been dismissed as a defendant in the case, but he is scheduled to be deposed this month.
This marks Ferentz's first contract extension since 2016 when he signed a six-year extension. His previous deal was set to expire after the 2025 season.
Per Kennington Lloyd Smith III of the Des Moines Register, Ferentz's salary for next season was originally going to be $5.1 million before any potential bonuses.
Ferentz is already the longest-tenured active head coach in FBS. The UConn graduate, who grew up in Pittsburgh, took over the Hawkeyes in December 1998, making him the last FBS coach to be hired before the turn of the century.
Joe Paterno holds the FBS record for longest head-coaching tenure at a single school in FBS history (46 seasons at Penn State).
Assuming Ferentz makes it to the end of his new deal, he will have been with the Hawkeyes for 31 seasons. The 66-year-old is already the program's all-time leader in games coached (288), wins (178), bowl games (18) and bowl wins (nine).
The Hawkeyes finished the 2021 season with a 10-4 record and won the Big Ten West Division for the second time. They spent five consecutive weeks in the Top Five of the Associated Press poll, including reaching No. 2 in mid-October.
Ferentz has led Iowa to 18 winning seasons and seven 10-win campaigns in his 23 years with the program.
4-Star Safety Xavier Nwankpa Commits to Iowa over Ohio State, Notre Dame
Dec 8, 2021
Highly touted safety Xavier Nwankpa committed to Iowa on Wednesday.
The Iowa native is 45th nationally and fifth at his position in 247Sports' composite rankings. He's also the best player from his home state.
247Sports' Chris Singletary had high praise for Nwankpa, comparing him to two-time All-ACC and 2018 All-Pro safety Derwin James:
The burst and closing speed that he has makes for a player that displays great range whether it’s getting off the hash in 2 deep or in the deep third to make plays on the ball or receiver. The ability to read, react and close on plays are something that makes him a game-changer. His tackling and physicalness is top-notch, he coils and strikes the ball-carrier along with doing a good job wrapping. Makes plays on all three levels, does a good job when blitzing being physical and running through blockers or attacking their edge while making plays on the QB.
The transformation of the safety position has been happening for a number of years, and merely identifying a defender as a safety does little to describe his on-field duties. With James, for example, The Athletic's Daniel Popper wrote how he occupied five different roles within the Los Angeles Chargers defense.
At 6'2" and 190 pounds, Nwankpa has the frame to guard wide receivers or tight ends in pass coverage or move closer to the line of scrimmage to defend against the run.
Dowling puts together a great drive, led by RB Kham Middleton, and gets to the SEP13. On 3rd-and-7, English goes to the end zone, but Xavier Nwankpa is there for the interception. Big time. Still 7-0, SEP, 6:25 left.
Brad Zelenovich, Nwankpa's coach at Southeast Polk High School, recounted to 247Sports' Kevin Sinclair how the rangy defensive back was ready to join the varsity squad as a freshman.
"It's hard to physically be ready to play at that level as a 14-year-old kid," Zelenovich said. "... We brought him up probably Week 3 or Week 4 of his freshman year, and he's never left."
James was Florida State's second-leading tackler (94 tackles) and had 4.5 sacks as a true freshman. The Hawkeyes would obviously be thrilled if Nwankpa can make that kind of impact right away, but that's a high standard to meet.
More likely, Nwankpa will have a more gradual transition into Iowa's defense. His versatility could be valuable in allowing him to be used situationally early on.
With a year or two under his belt, he has all of the tools to become the kind of defensive star who requires a near-constant level of attention from opposing teams.
Nwankpa's hometown (Altoona) is only a few hours away from Iowa City, so the Hawkeyes were always a logical landing spot.
Beyond the emotional pull, the program has been a consistent winner under head coach Kirk Ferentz and typically builds its success on a stingy defense. Suiting up for Iowa should be a great way for Nwankpa to develop his game and showcase his skills.
