Iowa's safety position will look different this season. Xavier Nwankpa went on to the NFL, where he has found a home with the Kansas City Chiefs. His starting safety partner, Koen Entringer, transferred to Louisville not long after.
With a pair of talented defensive backs departing the program, Kirk Ferentz knew he had to hit the transfer portal to fill that roster hole.
Ferentz and the Hawkeyes did exactly that, bringing in a trio of transfer safeties: third-year Tyler Brown from James Madison, third-year Xavier Styles from Robert Morris and third-year Anthony Hawkins from Villanova. Brown was the most highly regarded of the group, with many expecting him to start right away on the back end.
However, an offseason injury has put a wrench in those plans.
Brown is still nursing a muscle strain and didn't appear on Iowa's season-opening depth chart. In his absence, Ferentz named Hawkins as the starter at strong safety. In his media availability on Tuesday, the longtime head coach broke down what's stood out to him about Hawkins' game this offseason.
#year #xavier #transfer #offseason
With a pair of talented defensive backs departing the program, Kirk Ferentz knew he had to hit the transfer portal to fill that roster hole.
Ferentz and the Hawkeyes did exactly that, bringing in a trio of transfer safeties: third-year Tyler Brown from James Madison, third-year Xavier Styles from Robert Morris and third-year Anthony Hawkins from Villanova. Brown was the most highly regarded of the group, with many expecting him to start right away on the back end.
However, an offseason injury has put a wrench in those plans.
Brown is still nursing a muscle strain and didn't appear on Iowa's season-opening depth chart. In his absence, Ferentz named Hawkins as the starter at strong safety. In his media availability on Tuesday, the longtime head coach broke down what's stood out to him about Hawkins' game this offseason.
#year #xavier #transfer #offseason
4 days ago
