Ferentz provided an update on the ongoing quarterback battle and revealed the frontrunner to take over the center spot.
Iowa football is just 10 days away, which means it's time for the Hawkeyes to wrap up fall camp and start preparing for their season opener against Northern Illinois.
Kirk Ferentz met with the media on Wednesday morning for a brief discussion about the conclusion of fall camp, and it's safe to say that he had a lot to say about his team.
Here are a few takeaways from Ferentz's 15-minute conversation.
Quarterback Battle Remains "Dead Even"
The likelihood of Ferentz naming a starting quarterback on this day probably would've had 1,000-to-1 odds on every sportsbook. Though there was a massive discrepancy between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski at Kids' Day a few weeks ago, Ferentz and Co. are staying pat when it comes to a timeline for making a decision.
Both Brown and Hecklinski have taken repetitions with the No. 1s and No. 2s all summer, but according to Ferentz, at some point next week, one will be taking the first team reps as they prepare for the season opener.
Giving both quarterbacks the chance to run with the No. 1 offense in the season opener is a possibility, but based off of what Ferentz said, it sounds like he would prefer to have his top guy by opening day if possible.
Though the close competition may surprise some fans, Ferentz isn't surprised it's coming down to the eleventh hour.
"Both quarterbacks have been here a year now, so you can see the benefit of that, as opposed to being brand new to it," Ferentz said. "But yeah, we'll wait and see how it goes here."
Some evidence of just how close this battle is? Brown had a slight lead over Hecklinski for over half of fall camp, but everything went up in the air after the 18th or 19th practice and it's now "dead even." This back-and-forth action in practice could foreshadow a mid-season switch if necessary, too.
"Once we get into games that may happen again, and whoever's doing good in the game they get the next next shot," Ferentz said. "So that'll be how it goes if if we get there."
Cael Winter Would Be At Center If Game Was This Saturday
Another position battle that has come down to the wire in fall camp is the open spot at center. Logan Jones is now a member of the Chicago Bears, and his departure left three candidates vying for the crucial position.
Sixth-year Michael Myslinski and fourth-years Kade Pieper and Cael Winter all rotated reps during the Kids' Day scrimmage. Pieper seemed like the favorite due to his experience and Rimington Trophy preseason watch list distinction, but Ferentz told the media that Winter would get the starting nod if a game were to take place this Saturday.
While all three players (specifically Pieper and Winter) handled the position very well throughout camp, this decision comes down to which player Ferentz feels is the most comfortable, and the player that he felt was the most comfortable in the middle was Winter. Pieper would move back to his old spot at right guard if he loses the job.
If Winter is indeed the center against Northern Illinois, it would be quite the story. The walk-on from Waukee Northwest has played only four games (all came last season) and battled a bout of pneumonia early in his career as well.
"We want to get the guys that are probably the most efficient right now," Ferentz said.
Kicker and Punter Spots Are Still Wide Open, Too
Ferentz didn't go in to heavy detail when talking about the opening competitions at placekicker and punter, but like the quarterback battle, everything is going back-and-forth.
The two punters vying for the No. 1 spot - Simpson College transfer Tanner Philpott and Australian Boston Everitt - haven't played a Power Four college football game before, but Ferentz is "pleasantly surprised" with what he's seen from both in practice so far.
Injuries
Iowa's roster is in very good health for this stage of the offseason, but the biggest question mark on the injury report right now is the status of James Madison transfer defensive back Tyler Brown.
Brown suffered what Ferentz called a "soft tissue injury" early in summer workouts, and it appears the injury is still bothering him. His status for Week 1 is questionable, with Ferentz adding that Brown hasn't practiced much since the spring.
Brown was presumably going to be a day one starter in this young secondary, but he can't go, Ferentz will likely turn to Jacob Wallace at cash (Iowa's version of a hybrid linebacker/cornerback), and Anthony Hawkins and Zach Lutmer at the two safety spots.
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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]
