It was a strange season for the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2021. There was a six-week stretch where all of Iowa City believed that they would be playing on the national stage in the College Football Playoff.
They just beat No. 4 Penn State and had one of their highest-ever USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll rankings at No. 2. Then, everything came crashing down with crushing defeats at the hands of unranked Purdue and Wisconsin.
It was a far cry from the team that took down three ranked opponents, and while they would go on another hot streak to make it to the Big Ten championship game, let’s just say that didn’t go well.
Overall, when you take out the sting of getting destroyed 42-3 by a determined Michigan squad on national television with the conference championship on the line, it was a successful season for the Hawkeyes. They finished 10-4 (one of the losses in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl against Kentucky, 20-17) and once again established themselves as one of the Big Ten’s elite. They did lose some key players including center Tyler Linderbaum who was a first-round selection in the 2022 NFL draft.
On paper, the first-week matchup at home seems like the perfect tune-up game for a home encounter with rival Iowa State the following week. They’re playing an FCS opponent. That should be easy, right? Not so fast.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits should not be ignored at all. They are a strong team that is returning a lot of key players, and should not be taken lightly. Here are five players to watch out for in week one against South Dakota State.
Jaxon Janke, WR
Erin Bormett / Argus Leader via Imagn Content Services, LLC
Senior receiver Jaxon Janke is one of the top returning pass catchers in the FCS ranks. Finishing seventh in the FCS in receiving yards, Janke racked up a team-leading 1,176 yards on 72 catches in 2021, good for a shade over 16 yards a reception. The 6-foot-3 receiver from Madison, S.D., has generated some draft buzz, and…
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