The Iowa Hawkeyes’ offense didn’t strike much fear into any opposing defenses or fans in 2023. A large part of that was the lack of explosive plays. Iowa struggled to sustain consistent drives and when paired with the lack of chunk plays, things turned abysmal quickly.
With defenses loading the box, Iowa was dared to generate offense and chunk plays in the passing game but with backup quarterback Deacon Hill manning the offense and star tight end Luke Lachey hurt, that portion of the offense was nonexistent.
If Iowa and new offensive coordinator Tim Lester want to improve upon things in 2024, they have to get more out of the passing game. That is why ESPN has highlighted Iowa’s wide receivers as their biggest question mark for 2024.
Question mark: Wide receiver
Kaleb Brown and Seth Anderson, Iowa’s projected starting wide receivers, combined for only 33 catches and two touchdowns last season. The Hawkeyes need to get more out of this position after finishing last in the Big Ten in 2023 in yards per game (235.4), passing yards per game (118.6) and points (15.4). — Trotter, ESPN
Kaleb Brown totaled 22 receptions for 215 yards and a touchdown while Seth Anderson hauled in 11 receptions for 150 yards and one touchdown. While the numbers weren’t there, the lack of production can hardly be pinned squarely on them.
The lack of consistent quarterback play that the Hawkeyes dealt with all season limited the amount of opportunities that these two were able to get.
With the return of Luke Lachey, the Hawkeyes get a presence in the middle of the field that can loosen things up for the wide receivers to work. Along with Brown and Anderson, the Hawkeyes could seek production from Jarriett Buie, Alex Mota, or Dayton Howard as they need a third receiver to emerge during training camp.
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Hawkeyes Wire
