College Football: Top 50 players for 2017

Show up and make the tackle. That’s exactly what Josey Jewell has been doing for three straight seasons. Jewell has started 30 consecutive games at linebacker for the Hawkeyes over the past three years and has been recognized for his efforts. A team captain, Jewell was a finalist for the Butkus award in 2016 and Iowa’s team MVP.

Jewell registered seven or more tackles in every Big 10 game except one (against Minnesota) and led the charge for an Iowa defense that was known for their stinginess. The Hawkeyes were the No. 11 scoring defense in the nation, allowing less than 19 points per game. That included four games in which their opponent failed to reach the double-digit points. Among all of the ups and downs they had as a team, it was the offense that struggled the most. The weren’t able to consistently move the ball despite the many opportunities provided to them by their defense.

More: Looking ahead at the 2017 Iowa season, previews and predictions

What puts Jewell over the edge is the pressure put onto him by the struggling Iowa offense. The Iowa defense was on the field for 893 plays last season, which ranked somewhere around the middle of the pack nationally. In general, the better the defense, the less time they spend on the field. Unless of course your offense is that bad. Their offense was that bad, converting less than 33 percent of their third down opportunities.

That left Jewell on the field for a lot of plays, consequently he made a lot of tackles. Time and time again he was the consistent stopper that the Hawkeyes needed. Jewell finished second in the Big Ten in tackles and sixth in the nation in assisted tackles. He had plenty of help when it came to taking down the ball carrier.