Iowa Football: 2017 post-regular season position grades
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS . B-. . WR/TE. Iowa Hawkeyes
The position group that needed the biggest boost coming into the 2017 season was the wide receiver corp. The Hawkeyes struggled with getting separation and getting open at the end of the 2016 season following Matt Vandeberg’s season-ending injury. This season, the receiving group showed a lot of improvement, as Vandeberg returned for a sixth-year to help lead the corp. The Hawkeyes also had young stars such as Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Brandon Smith and walk-on Nick Easley.
The Iowa wide receivers combined for 1,070 of the team’s 2,369 total passing yards. The youth of this receiving corp also brings hope for the future as Vandeberg is the only key departure from this group as Smith and Smith-Marsette are freshmen and Easley will be a senior come next season. Others will attribute the improvements thanks to the hiring of receivers coach Kelton Copeland, who helped the group make strides in improvement from a year ago.
The Iowa tight ends produced and produced in a big way in 2017. This season showed the emergence of Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson as two talented tight ends. Fant was inexplicably not a First-Team All-Big 10 player despite leading the nation in touchdowns by a tight end and setting the Iowa school record. Hockenson made a living off making tough catches week after week for the Hawkeye passing game
Worst Game:
There were some ugly games from the Iowa receiving corps, but the low point was likely the Hawkeyes 17-10 loss at Northwestern. Nick Easley and Matt Vandeberg dropped many passes between the two, which in turn doomed the Iowa offense. Tight end Noah Fant’s drop on the final play of overtime sealed Iowa’s fate in the ballgame. The receivers did rebound nicely in the following games against Minnesota and Ohio State.
Best Game:
Iowa’s receivers shone the brightest in their 44-41 overtime win against Iowa State. Iowa receivers caught four of Nate Stanley’s five touchdown passes, one to Nick Easley and Matt Vandeberg, and two to Ihmir Smith-Marsette, including the game winner. Smith-Marsette and Vandeberg made two diving catches for touchdowns, much to the chagrin of Cyclone fans in Jack Trice Stadium.