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Iowa football: 5 keys to the Hawkeyes winning the Big Ten in 2023

By Riley Cavanagh

IOWA CITY, IOWA- OCTOBER 29: The Iowa Hawkeyes take the field before the match-up against the Northwestern Wildcats at Kinnick Stadium, on October 29, 2022 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- OCTOBER 29: The Iowa Hawkeyes take the field before the match-up against the Northwestern Wildcats at Kinnick Stadium, on October 29, 2022 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /
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Iowa defensive back Xavier Nwankpa (1) celebrates his touchdown with Cooper DeJean (3) against Kentucky during the second quarter of the TransPerfect Music City Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.Syndication The Tennessean
Iowa defensive back Xavier Nwankpa (1) celebrates his touchdown with Cooper DeJean (3) against Kentucky during the second quarter of the TransPerfect Music City Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.Syndication The Tennessean /

4. The secondary gets takeaways

This one almost didn’t make the list because it is something that happens every season. Over the past six seasons Iowa has intercepted over 100 passes and last season, they snagged 15. That being said, that number has to increase in order for them to really be in a situation where winning the Big Ten is a possibility.

They return some very opportunistic players, specifically pre-season All-American Cooper DeJean. He’s as good of a defensive back as Iowa has had since Desmond King or Josh Jackson, but he may not even be the best defensive back on the roster.

That honor falls to Xavier Nwankpa. Nwankpa played sparingly last season but as a five-star recruit that spurned the likes of Ohio State and Notre Dame to attend Iowa, he has the skill to be a true standout player. He put that skillset on full display in the bowl game last season as he intercepted a pass and ran it back for a score, something we’ll need to see often this season in order for the Hawkeyes to win the Big Ten.

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