Iowa’s Week 11 depth chart doesn’t come with a ton of drama, but the biggest change is hard to miss: L.J. Phillips Jr. has moved to the front of the line at running back.
Phillips wasn’t listed at the position on the previous depth chart, but after what he did against Northwestern, it’s clear he’s earned the job. He handled 21 carries for 128 yards and gave Iowa a little bit of everything - burst in space, power between the tackles, and a willingness to run through smaller defenders instead of around them.
That kind of workload makes sense with Kamari Moulton done for the year, and it should carry over into this week’s home game against Purdue. The Boilermakers come in ranked 99th against the run, allowing almost 171 yards per game on the ground and 5.18 yards per carry.
Up front, there’s another possible change. Cael Winter appears to be out again, which puts Michael Myslinski in position to start. The sixth-year journeyman got the nod last week against Northwestern, and Iowa’s line held up well enough that the offense had very few issues in either the run game or pass protection.
On defense, the depth chart leaves room for more movement at end, and that’s where Iowa could use a spark. The Hawkeyes’ sack production has been spread around, but the top numbers belong to players who aren’t listed as starters.
Joseph Anderson leads the team with 4.0 sacks and Bryce Hawthorne has 3.5. After them, linebackers Jayden Montgomery and Cam Buffington are next.
Among the listed defensive ends, Kenneth Merriweather and Iose Epenesa each have one sack. Drew Campbell has 2.5, and Kahmari Brown has 2.0. Against Purdue, Iowa may want to keep rotating and see if one of those ends can create pressure while rushing four.
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Iowas Latest Depth Chart Hints At Two Key Changes Vs Purdue
Iowas Week 11 depth chart offered a couple of notable clues ahead of the Purdue matchup, starting with the interior of the offensive line. Cael Winter was absent for the second straight week, and Michael Myslinski is again listed as the starter at center, a development that keeps the Hawkeyes protection and run-game setup in focus as they prepare for another Big Ten test.
There was also a welcome update on the defensive side, where Jaylen Watson reappeared on the depth chart after missing time in the previous game. The full release covered offense, defense and special teams, but those two changes stood out most for a Hawkeyes team still sorting through its weekly lineup and trying to settle into the right combinations before facing Purdue. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech's Fast Start Faces Its First Real Test Against Iowa
Virginia Techs opening-night win over Mercer offered an early glimpse of a team that can push the pace and protect the ball, with Amani Hansberry delivering a career-best 23 points and Ben Hammond and Jaylen Curry helping steady the offense. The Hokies looked sharp enough to make that first result feel convincing, but the next step comes quickly enough, and it comes against a Big Ten opponent that will be far less forgiving of mistakes.
Iowa enters the neutral-site matchup with a different kind of storyline, hoping to get center Andrew McKeever on the floor after he has been dealing with back issues. For the Hawkeyes, his availability matters not just for depth but for what it could mean inside against a Virginia Tech team that already showed it can score in bunches and keep turnovers down. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Faces Its First Real Test With A Key Frontcourt Question
Iowa has opened the season with a pair of wins, including a lopsided 91-47 victory over Eastern Illinois in which Peyton McCollum led the scoring. The next step is a far more revealing one, as the Hawkeyes head to a neutral-site matchup with Virginia Tech at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, where the pace, physicality and execution should tell a lot more about where this team stands early.
The biggest question hanging over that test is in the frontcourt, where transfer center Andrew McKeever has missed the first two games with a back injury. Iowa has gotten by so far, but the Hokies will offer a sturdier challenge and a better gauge of how much the Hawkeyes can lean on their interior depth if McKeever is still unavailable. [Read more 🡒]