Iowa heads into its Week 11 matchup with Purdue still carrying playoff pressure, and the Hawkeyes are sticking with the same basic formula that has worked the last two weeks. After wins over Wisconsin and Northwestern, they get another chance to keep things rolling at Kinnick Stadium against a Purdue team that arrives at 3-6 and with a new defensive coordinator.
Before kickoff, Iowa turned in its latest depth chart, and the biggest item was up front. Starting center Cael Winter was out for the second straight week, while sixth-year Michael Myslinkski remained listed as the starter after opening last week in that spot. On the defensive side, Jaylen Watson was back on the chart after missing time during the Northwestern win.
The rest of the depth chart showed Iowa leaning on the same names in key spots. At running back, Xavier Williams and LJ Phillips Jr. are listed as co-No. 1 options, with Nathan McNeil and Braeden Jackson behind them. Up front, Trevor Lauck holds the top spot at left tackle, Leighton Jones at left guard, Kade Pieper at center, Jack Dotzler at right tackle, and Will Nolan listed behind Pieper at right guard.
On the defensive line, Kenny Merrieweather is first at left end, with Will Hubert and Bryce Hawthorne occupying the top roles at the tackle spots and Iose Epenesa leading the way at right end. Behind them, Jacob Wallace is listed first at CASH, Landyn Van Kekerix at Leo, Cam Buffington at middle linebacker, and Jayden Montgomery at weak-side linebacker.
In the secondary, Watson appears at left cornerback after his return, while Deshaun Lee is listed at right cornerback. Zach Lutmer is the No. 1 free safety, with Ty Hudkins behind him. The kicking game remains unchanged as well, with Caden Buhr at place-kicker, Boston Everitt at punter, Ike Speltz at long snapper, and Tanner Philpott handling holder duties.
Braeden Jackson is listed first on kick returns, with Xavier Williams next in line. Evan James is the top punt returner, followed by Reece Vander Zee.
In Other News...
Iowa's New Backfield Picture Changes Everything Against Purdue
A week after Kamari Moultons season-ending injury, Iowas backfield picture has already shifted for Saturdays home game against Purdue. L.J. Phillips is now listed as the starting running back, a move that comes on the heels of his busiest outing yet, when he led the Hawkeyes with 21 carries for 128 yards against Northwestern.
The changes do not stop there, either, as Michael Myslinski is expected to start on the offensive line in place of Cael Winter, who may be sidelined again. For an Iowa offense that has leaned so heavily on stability up front and in the run game, the updated Week 11 depth chart makes this a notable test of how quickly the Hawkeyes can absorb another personnel shakeup and still keep their ground game on track. [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 🡒]