Iowa Football: Hawkeye Transfer Portal Needs and Potential Targets
Where should the Hawkeyes be looking for help in the transfer portal this cycle?
The transfer portal has now been open for one week and the frenzy continues to build with new entrants every day and several big names already finding new homes. The Iowa Hawkeyes, however, have been relatively quiet in the portal thus far.
And for good reason. On Friday, we outlined the current scholarship situation for Iowa as we head into the meat of the portal window. In short, things are tight and in all likelihood the Hawkeyes are going to enter spring practice over the scholarship limit. That is particularly true if we see any number of seniors with COVID eligibility remaining opt to come back. While none have made a formal announcement as of yet, it seems likely at least a couple super seniors will be roaming the sidelines in Kinnick come 2024.
Without knowing for sure who will be back and who will depart following Iowa’s New Year’s Day Citrus Bowl matchup with Tennessee, it’s difficult to know for sure what they should be looking for in the transfer portal. But we can make some assumptions and get close. Beyond assumptions, we also know who the staff is following on social media and can make some connections to where they perceive the needs for next year.
Current Needs
As things stand right now, Iowa is set to lose a slew of starters on the defensive side of the ball to graduation, as well as a few pieces on offense. Let’s start with Phil’s group.
Both starting linebackers, Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson, were seniors this season and could head to the NFL. Add in backup Kyler Fisher to that group and the linebacker room looks a little thin and could be a prime spot for the staff to target a portal player. Except, as we noted on Friday each of those three players may be coming back.
Fisher is almost certainly returning to Iowa City for 2024, but Higgins and Jackson sound like they may be a package deal. Higgins has a COVID year he could use while Jackson would need to petition the NCAA for a 6th year based on his senior season at Virginia being cut short due to the shooting tragedy there.
