3 Hawkeyes Named Steele Preseason All-Americans

Iowa Football's Jack Campbell, Riley Moss, Sam LaPorta Recognized

Photo - Rob Howe/HawkeyeNation.com

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa seniors Jack Campbell (linebacker, First Team) and Riley Moss (defensive back, First Team) and Sam LaPorta (tight end, Third Team) have been named to Phil Steele’s Publications preseason All-America team.

Campbell, Moss and LaPorta are joined by four additional Hawkeyes on the Phil Steele preseason All-Big Ten teams. In addition, all three All-America selections were named first team All-Big Ten. Sophomore offensive lineman Connor Colby and senior linebacker Seth Benson were named to the second team, and senior defensive end Joe Evans and junior punter Tory Taylor earned fourth-team All-Big Ten selections.

Campbell (6-foot-5, 243-pounds) was a second-team All-America selection by the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele in 2021. In addition, he earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and was second in the Big Ten with 143 tackles – the fifth-most ever in a single season at Iowa. He earned Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors following a career-best performance with 18 tackles in Iowa’s 24-14 win over Colorado State. A native of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Campbell was the recipient of Iowa’s Roy Carver Most Valuable Player (Defense) award last season and served as a permanent team captain. He was most recently named to the Athlon Sports 2022 preseason All-Big Ten First Team.

Moss (6-1, 194) was a first-team All-America selection by Sporting News a season ago and was voted the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year. Additionally, Moss was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by both league coaches and media and was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. The Ankeny, Iowa, native was a recipient of Iowa’s Team Hustle Award and is second all-time at Iowa in career interception return yards (239). Moss is one of three players in program history with three interception return touchdowns. He was named to the Athlon Sports 2022 preseason All-Big Ten First Team on June 1.

LaPorta (6-4, 249) was voted second-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele and third-team by league coaches in 2021. The Highland, Illinois, native was named to the Mackey Award Preseason Watch List last season. In his junior season, LaPorta led the Hawkeyes in catches and yards, hauling in 53 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns. The Hawkeye tight end was most recently named Athlon Sports 2022 preseason All-Big Ten First Team.

Colby (6-6, 298) earned Freshman All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America and the Maxwell Football Club in 2021. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native was named to the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Watch List and earned the Iowa Coaches Appreciation Award. Colby was named a preseason third-team All-Big Ten selection by Athlon Sports on June 1.

Benson (6-0, 229) was voted third-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele last season and was named honorable mention all-conference by league media in addition to being an Academic All-Big Ten selection. The Sioux Falls, South Dakota, native was second on the team in tackles (105), notched a pair of sacks and registered an interception. He earned Iowa’s Team Hustle Award and Coaches Appreciation Award for special teams. On June 1, Benson was named a preseason second-team All-Big Ten selection by Athlon Sports.

Evans (6-2, 248) tied Lukas Van Ness for the team lead in sacks in 2021 (7) and was second on the team in tackles-for-loss (8.5). The Ames, Iowa, native earned the Iowa Coaches Appreciation award for defense.

Taylor (6-4, 231) handled all of Iowa’s punting duties in 2021, averaging 46.1 yards on 80 punts – 39 of which were downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. He was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award and appeared on the weekly Ray’s 8 list three times throughout the season. The Melbourne, Australia, native was named Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Iowa State and was named honorable mention All-Big Ten by league coaches and media. He was voted preseason second team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports on June 1.

The Hawkeyes open the season with three straight nonconference home games, each featuring a different start time. The season-opener Sept. 3 against South Dakota State is slated for an 11 a.m. CT kickoff on FS1. The annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series game against Iowa State will follow on Sept. 10, with a 3 p.m. CT start time on BTN. Iowa’s final non-conference contest is an evening contest against Nevada, with that game starting at 6:30 p.m. CT, also on BTN.