Connor Colby Cashing In on Lessons Learned

Iowa Junior O-Lineman Believes Best Days Are Ahead

Iowa right tackle Connor Colby (77) squares up to block Illinois' Alec Bryant (90) on Oct. 8, 2022 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. (Rob Howe/HawkeyeNation.com)

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Iowa Football prides itself on developing players. In a perfect world, that usually happens over time. On occasion, circumstances dictate otherwise. 

That's been Connor Colby's experience. Offensive line injuries and attrition resulted in him starting 11 games at guard as a true freshman in '21. He held up well considering he was playing at Cedar Rapids Kennedy High the previous fall. 

The Hawkeyes recruited Colby (6-6, 311) to play on the outside. He started last year's first seven games at right tackle. He struggled with consistency and moved back to left guard for the final six contests. 

This month, he's competing in training camp for a starting guard spot, splitting time between the left and right side. His confidence remains strong despite the growing pains. 

"You have to have a belief in yourself, first and foremost," Colby said. "And you have to have that belief in your teammates, too. There's five of us out there. You've got to have each other's back at all times.

"Whenever I had a bad game, there were always guys around me to bring me back up." 

Colby came to Iowa with a pedigree. He reported scholarship offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska and others before choosing the Hawkeyes in the summer before his junior season at Kennedy. He graduated high school early and enrolled at Iowa in January of '21. 

He appeared in reserve during the first three games that fall before moving into the starting lineup in Week 4 against Colorado State. He became the first Iowa true freshman on the O-Line to do so since Tristan Wirfs in '17. 

Wirfs started eight games his first year on campus compared to Colby's 11. The former ended up being a first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and won a Super Bowl as a rookie. Mike Jones started seven contests at guard as a true freshman in '03 and earned first-team all-Big Ten honors two years later. 

The development of Jones and Wirfs bodes well for Colby's future. That outlook shared with others on Iowa's offensive line, including left tackle Mason Richman and center Logan Jones, two guys who also started early on at Iowa. Logan Jones even spent his first two seasons on the defensive line. 

"Each of us wants to get better," Richman said. "That want to is important for us to have each and every day throughout the season." 

While Richman and Jones have stayed in their respective spots, Colby has moved around. That's made growth more challenging. It also made him more versatile. 

He sees his experiences paying off in camp this month. 

"It's just growing up as a person more than anything, just thinking about practice in a different manner," Colby said. "I know a lot of the guys in the room are thinking about it in the different way, too. That's definitely what helped us progress fast (this offseason)." 

The coaches have pointed to the offensive line as a group that's grown a lot this offseason. The unit added grad transfers Rusty Feth and Daijon Parker to the mix as well. 

"It's great. They push all of us to be better every day out on the practice field just like we do for them," Colby said. 

If you follow Iowa, you are keenly aware of the issues on offense the last two seasons. Much of the blame has been put on the guys up front. 

They've heard it. They just don't discuss it. 

"It's known. We have to do better. We will do better this season. The maturity has been a big difference. I'm in my third year. A lot of other guys are in their third and fourth year. It's knowing what you're doing and what the offense is doing on a full scale," Colby said.