Iowa's Roster In The Spring Could Have Some New Names

Expect turnover, and additions, if Hawkeyes play football in the spring.

An Iowa football fall camp depth chart was never released.

The roster for the 2020 fall season that has now been erased by the Big Ten because of concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic is still available on Iowa's website.

What that looks like if there is a spring season that the conference is planning for could be completely different.

Seniors who were planning for their final season in the fall might not come back for the spring.

Players with NFL draft aspirations might decide it's not worth playing 8-10 games with a risk of injury.

High school seniors who sign during the December signing period might choose to enroll early, but will they be eligible to play? And, if they are, would they be subject to the same redshirt rules as a fall season?

On Tuesday, hours after the Big Ten chose to stop its season, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz didn't have many answers.

"All of these things, it's unprecedented," Ferentz said.

Iowa has 21 seniors on its roster, many of whom would have been key parts of this fall's team. Kicker Keith Duncan, a consensus All-American last season, is on that list. So is tackle Alaric Jackson, wide receivers Brandon Smith and Ihmir Smith-Marsette, defensive end Chauncey Golston, defensive back Matt Hankins and defensive tackle Austin Schulte.

How many of them would come back for a shortened season with the NFL draft looming as soon as it was over? Ferentz isn't sure.

"You may see more senior players leaving as a result of this," he said. "I know the NFL has the capability of sliding their draft back. They can make adjustments."

Some players had already opted out of this season, including Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore, Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman, and Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons.

Ferentz said he had "a couple of players" who were considering opting out, but did not name them.

"I think all of us figured out a couple of weeks ago, maybe long before that, there was a strong potential sure-fire No. 1 picks may opt out this season," Ferentz said. "I think we saw some of that taking place over the last couple of weeks, and we may see more of that in the future. That wouldn't totally surprise me."

What about underclassmen who could declare early? A fall season would have helped improve their draft standing, but now that's gone.

A spring season could help their stock. The NFL draft dates are April 29-May 1, and as of now there is no schedule set for the spring.

"I'm sure some players, not just in our program but all over, are going to think that out a little bit," Ferentz said. "The obvious question is what is the NFL going to do with the draft. Are they going to keep in April or push it back a couple of months. I've been told they have that flexibility, so I think that would weigh into a player's thinking as well."

There is also the question about whether high school seniors who sign with the Hawkeyes in December would be eligible should they decide on early enrollment.

Ferentz said that with several states not having fall high school sports, that may mean more early enrollees than usual.

"Our policy with that is if players are really compelled to do it, we let them enroll early," he said. "We don’t encourage it, necessarily. If they choose to do it, that’s up to them."

Players can appear in four games and still take a redshirt season under NCAA rules. Whether that will extend to a spring season is unclear.

"I would hope that would remain, and that would give guys potential access to playing.," Ferentz said. "So we’ll just have to see how that unfolds and what the interpretations are. Right now, it’s kind of an open book."