Inside The Hawkeyes

Kaevon Merriweather Opts Out of Music City

Iowa Senior Strong Safety Sitting Out Bowl, Preparing for NFL Draft

Rob Howe

Iowa safety Kaevon Merriweather answers questions from reporters on Nov. 1, 2022 at the indoor practice facility in Iowa City, Iowa. (Rob Howe/HawkeyeNation.com)
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IOWA CITY, Iowa - Iowa Football will be without a key member of its defense during the New Year's Eve Music City Bowl matchup with Kentucky. Starting strong safety Kaevon Merriweather will be sitting out the contest, he announced on social media Saturday morning. 

Merriweather (6-0, 212) ranked second on the Hawkeyes this season with three interceptions. He racked up 47 tackles (34 solo, 2.0 for loss), broke up three passes, forced a fumble and had a quarterback hurry. He started all 12 games in 2022 and 25 during his five years in college. 

The Associated Press and Sporting News tabbed Merriweather as an All-American for '22. He was a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award, which focuses primarily on a player's leadership, both on and off the field.

Merriweather played a key role in helping Iowa Football navigate racial bias found in the program in '20. He has been involved in nearly 80 hours of leadership, community engagement and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programming within Student-Athlete Academic Services (SAAS) Hawkeye Life Program. He's also a leader in Student Services Multicultural Focus Group and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programming and was a participant in the B1G Life Series: Selma to Montgomery trip this past July, an immersive and educational experience at the center of the civil rights movement.

A two-star recruit coming out of Belleville (MI) High, Merriweather became a reliable, hard-hitting safety and an NFL prospect. He committed to playing in front of scouts at the Senior Bowl on Feb. 4 in Mobile, AL. 

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Rob Howe
ROB HOWE

HN Staff

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