Yahya Black Happy to Be Back

Iowa SR DL Looking to Build on Strong '23

Nov 24, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive lineman Yahya Black (94) carries the Heroes Trophy after beating the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports / Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

Yahya Black had the same choice as so many of his Iowa defensive teammates.

Coming off a 51-tackle season that included five tackles for loss and 3 ½ sacks, Black could have chosen to skip his final year of eligibility and go to the NFL draft.

But he stayed.

In the end, so many of the teammates who surrounded him on defense did the same thing.

“Shoot, I knew my decision,” Black said last week. “I was kind of hoping everybody else did, too.”

Now Black, who started all 14 games at defensive tackle last season, wants to continue to be an anchor on a line that lost some key personnel.

Black has played 40 games in his four seasons with the Hawkeyes, including four in his redshirt season in 2020. Last year was his first season as a starter, and he proved to be a dominating presence inside, which was a big jump coming off a 2022 season in which he played in just nine games and had just 11 tackles.

And while there are some familiar names who have played a big role in the rotation of players on the line, there is still a leadership vacuum to fill with Logan Lee, Joe Evans and Noah Shannon having used their eligibility.

It’s a little bit of a younger personnel group, and Black knows he has to be a bigger voice.

“It’s not just me, though,” Black said. “Our main guys are gone — Logan, Joe, Noah. So we’ve all got to step up. Big gaps to fill.”

Such is life in college football, and Black understands that.

“Change is there,” he said. “It’s just getting everybody on the same page.”

Black knows there were lessons learned by playing with that veteran group last season.

“The best thing about those guys is they played as one,” he said. “They had played together for a while, they knew (each other). And that’s what we’ve got to do.”

It is still an impressive group with Black on the line. Aaron Graves is back for his junior season — “It’s the same old Aaron. Aaron is going to do Aaron things,” Black said. Deontae Craig returns after a 54-tackle season. Ethan Hurkett had a career-high 49 tackles last season.

But defensive coordinator Phil Parker has always liked a rotation of linemen, and so there will be new names to learn this season.

Getting to know them better, Black said, is a summer goal of his and everyone else.

“I think mine is going to be connecting with the younger guys, get a better feel of them,” he said.

Black is back, and so many of his teammates are with him. What he wants is an uneventful summer.

“The message is stay healthy,” he said. “Stay healthy and do what you can to get better.”