IOWA CITY, Iowa — Less than a month away from the Iowa Hawkeye's season opener, Head Coach Kirk Ferentz and several of his players addressed what the team will bring to the table this year at the team's Media Day.
The Hawkeyes are returning a strong core of defensive players, but there are some questions surrounding their offensive and special teams units.
Ferentz said the number of injuries during the spring made evaluating players a bit more difficult.
While they're still dealing with some injuries, things are trending upwards in fall camp.
"It's fun to watch them make some progress, and it's also good just to see them working together. That's what camp is all about, very few distractions. So that part is good. It was a little frustrating back in the spring. As you know, we were really impacted by injuries quite frankly, probably as many as I can remember, and we've still got too many guys that aren't practicing," Ferentz said. "I was kind of reminding myself that's typical of August, but we are certainly in better position than we were in the spring."
With the offense looking for new leaders to emerge, Ferentz has high hopes for running back Gavin Williams.
Williams, an Altoona native, was listed first on the team's depth chart back in spring. Running back coach Ladell Betts says his maturity and attention to detail make him a natural leader among the group.
"I think Gavin has a seriousness about him and I mean that in a good way. He's a guy that's always paying attention. He's always getting a mental rep. So even when he's not participating in practice, he's not someone I have to worry about knowing his plays or knowing what we worked on that day," Betts said.
Williams says he's excited for the role moving forward.
"It's just a great experience to kind of you know, be the leader again. You know, I haven't had this feeling since high school," he said. "So, it's a little bit of a refreshing pace and I feel like it's gonna be a good little...it's gonna be a fun season for the running backs."
Williams credits his fellow running back Leshon Williams for helping him become a leader and mentor for the younger players.