The wide receiver room hasn't been a strong suit at Iowa in a long time. Will that change in 2025?
It's been a while since Iowa's wide receiver room was a definite strength of the team.
You probably have to go back to the days when Marvin McNutt and Derrell Johnson-Koulianos were catching passes from Ricky Stanzi to find that time. Since then, the Hawkeyes have seen decent receivers come through the program, but have never seen them flourish or reach their full potential. Part of that is due to the run-first offensive scheme that Iowa runs. But another big part of the issue has been subpar quarterback play.
That could change in 2025.
The arrival of Mark Gronowski could unlock a new element in Iowa's offense: the prominent use of their wide receivers. This is the third part of my positional preview series for the 2025 Iowa football team. We've previously taken a look at the quarterback and running back rooms and now we're moving onto the wide receiver position. Will that room see a resurgence in 2025? Or will it be more of the same? Let's take a deeper look.
Starters: Jacob Gill and Reece Vander Zee
Jacob Gill: 35 receptions, 411 yards, two TD's in 2024
Reece Vander Zee: 14 receptions, 176 yards, three TD's in 2024
I'm assuming we'll see a lot of two running back or two tight end sets in 2025, so I'm going with a pair of starters in the wide receiver room. Gill was a transfer from Northwestern last season and was the most productive wide receiver on the roster. The 6-foot 185-pound senior was able to provide pretty consistent production, despite playing with a slew of different quarterbacks. With Gronwoksi in the fold now and another year in Tim Lester's system, I expect Gill to perform very well in 2025.
Vander Zee really came out of no where last season and provided a big spark when healthy. The 6-foot-4 215-pound sophomore wasn't expected to play a whole lot as a true freshman last season, but flashed big potential when he was on the field. He was limited to nine games due to injury, but had a couple of big performances including 47 yards and a touchdown against Michigan State. He has the size on the outside that offensive coordinators dream of and will be a big part of the offense in 2025.
Iowa will need these two to play well in 2025, but for the first time in a while, there's so real depth to this room.
Projected backups: Sam Phillips and Seth Anderson
Sam Phillips: Transfer from Chattanooga. 49 receptions, 803 yards, three TD's in 2024
Seth Anderson: Five receptions, 106 yards in 2024
One of the biggest pickups in the transfer portal for the Hawks was Chattanooga wide receiver Sam Phillips. He had a great 2024 season for the Mocs, who play in the FCS Southern Conference. At 5-foot-7 183-pounds, Phillips projects to be more of a slot receiver, meaning he could see the field as a starter in 11 personnel with Gill and Vander Zee on the outside. If Phillips can even come close to his 2024 production, the wide receiver room will be in a good spot. Time will tell whether that transfer move pays off for the Hawks.
Seth Anderson is more of a known commodity, now entering his third season as a Hawkeye. The 6-foot 187-pound senior struggled with injuries last season, hampering him to seven games and subpar production. But he's someone that Kirk Ferentz and Time Lester trust and he's got the most experience out of the rest of the wide receiver room, which gives him the benefit of the doubt to be a primary backup this season. However, if he struggles to begin the season, Iowa could look to some younger options for more playing time.
Other WR options
- Sophomore Jarriett Buie: Nine receptions, 94 yards in 2024. 6-foot-1 203-pound receiver had his best game in the Music City Bowl against Missouri (three receptions, 30 yards). Will be first receiver to get more playing time in case of injury.
- Sophomore Dayton Howard: Four receptions, 62 yards, one TD in 2024. Biggest play last season was 33-yard receiving TD against Washington. Great size (6-foot-5 215-pounds) to play on the outside and could also step up in case of injury.
- Redshirt freshman KJ Parker: Saw the field, but didn't accumulate any stats in 2024. More of a slot receiver mold (5-foot-10 184-pounds), could play valuable snaps if Phillips struggles in new system or gets injured.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football 2025 season positional preview: Wide receivers
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