Let Tim Lester Locate Portal QB

By Will Armstrong

If there is one thing we learned from the 2024 regular season, it is that Tim Lester was the correct hire as the offensive coordinator for the Iowa Hawkeyes. The hire was always going to be scrutinized. Many fans were ready to write off Lester before they saw the first offensive drive for the Hawkeyes against Illinois State. But he proved his worth with a dramatic jump in points per game this season, finishing 67th in ppg with 28.0. Lester’s goal was to cut the rank in half from 2023, in which they finished 120th. Many fans dreamed of finishing in the top 100. If not for a few injuries at the quarterback position, top 50 would have been a realistic finish.

Iowa finished 20th in rushing yards per game with 199.8. They finished 4th worst in passing yards per game, with 131.7. The only teams they finished ahead of? The three service academies.

It is impossible to predict how an offense will look year to year, and good offensive coordinators are able to adapt to their personnel. Iowa just happened to have the Big Ten Running Back of the Year in their backfield. Pair that with three all-Big Ten offensive lineman, and that is a recipe for having success running the ball.

But it is time for the Iowa offense to jump a big hurdle that has been plaguing them since the days of Nate Stanley.

It is no secret the quarterback play has been abysmal since the start of 2020. Somehow it has gotten worse each year. With this era of transfer portal football, there is no reason for Iowa to continue with that trend. This is the moment for Tim Lester to get his guy to run his offense. It has been proven that whoever is making the decisions and developing the quarterbacks has not been cutting it.

Kirk Ferentz is a great coach, a proven developer of football teams, and there is nobody Iowa would have rather had since 1998. But Tim Lester needs to have control of this quarterback decision.

In his years as a head coach at Western Michigan, Lester was very successful on the offensive side.

2018- 238.5 Passing Yards Per Game, 438.4 Yards Per Game

2019- 240.6 Passing YPG, 445.7 YPG

2020- 283.8 Passing YPG, 479.7 YPG

2021- 253.6 Passing YPG, 467.2 YPG

In Lester’s first year as a head coach at Western Michigan, 2017, they only averaged 164.8 passing yards per game and 389.6 yards per game. Like Iowa’s season, they had an injury to their starter midway through the year followed by a scramble to find a replacement.

For the Hawkeyes, this situation has a similar feel to the end of last year on the offensive side. Desperately looking for answers, wondering how it could have gotten this bad. Only this time it is focused solely on the passing attack as opposed to the whole operation. Iowa fans would love to be in the top 100 of passing yards per game. Lester, hopefully, has higher aspirations than that. If his goal is to once again cut the rank in half, he would not be satisfied with anything greater than 70th. To put it in context, 200 passing YPG would have put Iowa safely in the Top 100 of FBS teams this year.

It is important to understand the context of those offensive numbers at Western Michigan as well. Iowa defense makes offenses stay on the field longer: keeping everything in front of them, making the other team make mistakes, forcing them to convert third downs. Iowa’s offense will not have the ball as often as some of those Western Michigan teams, and it is not realistic to expect the exact same yardage numbers as those teams.

On the flip side, Iowa’s defense puts their offense in great opportunities to score throughout the year. So, while their yardage outputs might not have the same ceiling as those Western Michigan teams, the points ceiling will be higher with a decent passing attack.

The message is simple, there needs to be a change in how those decisions are made at the quarterback position. Iowa made a progressive hire last year to implement new changes to a stale offense. Let that hire pick the general to run that offense.

Who the Options Are

So far, there have been two bigger names associated with Iowa. USC’s former quarterback, Miller Moss, has enter the portal as a graduate transfer. On3 reported on December 2nd that he is expected to look at Michigan, Auburn, Iowa, and Louisville. There have also been reports that Missouri will be looking to get his interest.

The other interesting option that has had Iowa circulating with his name is former Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman. On3 reported on December 3rd that the five teams to watch with him are Syracuse, Missouri, Iowa, Louisville, and Wisconsin.

Those are just the preliminary targets that have been associated with Iowa, but they are intriguing. Two players who have proven they have talent and have played in the SEC and Big Ten. Sometimes all these top recruits out of high school need is a change of scenery.

There will be more portal craziness to come, and it will be interesting to see who Iowa pursues. Will it be someone like these current Power 4 conference quarterbacks? Or will Iowa look to a Group of 5 or FCS team?

While it will be an exciting offseason, it can also cause many overreactions. Fans should feel good in trusting Lester’s judgment and the future for the Iowa offense.