Iowa football safety reveals reason he didn't transfer from program
It's affected every college football program in the country, including Iowa, who has seen talented players come and go over the past few years.
But, not every player is like that. Some players still have a lot of love and respect for the Hawkeyes' approach and track record of development. These are players who stick around despite not playing much early in their tenure with the program, but who then get rewarded for their patience.
Koen Entringer is one of those guys.
The 6-foot-1, 211-pound junior safety out of Ypsilanti, Mich., has appeared in 30 games as a Hawkeye, with only one start to his name. Entringer has recorded 27 tackles and an interception across those 30 games. The Michigan product is very talented and could've easily left early in his career to go somewhere for more playing time. But, Entringer stuck it out and was able to represent Iowa at Big Ten media days in Las Vegas on Thursday.
Entringer spoke about his decision to stay at Iowa, even when the playing time wasn't there.
"I think the main reason I didn't leave is just because I'm committed to the team and I'm committed to the players. I knew that Quinn (Schulte) coming back was going to help the team and if I was good enough to beat him out, I would've beat him out. Coach (Phil) Parker is a fair guy and he found a way for me to be on the field.
"I know it's not common for a lot of guys. They want to play right away. But, I just looked at it in the long term. Playing at Iowa is just a tremendous opportunity," Entringer said.
Entringer's comments say a lot about him as a player and as a person, and speak to Iowa's overall approach. Guys like Jay Higgins, Luke Lachey, and Sebastian Castro are good examples of sticking around the program, even when playing time isn't there early, and being rewarded for it. Entringer is hoping his name can be added to that list of successes, as he's projected to start at safety in 2025.
Fans will get their first glimpse at Entringer and the Hawkeyes when Iowa hosts Albany in the season opener on Aug. 30.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Iowa football passing attack receives promising preseason prediction
The Iowa passing offense has been underwhelming for years now. The Hawkeyes haven't had a quarterback pass for more than 2,000 yards in a season since Nate Stanley in 2019. That threshold should be the floor for any non-military academy college football team these days, but Iowa has struggled to even reach that bar. However, the arrival of a new quarterback this offseason has fans and media members optimistic that Iowa's passing attack will be at least average in 2025. And one media outlet is predicting it to be even better. Pro Football Network shared one bold prediction for each Big Ten team heading into the 2025 season. Some of their predictions call for disastrous seasons (i.e., Maryland going winless in conference play) and others give a more rosy outlook (i.e., Indiana returning to the College Football Playoff). Hawkeye fans will be pretty excited to see what Pro Football Network had to say about Iowa. What is Iowa's bold prediction for 2025? Pro Football Network predicted Iowa to have an above-average passing game in 2025, which is music to Hawkeye fans' ears. It's been decades since the Iowa Hawkeyes fielded an excellent passing attack. Despite that, they've put together four double-digit season win totals in the last 10 years, primarily based on the strength of their defense. Quarterback play has been erratic and underwhelming, to say the least. But come 2025, enter new QB Mark Gronowski, tasked with uplifting a dormant passing offense. The most prolific passer in South Dakota State Jackrabbits program history across four seasons, the 6'3″, 230-pounder already has an accomplished college football career. With that experience and track record, as he's thrown 93 touchdowns versus just 20 interceptions (plus 37 scores on the ground) in his career, the Hawkeyes are set to trot out one of the top signal-callers in the Big Ten. With one of the top half passing offenses in the conference, watch out for the Hawkeyes to make some noise come November and potentially into December. -Pro Football Network. A lot of the optimism for the Hawkeyes' passing offense comes from Mark Gronowski and his ability to elevate a passing attack that's been dormant this entire decade. While it's still unknown how he'll make the switch from the FCS to the FBS level, there's real excitement about bringing in a guy with a proven track record of great quarterback play at a premier FCS program. Hawkeye fans don't have to wait long to see if Pro Football Network's prediction comes to fruition, with kickoff of the season opener just over a month away. Gronowski, Tim Lester, and the rest of the offense will have a chance to get things going and into a rhythm against Albany on Aug. 30 before a tough road test at Iowa State on Sept. 6. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football passing attack receives promising preseason prediction
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
After successful Big Ten debut, UCLA has designs on something even bigger
It's a chaotic time in college sports, the rules seeming to change daily and some athletes making nearly as much money as their coaches. At UCLA, the revenue-sharing era officially starts Friday. Athletes will undoubtedly keep refreshing their PayPal accounts to check for that first payment from the pot of $20.5 million that will be distributed in the first year. Meanwhile, Bruins athletic director Martin Jarmond will be keeping tabs on another bottom line — following up a successful Big Ten debut with something far bigger. Having tallied 10 conference championships between the Big Ten and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation — more than any other Big Ten school — UCLA could be poised for a breakthrough in its two marquee sports as part of a potentially historic year across the board for its athletic department. The football team landed transfer Nico Iamaleava from Tennessee and the men's basketball team brought in Donovan Dent from New Mexico, giving UCLA perhaps its best quarterback-point guard combination since Josh Rosen and Lonzo Ball nearly a decade ago. Read more: 'It came down to me wanting to be back home': Nico Iamaleava details move to UCLA 'If you look at our athletic program,' Jarmond, who recently completed his fifth year on the job, told The Times, 'there's an energy and buzz that I feel we haven't had since I've been here, and that's why I'm most positive now.' At a recent player-run practice on campus, Jarmond watched Iamaleava step up in the pocket and fire a 50-yard pass down the sideline to wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer. 'Nico made a play that I don't know how many other guys in the country could make,' Jarmond said, 'and I was like, 'whoa.' Like, that's pretty cool, you know?' There's lots of intrigue to behold in Westwood these days. Read more: UCLA finds its Dylan Andrews replacement in former New Mexico standout Donovan Dent Fresh off a Final Four run, the women's basketball team bolstered itself with the additions of sharpshooter Gianna Kneepkens, a highly coveted transfer from Utah, and freshman Sienna Betts, the younger sister of All-America center Lauren Betts. Oh, and don't forget that softball slugger Megan Grant will make Pauley Pavilion a second home as part of her bid to become a two-sport standout. Grant will also once again combine with Jordan Woolery as perhaps the nation's top-hitting duo in their bid to help the softball team not only make it back to the Women's College World Series but win the whole thing this time. The baseball team that just made the College World Series is bringing back shortstop Roch Cholowsky, the probable No. 1 pick in the 2026 Major League Baseball draft, and recently learned that high school pitcher Angel Cervantes will play for the Bruins next season instead of the Pittsburgh Pirates after contract negotiations ended with the recent draftee. Jarmond said he was confident the team could continue to play at Jackie Robinson Stadium in 2026 after a judge issued a stay of legal proceedings that threatened to force the Bruins to go elsewhere. The men's water polo team will try to defend its national championship with Ryder Dodd trying to top a season in which the freshman scored a MPSF-record 102 goals. Read more: 'A huge moment': Martin Jarmond discusses UCLA's plans after House settlement After finishing as runner-up to national champion Oklahoma, the women's gymnastics team will welcome a top recruiting class plus the return of two-time Olympic medalist Jordan Chiles. Jarmond said he appreciates working for a university administration that understands the importance of supporting a strong Olympic sports program, particularly with the 2028 Summer Olympics headed to Los Angeles. 'This is the time to continue to invest in our Olympic sports and make sure that we have the excellence that UCLA is known for,' Jarmond said, 'and we're going to uphold that tradition.' Unlike other schools that have imposed student fees to help offset rising athletic department costs upon the onset of revenue sharing, UCLA officials have not discussed such a move, Jarmond said. The Bruins will instead focus on revenue generation through fundraising, ticket sales, sponsorships and new creative endeavors. The school plans to partner with an outside firm to help its athletes with content creation to boost their social media following, making them more attractive to brands that could hire them for name, image and likeness deals. Jarmond said he's not aware of any NIL deals involving UCLA athletes being rejected by the new College Sports Commission, though there remains a backlog of deals under review. Deals of $600 or more are evaluated by a clearinghouse called NIL Go to ensure they represent fair market value and a legitimate business purpose. The role of collectives in offering additional compensation to athletes beyond revenue sharing continues to evolve as part of a shift away from what was previously considered a hard cap on earnings. 'I'm optimistic that it's going to work out,' Jarmond said of maximizing earnings opportunities for athletes. 'I'm optimistic that we will adapt to whatever situation that presents itself based on hard cap, soft cap, whatever cap.' UCLA is also strengthening the infrastructure of its men's and women's basketball teams with the hiring of an assistant general manager for each sport to help with recruiting and navigating the transfer portal. When it comes to revenue sharing payments, Jarmond said he's leaving it up to coaches to dictate how much each player makes. Football coach DeShaun Foster said he divvied up his team's money based on talent, with general manager Khary Darlington and assistant general manager Steven Price assigning values for each player based on previous NFL front office experience dealing with salary structures. Read more: A courtside lounge? Dynamic ticket pricing? UCLA hopes new sports ventures will pay off 'They loved that we had people explaining to them how you're getting this money or why you're not getting this money,' Foster said of his players, 'and I think that resonated with them.' Across all sports, the Bruins are seeking a strong encore after an initial Big Ten season that saw the school place fifth in the Learfield Director's Cup standings, its best finish since 2018. UCLA athletes posted what Jarmond called a 'phenomenal' 3.22 grade-point average through winter quarter (the latest for which figures are available) despite the travel challenges presented by playing in a coast-to-coast conference. For UCLA athletics to reach the heights that Jarmond wants, its football and men's basketball teams must win big, and he believes the coaches and influx of talent on each of those teams will give them a chance to do so next season. Iamaleava's arrival has generated heightened excitement about a football team that went 5-7 in Foster's debut season. Jarmond said two recruits he met with on their campus visits mentioned the quarterback as one of the reasons they wanted to come to UCLA. 'You know, we just have more interest and buzz, and it's cool,' Jarmond said. 'I think DeShaun has created that, and Nico and the guys.' What excites Jarmond most is the potential to be on a victory lap that's picking up speed. 'This is a great time for UCLA athletics,' Jarmond said, 'and I feel like it's just the beginning.' Sign up for UCLA sports for big game takeaways, recruiting buzz and more UCLA sports insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
USA Today
16 minutes ago
- USA Today
Nebraska scheduled to host a top class of 2027 running back target
Nebraska football running back target Kylonn Hanie is planning to come back to campus this fall, according to a new report by On3's Bryan Munson. Haynie is the No. 40 overall running back in the 2027 class, and the third overall player in his class from the state of Nebraska per the Rivals recruiting rankings. He is very familiar with Nebraska and its campus, having visited the program eight times over the last year. The Huskers have been involved in his recruitment since last April. He most recently visited the program on April 3. He was effective at running the football in 2024, carrying the ball 146 times for 1,011 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry and had six games of 100-plus rushing yards. He also proved effective at catching the football, tallying 11 receptions for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Haine indicated that he liked Nebraska, but Kansas is recruiting him hard. Wisconsin is also recruiting him. That being said, he plans to attend a couple of Nebraska's home games, in addition to Wisconsin. It sounds like this recruitment is certainly one that the Huskers are in. It will be interesting to see how it progresses throughout the year, as he has several visits scheduled. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
