Iowa football comments on program's DL transfer portal additions

USA Today

2 days ago

As Iowa football prepares for a promising 2025 campaign, head coach Kirk Ferentz commented on what he expects out of transfer portal additions Jonah Pace and Bryce Hawthorne to the program's defensive line this fall.
"Well, it's just like recruiting high school players. You want to get guys that are going to have a chance to really fit in with what we are and how we do it, and both those guys have done a great job.
"So, there are two different stories in that. Jonah is a fifth-year guy or a sixth-year guy, whatever he is, but he's a grad transfer. So he's older and he'll help us, there's no question about that. And then, on the other hand, Bryce is a little bit younger, and the only thing he isn't is tall... But I'll tell you, he's got a great attitude. He's a really good football player," Ferentz said from Big Ten media days.
Hawthorne followed star quarterback Mark Gronowski from South Dakota State to Iowa for his redshirt sophomore season after recording 22 tackles (nine solo, 13 assisted), including 5.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and two quarterback hurries during 14 games played for the Jackrabbits in 2024.
As for Johan Pace, he joins the Hawkeyes as a redshirt senior from Central Michigan, where he made 55 career tackles (30 solo, 20 assisted), 12 tackles for loss that totaled 48 yards, five sacks, two pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one blocked kick in four years and 37 games played for the Chippewas.
Ferentz continued by sharing his confidence in the two transfer additions' ability to improve the team in areas of need this fall, but also praised their enthusiasm throughout offseason camp and into the season.
"So I'm really confident both those guys are going to really help us this year. They're going to play a lot of football. And that was kind of our approach. We looked at a couple spots where we really needed to address our depth issues, and both those guys are exactly what we were hoping for, just like the quarterbacks. So we're really lucky that way. You hope you bring guys in that are excited about coming, too. That's the other part of it. Both of those guys think their best place ever, which is great. That's what we want them to feel."
For Iowa, adding two capable bodies to a defensive line room that already features the talents of Max Llewellyn, Aaron Graves, Jeremiah Pittman, and Ethan Hurkett will only generate increased depth at a position group that ranks in the upper echelon of both the Big Ten and across the nation.
Given Iowa's dominance under defensive coordinator Phil Parker and line coach Kelvin Bell seemingly every season, the Hawkeyes could easily be viewed as favorites for the 2025 Joe Moore Award, which is given to the nation's top defensive line unit.
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