24-04-2025
Phil Parker gives new name to watch in Iowa football defensive back room
Phil Parker gives new name to watch in Iowa football defensive back room
The Iowa Hawkeyes have never been afraid to be creative when it comes to seeking out what players can help them be the most effective at positions that may not be where they started.
Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker has been around the game forever, constructing some of the top defenses in the country year after year, and has an eye for new talent. His newest project is seeking out defensive secondary talent in some unusual places.
Parker turned to the offensive side of the ball to seek out talent and is in the process of converting Alex Mota, a wide receiver, into a defensive back, and brought up his practices unprovoked, which says a lot from the normally tight-lipped defensive coordinator.
"Yeah. When he came over, obviously he had a wrist problem, and he was trying to practice with a club on his hand and stuff, so it was a little hard for him.
"In the last two or three weeks, I see the progress, what he's done. He's made some really good plays. He's starting to get comfortable with what he has to do. It's a little different on offense. They give you a play, you have to do it, you have to adjust.
"It's different. You know where you are going instead of reacting. I think he's doing a really good job and improving. It's going to take over the summer and camp to say, Hey, this kid has a chance to go out there and compete," Parker said about Mota making the switch.
Alex Mota, a junior next fall, joined Iowa as a wide receiver with a 6-foot, 193 pound frame but has moved to defensive back since being with the program.
A local product out of Marion High School in Marion, Iowa, Alex Mota was heralded as a three-star recruit ranked as the No. 34 athlete and No. 6 overall recruit from the state of Iowa in the class of 2023, per 247Sports.
With openings and question marks in the secondary for Iowa, Mota's athleticism and ball skills could be a vital attribute that Phil Parker is seeking. As spring ball nears its conclusion and Iowa heads into summer camp and training camp, Alex Mota is a name to monitor for playing time in the secondary in 2025.
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