The Iowa Hawkeyes Triple Threat: Profiling Three Defensive Stars

Every good defense has at least one two or three strong players that help make it great. Some collegiate teams may have more than that while some are lucky just to have one.

IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 2: Linebacker Josey Jewell /

For the Iowa Hawkeyes, there are three key players who stand out on defense. Who are they and how have they helped make Iowa’s defense one of the toughest in the nation?

If you have watched any of the games that the Iowa Hawkeyes have played so far, this season, you may have noticed that their defense is one of the strongest in all of college football. Seeing them take on the like of Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen and not allow him to beat them had to make you realize that there was something special going on in Iowa City.

Sure, they may have allowed Penn State’s Saquon Barkley to have a big day, but they put up a great fight against the Nittany Lions and almost won.

If you are a football fan, you understand that winning football games starts up front in the trenches. Iowa has had several good defensive linemen in the past. Adrian Clayborn comes to mind as does Jaleel Johnson.

This season, Iowa is poised to continue the legacy of solid defensive line play.

The Hawks have an up and coming defensive lineman in Anthony Nelson. Nelson, a defensive end, has been playing very well this season and is poised to have a strong year.

Iowa Hawkeyes Football /

Iowa Hawkeyes Football

Nelson, a sophomore out of Urbandale Iowa, is playing his second season after playing in all 13 games last year with one start. Johnson is currently the starter at the left defensive end spot and has not been a disappointment.

Through four games, Nelson has accumulated 20 total tackles with 11 of those being solo. He has had five sacks with two and a half coming against Penn State. He also has one forced fumble, and two passes defended.

Nelson did miss the entire second half of the Hawkeyes victory against North Texas with an injury but bounced back and was productive in Iowa’s next two games.

Now he is poised to help Iowa’s defense curb opponents passing attacks with a strong pass rush and contain running plays to the left side of Iowa’s defense.

There has been a lot of coverage on middle linebacker Josey Jewell before so I won’t touch on him too much here.

His outstanding play and leadership have been vital to the success of Iowa’s defense this season. Jewell had an outstanding first week of the season and then in Week Four against Penn State, he shined again.

Jewell has become one of the most recognized defenders in the nation.

Through six games, Jewell has recorded 68 total tackles with 36 of those solo. He has had two and a half sacks; four defended passes and one interception.

His two biggest games of the year were against Penn State and Michigan State with 16 total tackles. He had an interception against Penn State as well. Jewell had two sacks on Wyoming’s Josh Allen in the Hawkeye’s first game of the season signaling a strong start to the season.

The awards that Jewell has received for his performance, this season are stacking up. In Week One, he received the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against Wyoming. Against Penn State, Jewell was named the Bronco Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week and Bednarik Award Player of the Week.

But while the accolades keep coming, you can bet that Jewell hopes the wins come as well.

Another thing about Jewell that separates him from other defenders is his toughness. A perfect example of that came this Saturday against Illinois. Jewell hit the runner so hard you could hear the pop all the way up in the stands. After the hit, Jewell popped up and headed to the sideline with his right arm dangling down to his side.

A little while later, number 43 was back in the game and playing. This a perfect example of his toughness and dedication.

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The middle linebacker position is a very important position in a 4-3 set. Jewell has done exceedingly well in that role and is positioning himself to be one of the top defenders in the country. He helps make Iowa’s defense one of the toughest in the nation and is its most consistent player. Jewell hardly ever has a bad game.

Finally, when you talk about great defenses, there typically has to be a player who can be a star in the secondary. Whether it’s a cornerback or a safety, you need to have someone back there who can contain the opponent’s best receiver or help stop a running back from gaining getting a big play.

After seeing every Iowa game this year, there is one player who stood out so well in just one game of action; it appears as if he will be a vital part of the secondary the rest of the season.

That player is safety Brandon Snyder.

Snyder tore the ACL in his left knee in Iowa’s practice this past April and is now just getting back to game action. His first start this year came against Illinois this Saturday, and he did not disappoint. Snyder picked off Illini quarterback Jeff George Jr. and brought the interception back 89 yards for a touchdown. The score helped solidify Iowa’s win over the Illini and signaled Snyder is back and ready to play.

On the day, Snyder did have three total tackles with two solo. He had two passes defended to go along with the interception return. Snyder did slip on a couple of tackles which saw the runner gain a few extra yards. Perhaps it was just some rust that he needed to knock off.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 05: Gerald Holmes /

You can see that Snyder is ready to go again after a productive sophomore season in which he was a starter for all of Iowa’s 13 games. In 2016, he hauled in three interceptions, forced three fumbles recovering two. Snyder had 85 tackles which was ranked third on the team.

So, by not having him for the first five games, Iowa was missing one of their most productive defenders.

Hopefully, he can stay healthy and contribute the rest of this season.

With Jewell being a senior this year he will leave Iowa one of its most celebrated defenders. He leaves the defense in the capable hands of Nelson and Snyder who will help carry on the great tradition of defense in Iowa City.

Continue to expect some big things this year from Jewell in 2017’s remaining games. But you will also hear the names Jackson and Snyder being mentioned as two of Iowa’s great defenders not only this season but also beyond it.

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