Iowa football: Four position battles to watch in 2019

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 06: Jake Gervase #30 and Julius Brents #20 of the Iowa Hawkeyes break up a pass intended for Chris Autman-Bell #3 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the second quarter of the game on October 6, 2018 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

Position Battle #2: Cornerback

Heading into the 2018 season, the cornerback position was somewhat of a question mark with the departure of Josh Jackson for the NFL. The Iowa football team knew they had talent and they had two “veterans” in Matt Hankins and Michael Ojemudia that had received playing time in the past, but behind those two guys was a ton of youth.

With Hankins and Ojemudia getting injured earlier in the season, it forced the Hawkeye’s hand and had them starting two true freshman, Julius Brents and Riley Moss. The results were mixed. While Brents played consistently well, Moss was up and down and his performance in the Purdue game caused Kirk to subsequently bench him.

Heading into 2019, Hankins and Ojemudia have the clear advantage in experience, but Kirk’s willingness to stick with Brents and Moss during a crucial stretch of the season says all you need to know about what the coaches think of these two young guys. A few recent recruits saw the writing on the wall too and decided do transfer.

Kirk also made note that the Iowa football coaches (as they should be) are always evaluating the players during practice so in position groups like corner, it will be a constant battle. With four guys having starter’s experience, this will be one of the more intriguing battles to watch heading into spring practice.

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