Iowa football: Redshirt decisions have big impacts on future Hawks

The Iowa football team announced a few redshirt decisions this week, and they have big impacts on the future of the Hawks.

After much speculation throughout the year, with two games left, the Iowa football team’s redshirt decisions are coming into a much clearer view, and Kirk Ferentz confirmed as much during his Tuesday press conference.

The first being running back Ivory Kelly-Martin, who has quite an interesting situation unfold for him over the last two years. As a sophomore, Kelly-Martin was named the starter heading into 2018 but began losing carries over the course of the year due to injury and the relatively stellar play of Mekhi Sargent.

Heading into this season it was expected he would again compete with Sargent and Toren Young for carries, but freshman sensation Tyler Goodson has stolen the show. Kelly-Martin, meanwhile, has taken a backseat. A month ago, we outlined why it would make sense for the running back to redshirt, and Kirk Ferentz confirmed the approach.

"He decided he wanted to redshirt, which I think is a smart decision at this point."

To be honest, I can’t see Kelly-Martin staying with the Iowa football team. If he does, then I give the guy some huge props because many college students these days would transfer for greener pastures and more playing time. At this point, one could only imagine he would still be entering the season as the fourth-string running back battling with redshirt freshman Shadrick Byrd and incoming freshman Gavin Williams for playing time.

The other three guys that are redshirting will be Julius Brents, Kaevon Merriweather and Justin Britt (barring any injuries).

Unless some bizarre scenario unfolds, and the Iowa football team made the Big Ten Championship Game, the Hawks only have three games left this season which means Brents will not burn his redshirt opportunity even though he is likely to play in the final two games of the season, especially with Michael Ojemudia coming back from injury. This is huge for the Hawks who will still get the electric corner for another three years as they spread out the depth of corners. Hankins will be a senior next year, Moss will be a junior, and Brents will be a redshirt sophomore.

Staying in the secondary, after starting the season in the starting lineup at free safety, Kaevon Merriweather got injured and lost his starting job to former walk-on Jack Koerner who is just a sophomore. Outside of a few key guys, the Iowa football team loves competition so Merriweather will be battling once again for a starting spot next year as a redshirt sophomore. If he does lose the battle, he will be in line to start when Koerner graduates. The redshirt essentially spreads out the depth of two starting-caliber safeties.

And finally, at guard, it appears true freshman Justin Britt will be redshirting as long as there are no more injuries along the offensive line. This is huge for the offensive line as this will give him four years to man the interior, an area where the Iowa football team has really struggled the last two years.

If his growth and development continue, there is no reason to think he won’t be a starter next year as a redshirt freshman alongside redshirt sophomore Tyler Linderbaum and redshirt junior Kyler Schott. For the first time in years, there would be some continuity along the offensive line, which could be huge for improving the offensive production and protecting next year’s new starting quarterback.