Long-time Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker is not a man of many words. He tries to stay out of the spotlight and focuses on player development.
While many media members rank him as the best defensive coordinator in college football, he does not care about those rankings or accolades and wants to prepare his guys to be the best they can be.
Parker spoke to several media members over the week during an open practice and discussed the status of some of the position groups and the value he places on players being able to play multiple positions.
In a portion of his open media availability on Saturday that was posted by 247 Sports, Parker discussed the defensive backs, linebacker group, and the depth they have this season.
Parker mentioned that the more positions you can play, the better it is for you and for the team. This is especially true in Xavier Nwankpa's case.
The senior defensive back has shifted from strong safety to free safety to move back to a position he feels the most comfortable in.
Parker noted that with Nwankpa in a different position, that opens up the strong safety and CASH positions on the back end of the defense.
Parker also noted that he has been impressed with transfer defensive back Shahid Barros. Barros is in his first season with the Hawkeyes after transferring from South Dakota.
Barros has acclimated to the Iowa culture quickly thanks to a very similar defensive scheme at South Dakota, and he is easily in the mix for a spot in the secondary this season.
The final topics of discussion with Parker centered around the defensive line and linebacker groups. Parker stated that they have a good group of linebackers and there is stiff competition right now.
Iowa lost star linebacker Jay Higgins to the 2025 NFL Draft and must find a way to replace his leadership and production.
Parker has also been impressed with the veteran defensive line group, with transfers Bryce Hawthorne (South Dakota State) and Jonah Pace (Central Michigan) giving the defensive line more depth.
Overall, Parker gave a small glimpse into his defensive group for next season as the team continues to prepare for its first game on August 30 against UAlbany.