PREGAME
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23 | IOWA VS. MARYLAND |
SECU STADIUM
The Daily Iowan
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5 things to watch
Matt McGowan Pregame Editor matt.mcgowan@dailyiowan.com
1. Top receiver talent
Maryland likes to hail itself as Wide Receiver U, and there’s some evidence to its claim. Star NFL wideouts DJ Moore and Stefon Diggs were both Terrapins back in the 2010s. This year, Maryland boasts another receiver with pro prospects. Senior Tai Felton is the Big Ten’s only 1,000-yard receiver and has five touchdowns over Maryland’s last four games. With at least 30 more catches than any other Maryland wideout this season, Felton is the focal point for the Terrapin offense and will have to be neutralized. This will be a test for the Iowa cornerbacks.
2. Iowa QB question mark
in the FBS in rushing defense. In those contests – against Ohio State, UCLA, and Michigan State – Iowa averaged 109.7 yards on the ground, a far cry from the 208.1 its averaging on the season.
Maryland ranks 30th in the FBS in rushing defense, yielding only 115.4 yards per game. Headlined by linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II with 47 tackles, the Terrapins will make for a tough afternoon for Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson.
Given that Iowa’s ground game will be less dynamic with Sullivan on the sidelines, Johnson or fellow backs Kamari Moulton and Jaziun Patterson will shoulder the workload. Featuring two running backs in the backfield more often would be a good idea.
4. Tight end reliance
With quarterback Brendan Sullivan out this week due to an ankle injury, Cade McNamara returns to the top of the depth chart after missing two games with a con cussion. Yet this standing isn’t set in stone for head coach Kirk Ferentz, who said Tuesday that McNamara is cleared to play but still “progressing back.” This hesitating to commit to McNamara reveals a reali stic chance walk-on Jackson Stratton earns his first career start with the Hawkeyes. While not as experienced as McNamara by career comparison, Stratton has more recent reps with the starters and could be a smoother transition. Ferentz said he would feel “a heck of a lot more comfortable” with Stratton under center now than before the UCLA game.
Outside of the Sullivan news, Iowa notched two key returns from injury. Tight ends Luke Lachey and Addison Ostrenga are back atop the depth chart. Despite missing the Hawkeyes’ last two games, Lachey still ranks second on the team in receiving yards and catches. Having Lachey, an Athlon preseason second-team All-Big Ten member, up and running can only help an offense undergoing its third quarterback change of the season.
Lachey can be an easy security blanket on third down for Stratton or any quarterback. Since Maryland ranks last in the Big Ten in sacks, the quarterback doesn’t have to be weary of staying in the pocket.
5. Road response
Whoever starts on Saturday won’t have the same potential as Sullivan but needs to avoid turnovers. But will Ferentz make a midgame switch?
3. Run game improvement
Three of Iowa’s four losses this season have come against teams ranked top-50
Iowa defensive lineman Ethan Hurkett said on Tuesday there’s a fine line between being prepared and being ready to go, with the latter being the superior option. So far on the road this year, the Hawkeyes lacked this readiness. In three of its four road trips, Iowa faced halftime deficits. In addition, three of Iowa’s four highest conceded point totals arrived on the road.
While Maryland’s SECU Stadium isn’t known as a tough environment for opposing teams, Iowa can’t stroll in with an air of comfort. Playing from behind with a second-string quarterback never goes well.
DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
QB 12 Cade McNamara Sr 19 Jackson Stratton Soph
RB 2 Kaleb Johnson Jr 28 Kamari Moulton #Fr
WR 0 Jarriett Buie #Fr 7 Dayton Howard #Fr
WR 6 Seth Anderson Jr 21 Kayden Wetjen Sr
WR 5 Jacob Gill Jr 8 Terrell Washington Jr. #Fr
TE 85 Luke Lachey Sr 87 Addison Ostrenga Jr
LT 78 Mason Richman Sr 59 Trevor Lauck #Fr
LG 70 Beau Stephens Jr 58 Kade Pieper #Fr
C 65 Logan Jones Sr 76 Tyler Elsbury Sr
RG 77 Connor Colby Sr 53 Michael Myslinski Jr
RT 67 Gennings Dunker Jr 56 Nick DeJong Sr
PK 18 Drew Stevens Jr
DEFENSE
LE 45 Deontae Craig Sr 48 Max Llewellyn Jr
LT 95 Aaron Graves Jr 57 Will Hubert Soph
RT 94 Yahya Black Sr 55 Jeremiah Pittman Jr
RE 49 Ethan Hurkett Sr 90 Brian Allen Soph
OFFENSE
QB 9 Billy Edwards Jr. Jr
7 MJ Morris Soph
RB 24 Roman Hemby Jr 23 Colby McDonald Sr
WRX 1 Kaden Prather Sr 87 Robert Smith Jr
WRZ 10 Tai Felton Sr 4 Shaleak Knotts Jr
WRSL 5 Octavion Smith Jr. Jr 11 Ryan Manning #Fr
TE 85 Preston Howard Soph 0 Dylan Wade Soph
LT 55 Andre Roye Jr. Soph 58 Marcus Dumervil Sr
LG 57 Isaac Bunyun Sr 56 Tamarus Walker #Fr
C 70 Josh Kaltenberger Sr 61 Michael Hershey Fr
RG 66 Aliou Bah Soph 75 Ryan Howerton Fr
RT 71 Alan Herron Jr 72 Terez Davis Fr
PK 91 Jack Howes Jr DEFENSE
DE 19 Donnell Brown Sr 0 Neeo Avery #Fr
DT 8 Jordan Phillips Soph 40 Taizse Johnson Sr
DT 7 Tommy Akingbesote Sr 46 Dillan Fontus Soph
JACK 45 Kellan Wyatt Jr 42 DJ Samuels Soph
CASH/ LEO
29 Sebastian Castro Sr 37 Kyler Fisher Sr
MLB 34 Jay Higgins Sr 41 Jaden Harrell Jr
WLB 10 Nick Jackson Sr 43 Karson Sharar Jr
CB 27 Jermari Harris Sr 3 Jaylen Watson Fr
SS 1 Xavier Nwankpa Jr 4 Koen Entringer Soph
FS 30 Quinn Schulte Sr 6 Zach Lutmer #Fr
CB 8 Deshaun Lee Soph 2 TJ Hall Jr
P 9 Rhys Dakin Fr
MLB 44 Kaleb Wheatland Jr 31 Michael Harris Soph WLB 4 Ruben Hyppolite II Sr 16 Daniel Wingate Soph
NB 1 Glendon Miller Sr 17 Lionell Whitaker Jr
CB 20 Perry Fisher Soph 2 Braydon Lee Fr
SS 12 Dante Trader Jr. Sr 41 Rex Fleming Sr
FS 6 Brandon Jacob Fr 34 Lavain Scruggs Soph
CB 22 Jalen Huskey Jr 11 Kevyn Humes Fr
P 34 Bryce McFerson Soph
Lachey
Ostrenga
Felton
Stratton
Mixing preparation with improvisation
The Iowa football equipment staff embraced adaptability on its 2,000-mile trip to California.
Brad Schultz Assistant Sports Editor brad.schultz@dailyiowan.com
Two thousand miles. Two days. These numbers didn’t apply to most of the Iowa football team when it traveled to Pasadena, California, for a game against UCLA on Nov. 8.
For players and coaches, road trips are an opportunity to kick their feet up and relax on a chartered flight. Leave the day before the game and arrive in a few hours.
For equipment staff, an away game means time spent behind the wheel – in this case, 26 hours. This regular-season westward trip was Iowa’s first since 2010, when it traveled to Arizona in September.
Fourteen years later, the team’s black-andgold, 18-wheel semi truck made a similar journey across the country. But the venture from the gray skies of Iowa City to the palm trees of Pasadena wasn’t a straight shot – like any trek, it contained its fair share of detours. Amid all the equipment team’s preparation, there’s room for improvisation – both inside the truck and on the sidelines.
Enter Kevin Foor, the Director of Equipment Operations for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Foor is in his third year as the head equipment manager and 24th overall with the Hawkeyes.
As director, Foor’s job is to oversee all of the equipment staff for all 22 Iowa athletic teams. One of his main duties is football, a role that he took over from long-time manager Greg Morris prior to the 2024 season.
During a typical away game, Foor and his team will load the truck on the Wednesday before the game. But since the UCLA game took place on a Friday, the process was moved up a day.
“It’s just basically a day earlier, not a whole lot different,” Foor said. “It’s just a lot farther.”
Despite the magnitude of the trip, the planning process was identical to any other game.
“It’s not a whole lot different, just because it’s still the same stuff that we take, no matter whether we’re just going to Illinois or going to UCLA, take the same stuff,” Foor said. “Obviously, people look forward to it because UCLA is in Los Angeles.”
Once the big day arrives, Foor and his four student managers will pack the truck after Iowa’s morning practice with the goal of finishing their job by mid-morning to allow the truck to begin its trip. After the truck is loaded
and ready to drive, the job then falls on the shoulders of truck driver Joe Claeys.
Claeys is in his fourth season as the Hawkeyes’ driver and has been a truck driver for over 38 years, including 37 years with Heartland Express Inc., a trucking company based in nearby North Liberty, Iowa.
Claeys earned the job after becoming the most senior driver on Heartland’s staff and has built up an impressive track record during his lengthy career.
“He’s very reliable,” Foor said. “He’s one of Heartland’s best drivers. To my understanding, he has over 3 million miles logged without an accident, which 3 million miles alone is hard to fathom, and doing so without an accident is even more impressive.”
Foor only sees Claeys for about an hour while the truck is being loaded for away games but praises the mild-mannered driver for his consistency.
“He’s always from point A to point B; always shows up,” Foor said. “He’s there when we get there, which is a good thing, and he’s a fairly quiet guy, so sometimes you don’t even know he’s around.”
Claeys is normally the sole driver for shorter road trips, but the longer distance required second driver Ad Dunbar, who will also be needed in the trip for Saturday’s game at College Park, Maryland, when Iowa takes on the Maryland Terrapins.
Other two-driver trips occur when Penn State or Rutgers is on the schedule, but otherwise the
primary driver is Claeys. He drove each of the Hawkeyes’ treks to Minnesota, Michigan State, and Ohio State.
Like Foor and the equipment staff, Claeys’ preparation for this trip was the same except for one main factor – the weather.
“We’re absolutely looking for weather in the Rockies, and they’ll have to determine which route to take,” Foor said before the trip. “They won’t probably look until they take off to see which route they want to go and make sure all of the roads are open.”
And that’s precisely what happened.
During the trip, a large snowstorm struck the state of Colorado, making roads impassable.
Cody Blissett | The Daily Iowan
The Iowa football equipment truck is seen outside of the Rose Bowl Stadium before a football game between Iowa and UCLA in Pasadena, California on Nov. 8. The Bruins defeated the Hawkeyes, 20-17.
Foor
TRUCK from 3
According to the National Weather Service, the storm was the third-largest November snowstorm on record for Denver and its 11th-largest overall.
Since the journey would take drivers right through Denver, Claeys had no choice but to pivot and drive south through New Mexico and Arizona, costing them about 200 more miles of driving.
“We were a little more cognizant of the weather,” Claeys added.
Driving to California is no easy task, especially with an 18-wheeler. Despite the weather challenges, the rest of the trek was a smooth ride.
To pass the time on these long trips, Claeys will often listen to podcasts or music, especially country music. Claeys reminisced about older country artists such as Alabama, a band that coincidentally has a 1984 song titled “Roll On,” which describes a family staying up late at night waiting for their trucker father to come home.
“That’s the good stuff,” Claeys said. Both drivers also like to watch movies or shows when not behind the wheel, and there was always beautiful scenery along the way, especially when they enter the foothills of California.
Family road trips will often see many stops, but not this trip. Claeys and his team have a strict schedule to keep, so stops are limited to food and fuel to keep the truck moving.
That schedule also forced the drivers to sleep in the cab instead of stopping for a hotel room, and the two drivers switched between sleeping and driving throughout the trip in order to get to the Rose Bowl on time.
All of this paid off, resulting in the drivers arriving at the stadium before their set time. The truck needed to be in Pasadena by 4:30 p.m. Pacific on Thursday but ended up arriving three hours earlier.
“We like to get there a little early just in case there are some delays,” Claeys said.
Once the truck rolled up to the stadium gate, UCLA staff directed the drivers to the landing zone on the press box side of the stadium, which houses the visiting locker rooms.
“They’ll open up the visitors’ locker room, room, then we’ll wait for the crew to get there,” Claeys said. “This time we got help, and we unloaded most of the trailer before the crew got there. So then we just set up the locker room on Thursday night.”
The Rose Bowl celebrated 100 years of operation this season, but Foor said that its locker rooms are among the best in college football. Recent renovations to the venue included new locker rooms, with each having similar dimensions and amenities to accommodate the teams playing in the annual Rose Bowl Game.
“It was massive,” Foor said. “It’s 50 yards long. I mean, it’s huge. It’s got 89 lockers in it.
The Iowa football equipment truck is docked and loaded at Hansen Football Performance Center in Iowa City on Nov. 5. The truck will make the 900-mile trip to Maryland ahead of the Hawkeyes’ game against Maryland on Nov. 23.
It’s got a large coaches locker room, another auxiliary locker room for all the support staff, graduate assistants, analysts, operations folks. It’s more than ideal.”
But not all of the Big Ten’s visiting locker rooms are immaculate. Foor has been to plenty of locker rooms during his career and offered his least favorite options. Foor said that Purdue hasn’t changed its facility in over 30 years, dating back to when he was a UI student. He also considers the setup at Maryland as a “cracker box.”
Once the locker room is ready to go, Foor and his team head back to their hotel and rest up for a busy game day. Along with providing the necessary equipment needed for the game, new
“It was a place that I had always seen on TV and wanted to see. It had a much wider sideline than any other place I’ve ever been to.”
Joe Claeys Iowa equipment truck driver
technology has added another task to the list.
Prior to the 2024 season, the NCAA legalized coach-to-player communication, something that has existed in the National Football League since 1994. Only one player on each side of the field is allowed to have the system — the quarterback on offense and usually the middle linebacker on defense.
“You want to make sure that the volume is set good enough so he can hear his coach talk to him in his headset,” Foor said.
In March, Foor visited the Kansas City Chiefs
a natural grass surface, something that was also in place at Michigan State, where Iowa visited back on Oct.19. To adjust to the change, players will have multiple pairs of cleats.
One of the shoes is molded, meaning that its studs and bumps are permanently placed in the sole, but some players use cleats that Foor called “seven studs” due to the temporary studs placed into the shoe for better footing.
The staff is also responsible for monitoring any weather that could arrive during the game. It didn’t happen on this night, but rain jackets and special shoes are ready just in case, which for Foor is “a real pain” to prepare.
While the equipment staff is busy tending to any football-related needs, Claeys’ job is simple. He gets to watch the game from the sideline with field passes, which means plenty of interactions with the players and head coach Kirk Ferentz, whom he says is a “nice guy.”
But this wasn’t just any stadium, it was the historic Rose Bowl Stadium, a venue that has played host to some of college football’s most legendary games.
“It was a place that I had always seen on TV and wanted to see,” Claeys said. “It had a much wider sideline than any other place I’ve ever been to.”
equipment staff to acquaint himself with the technology. The system that the Chiefs use is identical to Iowa’s, making the technology “quite simple,” according to Foor.
The system is manufactured by GSC, a company based in Wahoo, Nebraska. The company preprograms the various frequencies, which are used by all of the Power Four college football teams.
“It just ties in with our coach’s headphone system and basically through a walkie-talkie,” Foor said.
Foor and his team’s knowledge of the system would quickly be tested during the UCLA game.
Starting quarterback Brendan Sullivan was injured in the third quarter and left the game, but the staff had already prepared a helmet for backup Jackson Stratton, who remained the starter for the rest of the game.
The same issue also emerged on the defensive side of the ball when star middle linebacker Jay Higgins went down with a soft tissue injury in the second quarter. Higgins tried to return to the game but left after his next series after the injury caused him further discomfort. Backup linebacker Jackson Harell entered the game in Higgins’ place.
“We had a backup helmet for him [Harell] that was already on the right channel for him,” Foor said. “We do that during pregame.”
Foor and his team also watch carefully for any damaged helmets to avoid having players sit out for an extended period. The natural rough, ragged play of the game can rip facemasks off, bend clips, or even chip off a piece of the helmet.
“We’re just constantly looking to find issues,” Foor said.
The Hawkeyes play their home games at Kinnick Stadium on turf, but the Rose Bowl has
The experience is a dream for Claeys, who grew up in Iowa City and is a lifelong Hawkeye fan. He’s witnessed some of the most memorable teams in Iowa history, such as the 1985 Big Ten championship squad, but pivots toward one play as his favorite.
“Definitely the 2005 Capital One Bowl when [quarterback] Drew Tate and [receiver] Warren Holloway had that last-second pass that won the game,” Claeys said.
That 1985 Hawkeye football squad earned a bid to the 1986 Rose Bowl but suffered a dismal 45-28 defeat. More than three decades later, the 2024 squad endured a similar fate against UCLA in Week 11.
The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, but the aforementioned injuries allowed the Bruins to mount a comeback, and they held on for a 20-17 victory. It marked the Hawkeyes’ fifth consecutive loss in the Rose Bowl. Their last win was in 1959.
To ensure the team leaves the stadium in a timely manner after the game, Foor and his staff began to pack up the truck in the third quarter. They couldn’t get everything in the truck right away, but it sped up the process.
Once the game ended, some of the Iowa players headed over to the postgame press conferences, while most got dressed and ready for the trip home. As the players were being interviewed, the truck was meticulously packed full with large, black crates.
The process took roughly one hour, and then it’s time to drive back to Iowa City.
While players and coaches most likely stewed over the loss on the flight back later that night, Foors and Claeys can hold their heads up high for a job well done.
“Besides the game, everything else was successful,” Claeys said.
Jessy Lane | The Daily Iowan
Weekly Wager
PETE RUDEN College Football Editor, Action Network Daily Iowan alumnus
The Daily Iowan’s official bettor’s guide to Iowa football’s Week 13 matchup with Maryland.
MATT MCGOWAN Pregame Editor
+6.5
The Terrapins could win this one ouright. Their main weakness on defense is the one area Iowa can’t exploit: the secondary. When it comes to defending the ground game, Maryland sits at 48th in Rushing Success Rate allowed — higher than Iowa’s mark of 54th offensively.
Without Brendan Sullivan at quarterback, Iowa’s offense won’t have the same dynamism that led to its 40-point outbursts against Wisconsin and Northwestern. Maryland will know full well Iowa will keep the ball on the ground and can stop the Hawkeye attack with its strong rush defense.
Iowa’s defense can’t successfully attack Maryland’s secondary, while the Terps’ ground game — which ranks 109th in success rate and 70th in expected points added — shouldn’t find much of anything against the Hawkeyes. That renders both offenses one-dimensional.
KANSAS +3
The Jayhawks have figured it out, scoring 27 points in six straight games, and will force a shootout with an error-prone Colorado team.
YTD: $1,010
Once again, a Sullivan-less offense doesn’t produce points. Maryland’s offense isn’t a slouch, but it hasn’t scored more than 25 points since an Oct. 19 contest against USC. In the end, this total is just too high for an Iowa football game. Back to last year’s old reliable.
OLE
MISS -9
The Rebels are coming off a bye and have the FBS’ top pass rush and most efficient quarterback. Florida should be no problem.
Each week during the Iowa football season, Daily Iowan Pregame Editor Matt McGowan and Action Network College Football Editor
Pete Ruden will place three hypothetical bets of $100. The score of the contest will be kept in the piggy banks to the right and left with a winner to be declared at the end of the season.
Ruden’s 2024 record: 11-18-1
YTD: $1,454
McGowan’s 2024 record: 16-14
Friday | 7 p.m. |
Purdue (1-9, 0-7)
Michigan State (4-6, 2-5)
Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI
Having Purdue on prime time is rough, not to mention it’s playing a bottom-half conference foe. The Spartans dominate in this one.
Line: Michigan State -13.5 O/U: 48.5
Saturday | 11 a.m. |
Illinois (7-3, 4-3)
Rutgers (6-4, 3-4)
SHI Stadium
Piscataway, NJ
I’m surprised to see Rutgers is favored in this one. These teams are relatively close, but don’t be surprised if Illinois gets the win in New Jersey.
Line: Illinois -1 O/U: 47.5
Saturday | 11 a.m. |
No. 5 Indiana (10-0, 7-0)
No. 2 OSU (9-1, 6-1) Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH
Power Rankings Game Guide
Saturday | 11 a.m. |
Iowa (6-4, 4-3) Maryland (4-6, 1-6)
SECU Stadium College Park, MD
The Hawkeyes might have Jackson “Shaggy” Stratton as the starter. Iowa should come out on top regardless.
Line: Iowa -6.5 O/U: 46.5
Saturday | 2:30 p.m. |
No. 4 Penn State (9-1, 6-1) Minnesota (6-4, 4-3)
Huntington Bank Stadium Minneapolis, MN
Minnesota pulled off the upsets over then-No. 11 USC and then-No. 24 Illinois and have a chance to do it again against Penn State at home.
Line: Penn State -11.5 O/U: 44.5
Saturday | 2:30 p.m. |
Wisconsin (5-5, 3-4) Nebraska (5-5, 2-5) Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE
Saturday | 2:30 p.m. |
Northwestern (4-6, 2-5) Michigan (5-5, 3-4)
Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI
Nothing to see here, just a Michigan team slowly declining with each passing week versus a subpar Northwestern team. Indeed a snoozefest.
Line: Michigan -10.5 O/U: 36.5
1. Oregon
A Pac-12 team came to the Big Ten and took over the football landscape.
2. Ohio State
One more Buckeye loss, and it’s a failed season for them.
3. Indiana
Curt Cignetti is proof that having the right head coach can change an entire program.
4. Penn State
The Nittany Lions are the quietest top-five team we’ve seen in a while.
5. Iowa
Very much an up-and-down season, though sitting tied for fifth in the Big Ten standings.
6. Minnesota
For the sake of the program, Iowa cannot finish below Minnesota.
Saturday | 9:30 p.m. |
USC (5-5, 3-5) UCLA (4-6, 3-5) Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA
Same matchup, different conference. Two former Pac12 teams holding its annual meeting. I’ll put my money on USC in this one.
Line: USC -4.5 O/U: 51.5
7. Illinois
I can’t think of anything for Illinois. Nothing special about this team.
8. Washington
Fun fact: The Huskies are undefeated at home and 0-4 on the road.
9. Nebraska
Would be a ranked team if not for the offensive struggles thus far.
10. Wisconsin
Just mid. Very mid.
11. Michigan
The downfall of Michigan needs to be studied.
12. USC
A 5-5 record, yet the Trojans have outscored their opponents by 83.
The game of the week. This will be Indiana’s biggest test of the season and it can validate its perfect season.
Line: Ohio State -12
O/U: 51.5
Two red teams with letters for logos. Thrilling. Watching crops grow would be more entertaining. But that’s what their fans do anyway.
Line: Nebraska -2.5 O/U: 42..5
13. Rutgers
At least its men’s basketball team will be elite with Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey.
14. Michigan State
I had faith in the Spartans early on but not anymore.
15. UCLA
A team outscored by 83 points on the season shouldn’t be 4-6.
16. Maryland
Not a terrible football team. Just a competitive conference.
17. Northwestern
The game against Ohio State at Wrigley was a bad idea.
18. Purdue
Continuing to be the Big Ten’s most disappointing football program.
Chris Meglio Pregame Reporter
For Jermari Harris, learning never stops
The Iowa cornerback takes a process-oriented approach in his final season with the Hawkeyes.
Matt McGowan Pregame Editor matt.mcgowan @dailyiowan.com
Walking around the streets of Chicago as a kid, Jermari Harris mainly saw two things – a basketball court on nearly every corner and skyscrapers looming overhead. These dual sights conjured two competing visions – a star on the hardwood and a leader of a business.
“I always saw myself [in] downtown Chicago with a suit and suitcase,” Harris said. “Around the architecture, it’s a different feeling when you’re down there.”
Now at 24-years-old, Harris goal remains on track, but his route to that achievement wasn’t through collegiate basketball, but football at the University of Iowa. Despite taking to the gridiron late in his career, Harris entered college with an added sense of responsibility.
Over his six years with the Hawkeyes, the cornerback saw these responsibilities expand –he just had to prioritize.
A leader. A student-athlete. A mentor. Blending these three identities forged Harris’character as he approaches his final two regular season games with the Hawkeyes.
“You can try to gather as much information as you can early on, because you never know who might be able to help you in the future,” Harris said. “Time isn’t for certain.”
Surrounded by basketball growing up in the Windy City, Harris couldn’t help but love the sport. For him, it was “poetry in motion,” but thanks to his grandfather, football kept calling. A fan of the Chicago Bears, Harris’ grandfather watched the team every Sunday with his grandson. This routine exposure unlocked an attention to detail in Harris, who went an extra step to help out his hometown team.
Armed with a pen and paper, Harris drew up an offensive play for then-Bears head coach Lovie Smith.
“My granddad can attest to this. I don’t know if he sent it, but it’s the thought that counts,” Harris said with a smile.
Starting at age 10, Harris played football for three years but dropped the sport until he got to his junior year of high school at Montini Catholic. While he hadn’t played the sport at that advanced of a level, Harris said he knew he had the athleticism to make the transition.
Emboldened by a love for contact, Harris started his career at safety, but didn’t see much action due to a shoulder injury. That summer, he switched to cornerback. The quickness he gained from his basketball days shallowed the learning curve, but Harris wanted a challenge.
Playing 7-on-7 for Midwest Boom that summer, Harris went up against the likes of future NFL players in wide receiver George Pickens and quarterback Bo Nix.
“Playing up against those guys going into my senior year, I had momentum,” Harris said.
This preparation paid off in Harris’ final season with the Broncos, as he earned secondteam all-state honors after recording 72 tackles, eight interceptions, and five pass break-ups. Harris had an offer from Northern Illinois but had his sights set on higher competition. After looking into the program and its coaching staff, he knew Iowa was the place to be.
“Doing my homework, just realizing a lot of guys who are successful had a similar background as me: a two-star, three-star athlete who played multiple sports,” Harris said of Iowa. “I decided that’s the place I wanted to go. And people told me I was crazy for that, because I just started playing football.”
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz took notice of Harris late during his prep career, and it was more than just the impressive statistics. Located in Lombard, Illinois, Montini Catholic is an hour-long drive from Chicago. For Harris, this meant taking the bus and two train trips on a routine basis.
“It wasn’t easy for him,” Ferentz said of Harris. “Tells you a little something about his personality. I think he had perseverance, and it was serious to him. He recognized a good opportunity, so he sacrificed a little bit to make it happen.”
Harris only played in eight games over his first two seasons at Iowa, and when the latter half of his career approached, the words of former Iowa
“It
everyone gets beat. This happened to Harris in Iowa’s 2021 Big Ten title game against Michigan, where the cornerback gave up a pair of touchdowns to the Wolverines.
Just weeks later, Harris had one of his best performances of the season in the Citrus Bowl against Kentucky, where he snagged an interception and two pass break-ups.
“That’s something I’m proud of, because I feel
wasn’t easy for him. Tells you a little something about his personality. I think he had perseverance, and it was serious to him. He recognized a good opportunity, so he sacrificed a little to make it happen.”
Kirk Ferentz
Iowa football coach on Jermari Harris
offensive lineman Alaric Jackson reverberated within the cornerback.
“I remember when he told me it’s time not to be that young guy no more,” Harris said. “‘You got to step up; you’re not little bro no more.’ Just him saying that gave me the confidence to take the next step into that leadership role.”
Another piece of advice veterans gave Harris was that in power conference college football,
as though I learned a lot and took a step in the right direction,” Harris said.
Harris’ career continued to have its ups and downs. A season-ending injury in 2022. A gambling suspension in 2023. When he returned from his suspension, Harris kept perspective. He said mistakes in life are inevitable, but it’s about how to respond. The cornerback has used the term “growth mindset” plenty of times this
season, and he’s been teaching Iowa’s young defensive backs this same philosophy.
“It’s each one, teach one in this building,” Harris said. “I take pride in that, and I know we all take pride in that. I learned from the younger guys, they learn from the older guys … Looking to learn and be the best version of yourself day in and day out.”
Iowa safety Sebastian Castro has been Harris’ roommate for the last few years. Castro notices how his teammate stands out with his authentic leadership.
“He cares,” Castro said of Harris. “When he’s frustrated, you can see it. He’s very out there … He wants to compete. He wants to be successful. How can you not respect that?”
From Castro’s viewpoint, Harris is more process-oriented than fixated on results. For Harris, that process is far from complete. He said he wants to keep playing football, but if that doesn’t work out, he has plans to attend DePaul University and obtain a Master of Business Administration.
“Every year is multiple learning lessons,” Harris said. “You continue to learn. We stop learning when we’re gone. So these six years have been tremendous in helping me with my overall perspective.”
“I apply what’s taught,” he continued. “I apply what’s taught in my daily life.”
Cody Blissett | The Daily Iowan Iowa defensive back Jermari Harris celebrates following a safety during a football game between Iowa and Northwestern at Kinnick Stadium on Oct. 26. The Hawkeyes defeated the Wildcats, 4014. Harris had two tackles during the contest.
Raelyn Miller-Ramirez makes cross-country move to Stead Family Children’s Hospital
With clothes and a few toys, the 9-year-old girl moved nearly 2,000 miles to Iowa.
Madeleine Willis Senior Audio Producer sports@dailyiowan.com
Chantel Miller leaned forward and pressed her forehead to her eldest daughter’s, Raelyn Miller-Ramirez. The 9-year-old began to burst with laughter. Her mother’s touch was a simple gesture. But her presence gave Raelyn an unspoken sense of
Raelyn was diagnosed with medulloblastoma grade IV – a cancerous tumor that forms in the central nervous system. Surgeons removed the 5-centimeter mass located on her cerebellum. In the process, Raelyn lost her vision and developed posterior fossa syndrome – forcing her to relearn how to walk and talk. Now cancer-free, Raelyn is the Kid Captain for Iowa football’s game against Maryland on Nov. 23.
Miller’s “mom sense” led her to believe otherwise.
Prior to entering first grade that year, Raelyn went for a routine eye check-up in her hometown of Portland, Oregon. When the doctor noticed substantial swelling, he urged Miller to take Raelyn to the Dorn Becker Children’s Hospital immediately.
“The doctor came in and did the big, deep sigh and pulled up his pant leg, sat down. He
andRaelyn spent an abundance of time isolated in hospitals.
The two spent three weeks post-operation in Portland, then the next six weeks were spent undergoing radiation treatment in Seattle, Washington.
“I had a 1-year-old baby at home. They weren’t allowed in the hospital because of COVID. It was lonely, terrifying,” Miller said. “You’d see other parents masked and crying, but you couldn’t even show emotion because you weren’t allowed to touch anybody.”
After Raelyn’s treatment in the Pacific Northwest, Miller weighed a tough decision about where her daughter should continue treatment.
Chantel, born and raised in Davenport, Iowa, knew that Stead Family Children’s Hospital was a clear winner. In 2021, two years after Raelyn was cleared from sixmonth scans, Chantel made the decision to move her family almost 2,000 miles across the country back to her hometown.
Chantel bought three plane tickets, one for herself, one for Raelyn, and one for her youngest son. Her husband made the cross-country drive.
“We moved with clothes and some toys for the kids. That was it,” she said.
And Stead Family Children’s Hospital proved to be worth the trip.
“It’s been a breath of fresh air,” she said, “They were on top of it, and they were welcoming with open arms and just kind of waiting to help us.”
Raelyn has been cancer-free for four years. Just as he does for all Kid Captains, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz recognized Raelyn during his weekly press conference. He said Raelyn is active in Girl Scouts and loves to play the violin.
Navigating life with a walking stick and the help of UIHC specialists and her family, Raelyn is where she is today.
“Just another really good story,” Ferentz said. “We’ll be proud to represent her and her family this weekend.”
For a young girl who spent many days in and out of different hospitals and loves school, there’s a clear choice when it comes to her future career aspirations.
“A doctor,” Raelyn said.
Isabella Tisdale| The Daily Iowan
Kid Captain Raelyn Miller-Ramirez and Iowa defensive back Jermari Harris walk onto the football field during Kids’ Day at Kinnick on Aug. 10. Iowa football players signed autographs for young fans and held an open practice at Kinnick Stadium.
On The Line
IOWA
I’m casting a vote of no confidence.
OHIO STATE
Hoosier students won’t remember the game, anyway.
CAL
Aaron Rodgers might be looking for a job there soon.
KANSAS
Jayhawks are on a Chiefs-like run. Keep making Kellen happy.
UCLA
Bruins win the Privilege Bowl.
ARIZONA STATE
It gets made fun of in every movie, so it needs a conference title.
The Daily Iowan staff share their predictions and thoughts on this week’s upcoming games.
IOWA
Allow me to use this space to let Jason know I am now in the lead.
OHIO STATE
I said the nonsense would end weeks ago. Now, it’s going to end.
STANFORD
“But I’ll tell you where I’m not gonna pay for, and that’s Berkeley.”
COLORADO
I would repeat the “Shuhdeer” crack, but this is a playoff team.
USC Matt goes to LA one time, and now we’re picking this game.
ARIZONA STATE
You seen the vintage Sun Devil logo? Simplification is a shame.
IOWA
Can Iowa’s defense travel with it this time?
OHIO STATE
Buckeyes win it, but the Hoosiers keep this one close until the very end.
CAL
The Stanford band can’t save Cal this time, but the Bears won’t need it.
COLORADO
Kansas is a cute story right now, but it can’t stop Shedeur Sanders.
UCLA
Bruins keep their season alive against their biggest rival.
ARIZONA STATE
The Cougars are about to get soaked by the Sun Devils.
IOWA
No Brendan Sullivan for the next two weeks makes me sad.
OHIO STATE
Going with the safer option but hoping for an Indiana upset.
CAL
All players on both teams probably hold a 3.8 GPA minimum.
COLORADO
Officially on the Deion Sanders hope train.
USC
UCLA beat Iowa, so screw them.
BYU
The perfect season may be over, but it will bounce back.
IOWA
How is the Iowa truck driver doing?
INDIANA
Indiana in store for a “good loss.”
CAL
I blame the ESPN oddsmakers if I get this one wrong.
COLORADO
Deion building his resume for the Cowboys job.
USC
The Rose Bowl gonna look like a home game for USC.
ARIZONA STATE
BYU falling off as hard as Iowa State?
IOWA
The Jackson Stratton legacy game?
OHIO STATE
Reality is coming for the Hoosiers.
CAL
A traditional ACC matchup.
IOWA
What does it feel like to have a normal season at QB?
OHIO STATE Indiana is legit, but Buckeyes are too talented.
CAL
This won’t impact the ACC (or Pac-12) standings.
COLORADO
Deion to the Cowboys at the end of the year.
UCLA A traditional Big Ten matchup.
BYU
Battle for the Big 12 lead, of course.
COLORADO
Give Travis Hunter the Heisman.
USC
Two middling Big Ten teams aren’t a draw in LA.
ARIZONA STATE
BYU’s surprise run comes to a screeching halt.
