The
Daily Iowan
PREGAME
Linebacker legacy
Hawkeyes Jaden Harrell and Karson Sharar are the latest talent in a lineage of success
5 things to watch
Rutgers is nicknamed the “Birthplace of College Football” for many reasons, but its style of play reflects that. Head coach Greg Schiano loves to run the ball and play tough defense in these types of games, and you know he’ll try to do it on Friday.
Stopping the run will be key for Phil Parker and the Hawkeye defense, but they will have a tough challenge in front of them. The Scarlet Knights feature three running backs with over 100 rushing yards this year, but the main name to watch out for is second-year Antwan Raymond. The sophomore has yet to rush for over 100 yards in a game this year, but he’s been efficient in blowout wins over Miami-Ohio and Norfolk State, recording two touchdowns in each game.
While Rutgers will always be a run-first team, it is feeling good about the early performance of veteran quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. The senior is playing some of the best football of his career, completing 72.9 percent of his passes and tossing seven touchdowns and no interceptions through the first three games of the year.
Those numbers have led to plenty of optimism in Piscataway, but Kaliakmanis’ numbers in Big Ten play have been mixed. The Scarlet Knights don’t stretch the field very often, meaning that the Hawkeyes will likely see a lot of short, high-percentage passes on Friday.
While Iowa fans want to see their team evolve into the air-raid offense, Kirk Ferentz will try to use the exact opposite to win this football game. The reason? Both
teams feature a strong offensive and defensive line. The dynamic duo of Logan Jones and Gennings Dunker should provide some rushing opportunities for the Hawkeyes’ offense, while the defensive front of Max Llewellyn, Brian Allen, and Aaron Graves could give Rutgers some trouble.
While they may not have Iowa’s prestige, the Scarlet Knights boast an experienced offensive line. Bryan Felter, Kwabena Asamoah, and Tyler Needham are all fourth-years and understand the style of football Schiano wants to play.
Expect an old-school Big Ten rock fight on Friday.
Iowa’s offense took a few quarters to get going against Albany and Iowa State. The Hawkeyes didn’t need much to overcome Albany, but the slow start cost them a big win in Ames. The primary reason for the start was conservative play-calling. Iowa only took one shot down the field against the Cyclones, and it resulted in a defensive pass-interference call.
Offensive coordinator
Tim Lester responded by installing aggressive play calls against Massachusetts. That strategy worked well for the Hawkeyes, who collected passing touchdowns on their first two drives, giving quarterback Mark Gronowski some much-needed confidence heading into Big Ten play.
Iowa will need a fast start if it wants to win in a tough road environment.
Ferentz’s disdain for Friday night games is well-known, and he’ll now have to take his team halfway across the country to open Big Ten play. Iowa players didn’t blame the long trip as the reason for their loss to UCLA last year, but the Hawkeyes did look a little sluggish in that one.
Every game is different, but don’t be surprised if Iowa comes out slow on Friday.
Patience, persistence embodies the Iowa linebacker standard
Neither Jaden Harrell or Karson Sharar
earned first-string reps until this season, their fifth and final year of eligibility.
When Iowa linebackers Jaden Harrell and Karson Sharar took the field at Kinnick Stadium, chances are most fans only saw their jersey numbers.
For the last four seasons, Harrell, wearing 41 and Sharar, in 43 either stood on the sidelines, played in brief spells of special teams, or saw defensive snaps at the end of blowout games..
Then, in the season opener at home against Albany on Aug. 30, the pair trotted out as the Hawkeyes’ starting linebackers, the latest to carve a name for themselves in the impressive history of the position.
la ing linebacker at owa re uires patience, unselfishness, and the willingness to learn. Snaps will be sparse in the beginning, but once those at the top of the depth chart graduate or declare for the F draft, the e pectation is for the ne t pla ers to fill the void seamlessly. Fans might not have known their names in the past, but the are confident these once anon mous pla ers can transform into stars leading the defense.
“All the guys in the past that you’ve seen play, and now you’re the guy,” Harrell said. “You have to take a step back, realize that, and go out there and do your best and make plays.”
Over the last decade, Iowa’s NFL-drafted linebackers include Christian Kirksey, Anthony Hitchens, Josey Jewell, Nick Niemann, and Jack Campbell, the highest-selected of the group at the 18th overall pick by the Detroit Lions. The lowest pick in that group was the first selection in the si th round.
Jay Higgins is the most recent addition to that list. Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens in the spring, Higgins made the 53-man roster in August.
Higgins had 124 tackles and four interceptions in his final season with the Hawkeyes, with teammate Nick Jackson adding 91 tackles and an interception. Harrell and Sharar aim to replace that duo, and the Iowa natives look to represent their home state with pride, respecting the position’s lineage but also forging their own identity.
“Those guys played great, but I can’t try to be those guys,” Harrell said. “It’s gotta be me, playing to my strengths, knowing m weaknesses, and ust give m all out effort.”
Urbandale and Iowa Falls sit about 90 miles apart, connected via Interstate 35 and both west of Iowa City. While Urbandale lies within the Des Moines metropolitan area and contains more than 40,000 people, Iowa Falls features just under 5,000, according to the 2024 Census.
In these juxtaposed towns, Harrell and Sharar put themselves on Iowa’s radar. Harrell’s high school varsity career started his sophomore season, when he helped lead Urbandale High School to the state pla offs, recording tackles, including eight for loss
and two sacks.
Sam Anderson coached at Urbandale for 21 years before retiring prior to the 2025 season. He’s had the privilege of coaching future Division I players like Iowa defensive end Max Llewellyn and even NFL pros such as New York Jets wideout
Allen Lazard. Anderson knew Harrell featured potential, especially because of his size.
Anderson acknowledged that sometimes bigger players refrain from being aggressive, but it didn’t take long for Harrell to adjust.
“After he got hit a few times, then the switch goes on and he’s like, ‘OK, now I’m going to be the hammer and not the nail,’” Anderson said.
The following ear, Harrell had 1 2 tackles, and in his senior season earned a first team all state selection, splitting time between linebacker and running back. Yet Iowa honed in earl , offering Harrell a scholarship in the summer heading into his junior season. Anderson remembered receiving a phone call from then-Iowa assistant coach Reese Morgan, who asked Anderson for more information on his player, wanting to ensure the Hawkeyes were making the right choice.
Sitting in the weight room, Anderson handed the phone to Urbandale’s strength coach, Pete Trainor, who left no doubts as to Harrell’s work ethic.
“[Trainor] said, ‘He’s going to do all the right things, which he does, does all the workouts, which he did, and doesn’t question what you’re doing,’” Anderson recalled.
Harrell committed to the Hawkeyes in July 2019, about 1 ½ years before Sharar, who signed with Iowa in December of his senior year after decommitting from Northern Iowa a month earlier. Similar to Harrell, Sharar also earned a first team all state selection as a star on both offense and defense, recording 1 tackles, 1,325 all-purpose yards, and 15 total touchdowns.
At a well-respected Big Ten program like Iowa, high-school accolades lose their luster as first ear pla ers often redshirt in
their initial season. The case applied to both Sharar and Harrell.
For Iowa linebackers coach Seth Wallace, sitting on the bench is simply part of the process. He equated a first-year college player to an eighth grader on a high school team. Surrounded by much superior competition, patience is necessary.
“It’s going to take a little bit of time, it’s almost humbling,” Wallace said. “Once they get past that, ’m not pla ing m first ear at owa, ma be other than special teams,’ and they realize the opportunity that they have ahead of themselves to get so much depth of knowledge with us defensively. To me, it takes care of itself.”
The following season yielded more of the same, with Harrell not seeing a snap and Sharar seeing playing time in seven games before injury ruled him out for the remaining contests.
Wallace said there’s always mental weight that comes with playing at Iowa, especially in front of a sold-out Kinnick Stadium. ven if it’s ust special teams, a long kickoff return from an opponent will receive harsh criticism. He said players like Harrell and Sharar won’t need to feel that weight for the better.
“We’re such a developmental program, we’ve been in such a developmental position at the linebacker position,” Wallace said.
Sharar kept in contact with his dad, Lincoln, who played linebacker and later tight end at Northern Iowa. Calling Wallace and Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker as two of the best
was pointless. Sharar leveled Redding, sending the returner on his back. Sharar was rather modest about the feat.
“Just going out there and giving it your all, you know, you make a play here and there,” he said.
ngerer felt compelled to te t Wallace his thoughts.
“I’m, like, ‘All right, he’s got something there,’”Angerer said. In the referees’ eyes, the tackle was considered targeting, ruling
may also cover a receiver more often.
The “mike” linebacker, on the other hand, covers the middle of the field and is in charge of defensive calls, whether it be ad usting the defensive line or diagnosing a play change from the opposing offense. Harrell, a three time cademic ll ig Ten honoree, matches this cerebral description.
“You can tell he’s got that leadership quality in him,” Angerer said. He’s e tremel smart. think to have him at the middle, people really rely on him. And he does it the right way.”
coaches in the nation, Sharar bought into the development process early, especially with older players like Campbell and Seth Benson around as evidence of potential growth.
“Just learning from them is the biggest thing,” he said. “They’re able to teach me not only the defense, but also how to live as a college student and be a part of the program.”
Harrell said Wallace’s coaching will inevitably involve yelling, but that approach didn’t faze the young linebacker. Rather, the passion only revealed a high standard to uphold, a culture Harrell appreciates.
“I’m always happy, positive, being around these guys,” Harrell said. “Being in the linebacker meetings, even if you’re not the guy in the game being coached or taught, you’re still learning from Coach Wallace. And that’s something amazing.”
Soon, signs of Wallace’s preached development began to emerge.
Pat Angerer couldn’t help but notice the number from his past.
Sitting on the couch watching Iowa host Minnesota in October ,202 , the former owa linebacker’s e es fi ated on Sharar sprinting down the field on kickoff coverage, watching as the violent scene was about to unfold.
Dashing up the left sideline, Gopher returner Quentin Redding glanced to his right then took two about two steps left. Evasion
Sharar out for the rest of the game. The call was rescinded a week later, much to Angerer’s pleasure.
“Karson’s pretty violent,” Angerer said. “You can tell he plays very violent. He’s downhill. He’s athletic. He’s rangy. He’s aggressive.”
This play style encapsulates the essence of Sharar’s position at the will” linebacker spot, one who guards the part of the field with a fewer number of offensive pla ers, otherwise known as the weak side. Angerer, now the football color analyst for Hawkeye Radio Network, said this role involves playing out in space rather than right behind the defensive line. Additionally, a “will” linebacker
When ngerer pla ed in the 2000s, his elder e amples included Abdul Hodge and Chad Greenway, each multi-time first team ll ig Ten selections. ngerer described Hodge as a leader that’s always in the right position to make a play, akin to Harrell, while Greenway relied on athleticism and speed to make tackles while out of position. He stressed he’s not making a direct comparison between Hodge and Harrell and Greenway and Sharar, but e plained the contrast between the two are similar. Angerer also said Harrell and Sharar mirror former teammate rett reenwood, a defensive back who redshirted his first ear after joining the program as a walk-on. Greenwood, who started 29 straight games before being sidelined by injury, prepared for ever match as if he were on the first string, a lesson that ngerer embodied later during his career but one that Harrell and Sharar took to heart today.
“I think Karson and Jaden are really serious about being good football players,” Angerer said. “They’re really serious about being
Power Rankings
good Hawkeyes, and that’s why when they have success it’s so great to be able to be up [in the booth], cheer for them, and talk about them, because they deserve it.”
The first considerable reps at linebacker arrived in 2024, with Sharar recording five tackles in the 40-16 win over Washington on October 12, and Harrell finding himself in place of Higgins when the former Hawkeye suffered an injury late in the 20-17 loss against UCLA on November 8.
For Wallace, Harrell’s first snap put the linebacker to the test, as the Bruins held the ball at the middle of the field rather than at one of the hash marks. Rather than aligning the defense to one side of the field, Harrell had to scrutinize the opposing offense and decipher where it might attack, an advanced concept most likely not on the mind of someone thrust into crunch-time action.
“I hated it for him, it was a tough situation,” Wallace said. “All you’re thinking about is getting lined up and you’re not thinking about what personnel are in.”
Harrell registered two tackles and recovered a fumble against UCLA, but Wallace said the performance was only a snapshot of Harrell’s true abilities, which he said are far better than what transpired in California.
“His strength numbers, all of those are on par with other guys that we’ve had that played the position,” the coach said. “His depth of knowledge in regard to our defense is really significant. He knows the ins and outs.”
Harrell, a member of this year’s player leadership council, has posted 19 total tackles and a forced fumble this season, while. Sharar has 16 tackles. As the Hawkeyes venture into Big Ten play with a road matchup against Rutgers on Friday, the pair will only see more opportunity in their last year of eligibility. Some would label the situation as pressing, but for Harrell, the limited nature of football, where game day is just once a week, is the reason he committed to the sport in the first place.
“You get to become the best you can at your position, or just overall football player, and show that once a week on the field,” he said. “Rather than basketball, you’re practicing in the game to try to get your skill up where football you’re going to be to the best of your ability on game day.”
In the test to become the next great Iowa linebacker, Harrell and Sharar relied on plenty of mentors, but now it’s their turn to become the teachers that lead by example. Replicating the past is a difficult task, but not the main objective.
“You just have to be yourself, but be at that standard,” Harrell said. “Hopefully that pushes the standard forward and raises it, making the next guy to come in or whoever it is, they take themselves and they push it even further. And it just goes on and on.”
Weekly Wager
On The Line
The Daily Iowan sta shares their thoughts on this week’s upcoming games
One on One: Thomas Meyer
The first-year discussed his greatest accomplishments hobbies, and favorite holiday.
The Daily Iowan : What are your hobbies?
Thomas Meyer: I like to play sports, do some fishing, and hang out with my friends.
What is the greatest accomplishment of your life? I’d say probably getting the opportunity to come here [to Iowa].
What is your favorite holiday? Christmas.
What skill would you most like to learn?
I would say just learning how to be good at college, like schooling wise.
What does your average weekend look like in the offseason?
A lot of relaxing, just hanging out. Probably do some fishing if it’s nice out.
What is your dream car?
Probably an older truck, maybe a Ford. 1970s and below, maybe. I like the old-school.
Who is the smartest person you’ve ever met? Probably my grandpa. He gives me a lot of good advice.
What are you most thankful for? I’m thankful for my family.
Have you ever met a celebrity? If not, who is a celebrity you would like to meet?
I’ve never met anybody crazy, but I’d want to meet Carmelo Anthony. He’s my favorite basketball player.
Kid Captain Liam Bartleson inspires others while ba ling apneic seizures
Liam once had over 200 seizures per day, but treatment has reduced that number down to roughly 50 a day.
When Liam Bartleson was just two days old, doctors at Mercy Hospital in Mason City, Iowa, discovered he was experiencing apneic seizures. Liam was then transported to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital for further evaluation.
While at the hospital, Liam was treated for four to six weeks before coming home. Once home, Liam’s seizures only became worse, reaching upwards of 200 per day.
Liam’s parents, Mitch Bartleson and Katy Montgomery, attempted to administer him rescue medication. That did not work. Liam was then taken to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines to find answers. Again, it was unsuccessful.
Katy received a phone call from one of the doctors they met while at the UI Children’s Hospital, asking them to return to find a diagnosis.
Liam was diagnosed with Malignant Migrating Partial Seizures in Infancy, or MMPSI. The now 11-year-old was
then treated with an experimental cannabidiol trial, reducing his seizures.
“So then, when they finally found the CBD oil and the clonazepam that worked well together, that dramatically brought his seizures down,” Mitch said. “Like I said, upwards of a bad day was 200; now, a bad day for Liam is up to 50.”
“He still has them every day to this day,” Mitch continued. “But 200, we’ll definitely take the lesser number instead of trying to just medicate him up and not have our Liam.”
Some of Liam’s favorite things include going to the zoo, looking at the trees, and being outside in nature. His favorite animal is his service dog, Miko. Liam also likes every color, so he doesn’t have a specific one narrowed down as his favorite.
“I think any color, honestly, just grabs his eyes,” Katy said. “He loves it.”
The family said the experience with the doctors and nurses at the UI Children’s Hospital was outstanding.
“I think Liam would like to answer that question,” Katy responded as Liam cracked a smile. “He would tell you they [the nurses] are all his girl-
friends.”
“From the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, to the coaching staff, to the players,” Mitch said. “Everybody has been amazing to work with. The day we were there for the spring game, it was just top-notch.”
Liam currently lives at home in Altoona and returns to Iowa City periodically for check-ins with his neurologist and visits with his doctors.
Mitch and Katy were honored to see Liam selected as a kid captain this season, and said it has been part of their dream for Liam to be someone who can inspire other families and kids who are battling through similar situations.
“From the day he was born, he’s always had seizures every day,” Mitch said. “He senses that we’ve [his family] never given up on him, nor will we ever give up on him. So he fights, and he’s resilient.”
“For us, every day is a gift to have Liam with us,” Mitch added. “Quality of life for him is our main priority, and our doctors are 100% in our corner with that, and they are amazing to work with.”
Game Guide
