Kirk Ferentz credits Santa Claus for Iowa’s roster retention, transfer haul

Kirk Ferentz is in the holiday spirit in July. At the 2024 Big Ten Media Days, the Iowa head coach gave credit to a surprising figure for the program’s excellent offseason.

“I do believe in Santa Claus and getting those guys back was part of that. That was a merry Christmas for all of us,” Ferentz said. “We tried to be real fairly cautious and just diligent with our work and all that.

“Nick [Jackson], to me, represents like the perfect transfer guy. We’ve had a couple of those guys. Rusty Feth was the same way on the offensive side. Guys that really fit what we needed.”

Nick Jackson is far from the only standout returning to Iowa for the 2024 campaign. The Hawkeyes return 69% of their production from last and a whopping 80% of its offensive production, per ESPN.

Iowa’s offensive returners are highlighted by quarterback Cade McNamara and tight end Luke Lachey. On defense, the Hawkeyes will return not only Jackson, but also fellow linebacker Jay Higgins. To pile on, Iowa retained most of its starters in the secondary over the offseason.

Iowa only lost 11 players in the transfer portal this offseason, a relatively small loss in the modern age of college football. To nurse its wounds, the program added four players via the portal. Ferentz couldn’t be happier about so many of his Hawkeyes deciding to run it back.

“I’m elated all those guys are back,” Ferentz said. “Not to compliment our team, but I think it just speaks volumes all those guys want to come back. And then secondly, they’re the kind of guys you want back because they’re guys that should be at the front of the room and younger guys will benefit if they pay attention.”

Iowa ready to reach new heights in 2024

Iowa boasted a 10-4 overall record last season and posted a 7-2 mark in conference play. The Hawkeyes reached the Big Ten Championship for the second time in the past three seasons. However, they fell to Michigan, who went on to win the national title.

Now, Kirk Ferentz will look to lead his program to new heights. He’ll have a fresh face by his side to help. During the offseason, Iowa hired Tim Lester to be its next offensive coordinator. Lester spent last season as a senior analyst for the Green Bay Packers.

“Tim just really stood out,” Ferentz said. “I think he’s a really good fit for us. Whether he talked about his personality, obviously his offensive background, his expertise. Played quarterback, coached quarterbacks, has been a coordinator that had a rare opportunity last year to really almost take a coaching sabbatical, if you will, and worked with the Packers and got great exposure to a lot of people offensively.”