2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

The Hawkeyes signed a total of 22 recruits.

US college sports recruiting information for 2017 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Coy Kirkpatrick DE	Madrid, Iowa	Madrid HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	240 lb (110 kg)	Jun 8, 2015
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:
Tristan Wirfs OT	Mount Vernon, Iowa	Mount Vernon HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	Dec 7, 2015
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:
Jacob Coons TE	Solon, Iowa	Solon HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	Dec 12, 2015
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:
A. J. Epenesa DE	Edwardsville, Illinois	Edwardsville HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	260 lb (120 kg)	Jan 17, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:
Djimon Colbert CB	Mission, Kansas	Bishop Miege HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Mar 6, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:
Mark Kallenberger OT	Bettendorf, Iowa	Bettendrof HS	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	250 lb (110 kg)	Mar 31, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:
Ivory Kelly-Martin RB	Oswego, Illinois	Oswego East HS	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Apr 4, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:
Levi Duwa DE	Wellman, Iowa	Mid-Prairie Community HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	Apr 24, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:
Peyton Mansell QB	Belton, Texas	Belton HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	189 lb (86 kg)	Jun 20, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:
Brandon Smith WR	Lake Cormorant, Mississippi	Lake Cormorant HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Jun 26, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:
Camron Harrell S	Bradley, Illinois	Brady-Bourbonnais HS	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Jun 26, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:
Matt Hankins CB	Flower Mound, Texas	Marcus HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	158 lb (72 kg)	Jun 27, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:
Joshua Turner CB	Delray Beach, Florida	American Heritage HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Aug 11, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:
Max Cooper WR	Waukesha, Wisconsin	Catholic Memorial HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	174 lb (79 kg)	Dec 14, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: N/A
Henry Marchese WR	Lincolnshire, Illinois	Stevenson HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Jan 24, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: N/A
Nate Wieland LB	Iowa City, Iowa	Iowa City HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Jan 30, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: N/A
Trey Creamer CB	Cartersville, Georgia	Cartersville HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Jan 30, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: N/A
Kyshaun Bryan RB	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	St. Thomas Aquinas HS	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Jan 30, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:
Geno Stone S	New Castle, Pennsylvania	New Castle HS	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Jan 31, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: N/A
Ryan Gersonde P	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	Marquette University HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Jan 31, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals: N/A   247Sports:     ESPN: N/A
Ihmir Smith-Marsette CB	Newark, New Jersey	Weequahic HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	155 lb (70 kg)	Feb 1, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:
Daviyon Nixon DE	Kenosha, Wisconsin	Indian Trail Academy	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	285 lb (129 kg)	Feb 1, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Iowa Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 18, 2017. "2017 Iowa Football Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved January 18, 2017. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 18, 2017. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved January 18, 2017. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 18, 2017.

Iowa announced its 2017 football schedule on July 11, 2013. The 2017 schedule consisted of seven home and five away games in the regular season. The Hawkeyes hosted Big Ten foes Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, and Purdue, and traveled to Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, and Wisconsin.^[4]

The team hosted two non–conference games against the Wyoming Cowboys from the Mountain West Conference and the North Texas Mean Green from Conference USA. Sandwiched between those matchups was a trip to Ames for the annual Cy-Hawk rivalry game against the Iowa State Cyclones from the Big 12 Conference.

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	11:00 a.m.	Wyoming*		Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	BTN	W 24–3	68,075
September 9	11:00 a.m.	at Iowa State*		Jack Trice Stadium Ames, IA (Cy-Hawk Trophy)	ESPN2	W 44–41 OT	61,500
September 16	2:30 p.m.	North Texas*		Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	ESPN2	W 31–14	65,668
September 23	6:30 p.m.	No. 4 Penn State		Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	ABC	L 19–21	66,205
September 30	3:00 p.m.	at Michigan State		Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	FOX	L 10–17	73,331
October 7	11:00 a.m.	Illinois		Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	BTN	W 45–16	69,894
October 21	11:00 a.m.	at Northwestern		Ryan Field Evanston, IL	ESPN2	L 10–17 OT	40,036
October 28	5:30 p.m.	Minnesota		Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA (Floyd of Rosedale)	FS1	W 17–10	66,292
November 4	2:30 p.m.	No. 6 Ohio State		Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	ESPN	W 55–24	67,669
November 11	2:30 p.m.	at No. 8 Wisconsin	No. 20	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI (Heartland Trophy)	ABC	L 14–38	80,462
November 18	2:30 p.m.	Purdue		Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	BTN	L 15–24	60,554
November 24	3:00 p.m.	at Nebraska		Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (Heroes Trophy)	FS1	W 56–14	90,046
December 27	4:15 p.m.	vs. Boston College*		Yankee Stadium New York, NY (Pinstripe Bowl)	ESPN	W 27–20	37,667
*Non-conference game  Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after October 31 released prior to game All times are in Central time

Source: ^[5][6]

Iowa opened up the 2017 football season against the Wyoming Cowboys and highly rated Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen. The Hawkeyes got off to a slow start, but after Wyoming punter Tim Zaleski missed the ball on the attempted punt, the Hawkeyes took a 14–3 lead at the half. Iowa built on the momentum with a 45-yard pass from first-year starter Nate Stanley to wide receiver Nick Easley. Iowa wins the season opener 24–3. Iowa's defense impressed many, holding Josh Allen to only 174 yards and 17 incompletions, and a quarterback rating of 24.9. Iowa defense also picked off Allen twice.

This game marked the debut of the "Kinnick Wave", a new Iowa football tradition in which fans turn toward the children's hospital that overlooks the playing field at the end of the first quarter and wave to patients and their families watching the game from the hospital.^{[7][8][9][10][11]}

Iowa's first rivalry game of the year was the Cy-Hawk series against Big 12 foe Iowa State – fresh off a 42–3 beatdown in Iowa City the past year. ISU's 2nd year coach Matt Campbell referred to Iowa as the "team out east" in pregame preparations. This game had a relatively slow beginning and Iowa appeared to be in control well into the third quarter. However, Iowa State's offense exploded and put up 28 points in the second half. The game ultimately went to OT and the "team out east" prevailed with a Nate Stanley touchdown pass.

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After an emotional win from a week prior, Iowa got off to a sluggish start though ultimately pulled away to start out 3–0.

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Illinois played with Iowa well into the third quarter. The Hawkeyes appeared lethargic but a Brandon Snyder interception sparked an Iowa rally and they dominated the rest of the way.

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Iowa won their third in a row in this rivalry contest.

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Iowa was able to defeat Ohio State for the first time since 2004 in this blowout victory. The Buckeyes played with the Hawkeyes for most of the first half but from there the game belonged to Iowa. It was one of the most impressive wins of the Ferentz era and Nate Stanley's most distinguished to that point as well. Tight ends Noah Fant and T. J. Hockenson combined for 9 receptions, 125 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Defensive back and future NFL player Josh Jackson also had an outstanding game, tying an Iowa school record with three interceptions.

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One week after the unexpected domination of Ohio State, the Hawkeye offense struggled terribly in Madison with 66 yards of total offense coming on 50 plays. Josh Jackson continued his torrid run with two interceptions – both returned for touchdowns.^{[27] [28] [29]}

The Boilermakers spoiled Senior Day in Iowa City by employing an effective tactic from the Jeff Brohm-era against Iowa – find a mismatch in the passing game and continue to exploit it. Purdue's Anthony Mahoungou had 7 receptions for 135 yards and 2 TD.^{[30] [31]}

Nebraska got out to a fast start and was up 14–7 in the second quarter with Iowa struggling to move the ball. The script completely flipped from that point though as the Hawkeyes scored 49 unanswered points and shut out the Cornhuskers in the second half.

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Iowa was able to end their bowl drought in this contest with Boston College. The Hawkeyes had trouble containing the Eagles' offense but with second half adjustments held them to just a field goal which came with only a few minutes left in the fourth quarter. The victory was bowl win number seven for Kirk Ferentz and tied legendary coach Hayden Fry in career wins with 143.

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• Josey Jewell – Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Big Ten Linebacker of the Year,^[36] Jack Lambert Award,^[37] Unanimous First-team All-American
• Josh Jackson – Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year,^[36] Jack Tatum Award,^[38] Unanimous First-team All-American