George Barnett on what it took to rebuild Iowa’s offensive line room
Iowa football offensive line coach George Barnett discusses a variety of topics on Friday, August 9th.
IOWA CITY — Tempo.
That’s the first word Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz used to describe the program’s standard for offensive line play. Offensive line coach George Barnett had a few others: maturity, physicality and pride.
But for the last few seasons, the group has fallen short of that mark. And it hasn’t been particularly close.
This isn’t to say that the Hawkeyes didn’t play with pride. For a program known for playing physical, hard-nosed football, an offensive line that can more than hold its own has been fleeting.
After showing progress last year, Iowa football’s O-line rebuild is at a crossroads in 2024. Break through and validate the entire development process. Fall short and cast serious doubt of what it would take to ever happen at all.
Asked Friday what makes him think Iowa football’s offense will be better than last season, Ferentz began with a specific position group.
“Just talking about the line,” Ferentz said, referencing an earlier question. “I just think we’re finally at a place maybe where we can play at the pace we would like to play. That’s a good thing.”
Barnett, now entering his fourth season with the program, undertook a major rebuild. That was brutally evident in the line’s struggles during 2021 and 2022. Last season was a much-needed step in the right direction. The unit was no longer the biggest issue on offense, which might be a back-handed compliment but it is still a compliment at that. Quarterback failures and wide receiver shortcomings were more glaring weaknesses.
Still, Iowa’s offensive line was not where it needed to be.
“I’ve seen this (before),” Barnett said, pointing to the fact that he had taken on rebuilds at past jobs. “I know what it smells like, I know what it looks like, I know what it feels like. So that’s why I’ve never really wavered from the plan. (I) don’t get affected much by the outside noise but just because of my experience. Those kids, it was their first time going through it. So I have a ton of respect for those guys and just to see them grow through everything.”
That has led to an offensive line with the makeup of being as close to dominant as it has been in a while.
Six players — Logan Jones, Connor Colby, Mason Richman, Gennings Dunker, Beau Stephens and Nick DeJong — have each started double-digit games at Iowa. Some of them, like Colby and Richman, are nearing 40 starts each. Someone not in that group, Tyler Elsbury, has made 37 appearances in his career at Iowa, though only three of which have come as starts.
Iowa returns all but one key contributor from last season’s unit: Rusty Feth. Jones, Colby and Richman have the chance to be standouts. Dunker emerged last season. Stephens, coming off a 2023 campaign derailed by injury, is capable as well.
Logan Jones on Iowa’s offensive line: ‘We’ve made a lot of progress’
Logan Jones talks offensive line during Iowa football media day.
An offense that has been dreadful the last few seasons has a lot of moving parts heading into 2024. There is a new offensive coordinator in Tim Lester. There is a quarterback coming off back-to-back season-ending injuries and another who just transferred into the program. There is a wide receiver room with a new position coach and facing skepticism.
A good offensive line doesn’t guarantee a competent offense. But it’s difficult to have a competent offense with a good offensive line.
“We’ve learned a lot these past two years and we’ve played with each other,” Jones said. “We know how we play now. Now it’s just about doing it and getting the job done. I think we’ve made a lot of progress towards that and coach Barnett has continued to push us. So we’re super pumped for the season, excited to see what we can do.”
If Iowa’s offensive line doesn’t have the season it should, questions will be asked about the trajectory of that group, starting with Barnett. There is some leeway for a new position coach in the first couple of seasons, but by year four, tangible results are the expectation. If a group with this much experience can’t put together a strong season, fans will start to doubt whether it will ever happen at Iowa under Barnett.
But if Iowa’s offensive line can finally break through, it would validate the development of that unit through struggles the last few seasons. Importantly, it would make the jobs of everyone else on the offensive side easier.
By many accounts, this feels like a make-or-break-it year for Iowa’s offensive line.
“We’ve had our share of challenging situations, but the guys have stayed – they’ve hung tough,” Ferentz said. “George (Barnett) has done a great job keeping them focused on the right things, and just starting to see that in practice. We’re starting to see them play at a little better tempo than we have in the last couple years.”
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Publish date : 2024-09-03 04:47:00
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