Iowa Football has already done our due diligence with the transfer portal now that spring practices have concluded

IOWA CITY The transition from spring practice season to transfer portal season wasn't a big transition at all on Evashevski Drive.

Iowa football has done all our due diligence in the transfer portal, head coach Kirk Ferentz said shortly after the Hawkeyes' open practice on Saturday, as he and the coaching staff do everything they can to help our team.

One nice thing about spring training is that we don't have the pre-game prep, so there are hours outside of practice during our meetings where we can look at things like that, Ferentz said.

The Hawkeyes' potential portal needs in the spring transfer cycle can include players from April 16 to April 30, although they can commit at any time, including quarterback and wide receiver.

As quarterback, the Hawkeyes are mainly dependent on Cade McNamara, who has had ACL surgery in 2023 and was last able to play a full season in 2021. Meanwhile, they have just four upperclassmen at wide receiver (and that includes two walk-ons).

Offensive coordinator Tim Lester said during his press conference last week that you always look at the transfer portal, while also expressing confidence in his quarterbacks and wide receivers.

I don't think anyone ever turns a blind eye there, at any position, Lester said. I think everyone has plans, and Coach (Ferentz) and Tyler (Barnes) will find out what plans as we go along. But we were always actively looking everywhere.

Some portal activity is already visible.

Iowa secured a commitment from North Dakota offensive lineman Cade Borud on Saturday, although he is not expected to receive a scholarship. Missouri State wide receiver Raylen Sharpe, a third-team FCS All-American last year, announced his plans on Sunday to visit the Hawkeyes this week.

Iowa's ability to add through the portal is hampered by the current stock market situation. The Hawkeyes have 89 players listed as of Sunday afternoon, four over the cap.

I don't think we'll have to get ten men or anything like that, Ferentz said. For some people that's just the way they work, so it's a little different.

How much turnover Iowa experiences in the coming days could determine how much flexibility it has in the portal. Ferentz referenced NFL coach Mike Tomlin's famous quote about needing volunteers, not hostages while talking about attrition in the Iowa program.

You just don't want guys on the team who aren't fully invested and don't feel good about things, Ferentz said.

Iowa wrapped up spring practices on Saturday, so this week will be an opportune time for everyone to enter the portal without missing any practice time. There could also be more available talent for the same reason.

There will likely be another round of entries, more participants here on the portal this week as many people cross the finish line today, Ferentz said, referring to the timeline of spring practices across the country.

Every portal cycle brings with it some unpredictability. Last spring, Iowa lost no scholarship players to the portal. However, in the previous winter transfer portal, ten scholarship players left.

This winter, Iowa lost four scholarship players through the portal. So far this spring, wide receiver Jacob Bostick and offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor have entered the portal. (Proctor, who committed to Iowa in January, left before participating in any training.)

It's hard to predict anything, Ferentz said. A few years ago a bunch of guys left in December. You just never know. Because of the circumstances in college football right now, the portal, NIL and all those types of charts you've had for the last twenty years are not true right now.

However, Ferentz is confident that everything will turn out fine.

“I feel pretty good about that,” Ferentz said.

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