New starters

Offense (6)

Quarterback: Junior C.J. Beathard replaces Jake Rudock, who plans to transfer to Michigan for his senior season.

Running back: Senior Jordan Canzeri replaces Mark Weisman, who used up his eligibility after starting the past three seasons.

Left tackle: Sophomore Boone Myers replaces 2014 Outland Trophy Winner Brandon Scherff.

Right tackle: Sophomore Ike Boettger replaces departed senior Andrew Donnal.

Tight end: Senior Henry Krieger Coble replaces departed senior Ray Hamilton.

Receiver: Junior Matt VandeBerg replaces departed senior Kevonte Martin-Manley, who finished his career as Iowa’s all-time leader in receptions.

Defense (5)

Left tackle: Junior Jaleel Johnson replaces all-Big Ten selection Carl Davis, who used up his eligibility last season.

Right tackle: Sophomore Nathan Bazata replaces departed senior Louis Trinca-Pasat.

Middle linebacker: Sophomore Josey Jewell replaces departed senior Quinton Alston.

Outside linebacker: Sophomore Ben Niemann replaces Jewell.

Strong safety: Sophomore Miles Taylor replaces departed senior John Lowdermilk.

Players to Watch

Offense

Tyler Wiegers

Height-weight-position: 6-4, 222, quarterback

Year: Freshman

Hometown: Lake Orion, Mich.

Hawk watch: Redshirted in 2014

Prep rewind: three-year letterman at quarterback . . . led team to state playoffs as a sophomore, to state championship game as a junior and district championship as a senior . . . completed 122-192 pass attempts for 2,093 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior, with 200 rushing yards . . . completed 173-285 attempts for 2,465 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior . . . completed over 62% of pass attempts in final two prep seasons . . . team captain as a junior and senior . . . also member of prep basketball team.

Andre Harris

Height-weight-position: 6-0, 185, receiver

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Kirkwood, Mo.

Hawk watch: Did not see any game action in 2014.

Prep rewind: First team all-state as a senior . . . first team all-conference as a junior and senior . . . played both wide receiver and defensive back for prep team that posted three-year record of 34-5 . . . prep team reached state semifinals as a sophomore, lost in championship game as a junior and won state title with perfect 13-0 record as a senior . . . totaled 600 receiving yards and five interceptions as a senior, scoring 11 touchdowns . . . totaled 300 receiving yards and four interceptions as a junior, scoring four touchdowns . . . team captain as a senior . . . also competed as a sprinter for prep track team.

Derrick Mitchell Jr.

Height-weight-position: 6-1, 212, running back

Year: Sophomore

strong>Hometown: St. Louis, Mo.

Hawk watch: Switched from receiver to running back this spring . . . appeared briefly in six games last season, finished with one tackle on special teams.

Prep rewind: played wide receiver, defensive back, quarterback and running back . . . helped prep team advance to state playoffs as a senior . . . totaled 712 rushing yards, 468 passing yards and 205 yards on kickoff returns while scoring 14 touchdowns as a senior . . . scored 17 touchdowns as a junior, with 518 rushing yards, 277 receiving yards and 302 yards on kickoff returns . . . collected 39 tackles, two interceptions and one fumble recovery as a junior . . . as a sophomore had 17 receptions for 338 yards, while collecting 31 tackles on defense . . . also competed on varsity teams in basketball, baseball and track as sophomore, junior and senior.

Boone Myers

Height-weight-position: 6-5, 300, left tackle

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Webster City

Hawk watch: Put on scholarship prior to the 2014 season after joining program as a walk-on . . . faced with the daunting task of replacing 2014 Outland Trophy winner Brandon Scherff at left tackle.

Prep rewind: Three-year letterman in football, four-year letterman in track and first-team all-conference in basketball as a senior . . . selected to compete in 2013 Iowa Shrine Bowl, where he was named Defensive MVP for the North squad.

Ike Boettger

Height-weight-position: 6-6, 300, right tackle

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Cedar Falls

Hawk watch: Moved from tight end to offensive line prior to 2014 season . . . Academic all-Big Ten in 2014 . . . appeared in eight games last season, including starting as the second tight end against Northwestern . . . leading candidate to replace Andrew Donnal as the starter at right tackle

Prep rewind: played quarterback, tight end, wide receiver and defensive back as a prep while earning two letters . . . helped prep team post 22-4 record as a junior and senior, reaching state semifinals each season . . . had 33 receptions for 452 yards and four touchdowns as a senior . . . on defense registered 61 tackles, five quarterback sacks, six pass break-ups and two fumble recoveries . . . in seven games as a junior quarterback, completed 58-95 pass attempts for 750 yards and nine touchdowns, with one interception . . . team captain in both football and basketball . . . three-year basketball letterman, earning second team all-conference in basketball as a junior.

Defense

Matt Nelson

Height-weight-position: 6-8, 270, defensive end

Year: Freshman

Hometown: Cedar Rapids

Hawk watch: Redshirted in 2014

Prep rewind: Named to Elite All-State team as a senior and first team all-state as a junior . . . first team all-conference as a senior and second team all-conference as a junior . . . selected for the 2014 Iowa Shrine Bowl . . . two-year letterman as defensive end and tight end . . . helped prep team post two-year record of 25-2 while reaching Class 4-A state title game in back-to-back years . . . recorded 43 tackles as a senior, with 13 tackles for loss and nine sacks . . . collected 47 tackles as a junior, with 19 tackles for loss and 11 sacks . . . recorded 13 receptions for 146 yards and four touchdowns as a senior, with 14 receptions for 162 yards and eight scores as a junior . . . team captain as a senior . . . three-year basketball letterman . . . received several Division I scholarships for basketball.

Nathan Bazata

Height-weight-position: 6-2, 284, right defensive tackle

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Howells, Neb.

Hawk watch: Academic all-Big Ten in 2014 . . . appeared in nine games last season, recording four tackles, including an assisted tackle for a loss.

Prep rewind: Nominated for Gatorade Football Player of the Year as a senior . . . named Division I Player of the Year by Huskerland Prep Reports . . . earned first team all-state and all-district honors as a senior, being named honorary captain . . . first team all-state as a sophomore and junior . . . four-year letterman as defensive lineman and team captain as a senior as prep team posted 47-3 record in four seasons . . . helped prep team win state championships as a freshman and sophomore, while finishing as runner-up as a junior and reaching quarterfinals as a senior

Aaron Mends

Height-weight-position: 6-0, 212, linebacker

Year: Freshman

Hometown: Kansas City, Mo.

Hawk watch: Redshirted in 2014

Prep rewind: first team all-conference and all-state as a senior . . . first team all-conference, second team all-metro and third team all-state as a junior . . . first team all-conference and first team all-district as a sophomore . . . career totals include 210 tackles on defense, with 1,790 rushing yards and 140 receiving yards and 29 total touchdowns . . . recorded 50 tackles as a senior, with 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, with one forced fumble and a pass break-up.

Jameer Outsey

Height-weight-position: 6-3, 235, linebacker

Year: Freshman

Hometown: Somerset, N.J.

Hawk watch: Redshirted in 2014

Prep rewind: First team all-area as outside linebacker as a senior . . . first team all-area as outside linebacker and tight end as a junior . . . third team all-conference as a sophomore . . . three-year starter as defensive end, linebacker and tight end . . . helped prep team reach first round of state playoffs as a sophomore and second round as a junior . . . recorded 51 tackles as a senior, with 13 tackles for loss, five sacks and an interception return for a touchdown. . . 13 receptions for 193 yards and three touchdowns on offense.

Brandon Snyder

Height-weight-position: 6-1, 210, strong safety

Year: Freshman

Hometown: Larchwood, Iowa

Hawk watch: Redshirted last season after joining program as a
walk-on.

Prep rewind: The four-sport athlete was named the Des Moines Register’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2014 . . . played quarterback, defensive back and kicker for West Lyon’s 14-0 football team as a senior . . . started at point guard in basketball and competed in track and baseball.