Zach VanValkenburg makes wise choice to return to Iowa
Senior defensive end using opportunity granted by NCAA during global pandemic
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Some decisions just make perfect sense.
That was my reaction to Zach VanValkenburg’s announcement on Wednesday that he plans to return for another season with the Iowa football team.
VanValkenburg, a defensive end form Zeeland, Mich., competed as a fifth-year senior this season and was one of the most improved players on the team, earning second-team All-Big Ten accolades after playing in 11 games as a reserve in 2019.
— Zach VanValkenburg (@zach_vanvalk) December 30, 2020
He is what often is described as a late bloomer in college, having started his college career in 2016 at Division II Hillside College in Michigan.
VanValkenburg was redshirted as a true freshman in 2016 after suffering an early-season injury. He then went from being a key contributor in 2017 to being named Defensive Lineman of the Year in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in 2018.
That success caused VanValkenburg to want to play on a bigger stage, and that ultimately led him to Iowa.
And now it’s reasonable to think that if VanValkenburg continues to improve at his current rate, he might even have a shot to play in the NFL.
Iowa already has to replace All-Big Ten defensive end Chauncey Golston, who is moving on as a senior, and there is a chance that junior All-America defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon could declare for the 2021 NFL Draft where he projects as a potential first-round pick.
So VanValkenburg’s decision to return was crucial because he gives Iowa a veteran and proven presence on the defensive line.
VanValkenburg is using the opportunity granted by the NCAA in which all student-athletes were given a free year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
And while playing college football for six years can wear on a person’s body, VanValkenburg is using the extra time to his benefit in the classroom where he is an interdisciplinary studies major, and on the football field where he is an emerging force at defensive end.
The 6-foot-4, 270-pound VanValkenburg has played in 19 games at Iowa with eight starts since transferring to Iowa from Hillsdale College after the 2018 season.
During the 2020 season, VanValkenburg was named second-team All-Big Ten and had 3.5 sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss and four fumble recoveries.
The four fumble recoveries were a tie for the most in the country.
In other Hawkeye-football related news, senior running back Mekhi Sargent announced Wednesday that he will prepare for the NFL Draft.
In 34 games at Iowa, Sargent totaled 354 carries for 1,740 yards and 20 touchdowns, as well as 32 receptions for 300 yards and a touchdown.
Sargent joins offensive lineman Alaric Jackson and receivers Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Brandon Smith as Iowa seniors who have elected to forgo the extra year of eligibility.
Smith and Smith-Marsette announced their decisions prior to Iowa’s preparation for the Music City Bowl which was canceled Dec. 27.
Their decisions to move on also make sense.
Each case is different, but the one common theme is that each player is acting in his best interest.
VanValkenburg believes that returning to Iowa and playing for a sixth season is in his best interest.
And it’s hard to argue with that belief.
