By Rob Howe

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa receiver Diante Vines noticed something was missing during this month’s training camp. He enjoyed the silence.

“The defense loves to yell “SACK!” every time we get a deep ball. Us as receivers, we’re catching more deeper passes now, not hearing that loud “SACK!” scream. I don’t really look at the line often, but it’s a mental note for me that I know they’re doing their job.”

That should be music to the collective ear of Hawkeye Nation.

Iowa’s offensive front has been leaky the last two seasons. Hawkeye struggles on that side of the ball coincided with that foundational cracking.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz, an O-Line coach by trade, has sung the praises of the unit’s improvement during the offseason. He said something similar before last season. That’s left a lot of folks wanting to see it to believe it.

It is good to hear Vines’ perspective, though. The Hawkeye front badly needs improvement in pass protection.

If we go by latest depth chart, which is always risky, left tackle Mason Richman and Logan Jones, the center, are the only guys back where they were at the end of ’22. Connor Colby, a starter during his first two seasons, flips from left guard to right guard. Nick DeJong, who’s started 17 games at different positions the last two years, is the No. 1 left guard, and Gennings Dunker would be starting at right tackle after starting at right guard in December’s Music City Bowl.

Elsewhere on the two-deep, transfer portal additions Rusty Feth and Daijon Parker are listed as the backups at left guard and right tackle, respectively. Beau Stephens, who started 10 games at guard last season, is No. 2 at right guard. Tyler Elsbury is listed as the backup center after starting two ’23 games at guard.

Competition throughout camp was tight, according to Ferentz. He indicated Iowa likely would be rotating guys up front to start. He’s mentioned Jeremy Chaplin, a sophomore walk-on from Waverly-Shell Rock, as someone pushing for playing time on the interior as well.

Buy a program if you’re watching offensive-line play during Saturday’s opener against Utah State (11 a.m. CT, FS1). And you might want to keep it handy for awhile.

If you’re looking for a glass-half-full view of the situation, maturing physically and mentally should make the Hawkeye front better this fall. It could mimic progress we’ve witnessed with past Iowa offensive lines, provided it finds chemistry and continuity.

The guys in the O-Line room believe in each other and the group. Unity at the position is important.

“There’s improvement,” said Richman, who is entering his third season starting at left tackle. “There’s a certain way we wanted to go about our business and that started back in January. The way we worked each and every day and competed against each other, that was the most important thing for us; just each and every day, all of us going out there with a purpose.”

Iowa ranked 104th out of 130 FBS programs in sacks allowed last season. Indiana and Maryland were the only Big Ten teams that yielded more. Iowa’s 98.4 rushing yards a game rated 123rd in the country and last in the league.

In addition to adding Feth and Parker after last season, the Hawkeyes brought in new starting quarterback Cade McNamara and backup Deacon Hill, tight end Erick All, and receivers Seth Anderson and Kaleb Brown through the portal. The coaching staff and The Swarm NIL collective committed to helping the offense contribute more to the complementary football approach than it has during the last two falls. The team returned strong groups at tight end and running back.

If the line can gel, opening running lanes and protecting the quarterback, the offense can take a big step forward. Signs of progress are appearing in practice, but Saturday brings the first real test.

“It’s a good thing not to hear sack all the time,” Vines said with a smile.