By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – If I had to list my biggest concern about the Iowa football team right now, it would oddly enough be the linebacker position.

Not receiver.

Not quarterback.

Not long snapper now that Iowa has recently landed an experienced long snapper from the transfer portal.

Linebacker is where it seems most justifiable to be at least skeptical about Iowa’s current situation.

That is meant as no disrespect to the current Iowa linebackers because just being a Big Ten linebacker is a worthy accomplishment.

And it’s odd to question Iowa’s linebackers because the position has been a source of strength for such a long time under Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and defensive coordinator Phil Parker; from Abdul Hodge and Chad Greenway to Pat Angerer to Josey Jewell, and to more recently Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson, Iowa has a long and distinguished list of star linebackers.

There could be another star-in-waiting on the current roster as only time and performance will tell.

But for now, there are questions at linebacker, just like there was when Jack Campbell and Seth Benson both moved on after the 2022 season.

Jay Higgins had performed well on special teams in his first three seasons as a Hawkeye.

But he had played very little at linebacker as Campbell’s backup.

Campbell then moved on to the NFL in 2023, paving the way for Higgins to become a star over the past two seasons.

But Higgins also had a key piece to the defensive puzzle playing alongside him at linebacker in graduate transfer Nick Jackson, and together, they were a productive and durable one-two punch.

Iowa suffered a massive hit when Campbell and Benson both moved on, big enough that Kirk Ferentz felt it was necessary to bring in a veteran linebacker from the portal.

Jackson would go on fill that role in spectacular fashion as a playmaker, and as a team leader.

Now the question is will Iowa go searching, or maybe a better word is bidding, for another veteran linebacker in the portal at the conclusion of spring practice on Saturday?

If that doesn’t happen, it would probably mean one of two things: Iowa either failed to land a veteran linebacker from the portal, or that Phil Parker and linebacker coach Seth Wallace both believe that they already have enough talent and potential to meet the standard at linebacker.

All they have right now, though, is belief and hope because none of the current linebackers have played enough to know if they can meet the challenge on a consistent basis.

Senior Karson Sharar leads all the current Iowa linebackers with 21 career tackles, and most of them have been on special teams.

Senior Jaden Harrell is listed as the starter at middle linebacker on the spring depth chart.

The Urbandale native only has nine career tackles and is in almost the exact same position that Higgins was in two years ago.

Harrell could’ve easily bolted from Iowa via the transfer portal.

But instead, he has chosen to stay the course, as did Higgins.

Iowa now has 14 linebackers listed on the 2025 spring depth chart, including four redshirt freshmen and two true freshmen.

So, there are plenty of options from which to choose.

But it’s also a long time in this age of the transfer portal before Iowa will play its 2025 season opener against Albany on Aug. 30 at Kinnick Stadium.

And a lot can happen between now and then.