By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – As the new starting left tackle for the Iowa football team, Trevor Lauck has joined a select group in which change at the top has been few and far between for nearly a decade.

The 6-foot-5, 310-pound sophomore from Indianapolis has replaced former four-year starter Mason Richman, who is now a rookie with the Seattle Seahawks.

Richman also replaced a four-year starter at left tackle back in 2021 in Alaric Jackson, who is now in his sixth season in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams.

At a time when college rosters, lineups and depth charts are about as fluid as water, Iowa’s situation at left tackle is refreshingly unique.

Lauck was asked Tuesday at Iowa’s weekly press conference what it means to be the starting left tackle for the Hawkeyes.

“It’s pretty cool, especially at a school like Iowa,” Lauck said. “The legacy of all the guys that have been through here is pretty cool. It’s something I’ve got to be prideful in and know that it’s a good responsibility to uphold.”

Lauck, a former four-star recruit, played left tackle in high school, and it was his goal to be a left tackle for the Hawkeyes.

“It was my goal play here in college,” he said.” So, it’s where I wanted to be all along.”

Lauck has the responsibility of protecting the blind side of Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski. That duty is part of why the left tackle position has sort of been glamorized over the years.

It takes not only size to play left tackle, but also finesse and foot work.

“I feel like I’ve got pretty good feet,” Lauck said. “I’ve got a lot to get better at, obviously. But I feel I can move pretty well for my size.”

Lauck also feels that he will benefit from playing alongside senior left guard Beau Stephens, who is a multi-year starter.

“Playing next to Beau is going to be real fun this year,” Lauck said. “He’s a great player, too. So I feel us two together on the left side can be pretty good.”

Lauck is one two first-year starters on the Iowa offensive line, along with sophomore right guard Kade Pieper.

Rounding out the starting unit is All-Big Ten senior center Logan Jones and All-Big Ten senior right tackle Gennings Dunker, both of whom were preseason All-Americans heading into this season.

The group led the way as Iowa shredded Albany for 310 rushing yards in last Saturday’s 34-7 victory in the season opener at Kinnick Stadium.

But now the competition will improve significantly with No. 16 Iowa State up next on the schedule Saturday in Ames.

“It’s a good rivalry, but really as o-linemen, you can’t treat it any differently,” Lauck said. “You’ve just got to treat it as a normal week. If you get into that extra stuff, it’ll just add more to your head that isn’t important,

“So you’ve just got to keep your head on what’s important and stuff like that. Just treat it like every week.”

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz, who always emphasizes the importance of taking it one game at a time, couldn’t have said it better.

What Lauck might lack in experience, he makes up for with his veteran approach.

Gennings Dunker was pleased to hear what Lauck said about facing the Cyclones.

“There you go,” Dunker said.

Asked if he was surprised by Lauck’s answer about facing the Cyclones in Ames, Dunker said:

“Not at all.”

As one of the team’s most experienced players, Dunker also has a important as a leader.

He is always willing to help the younger offensive linemen with advice and encouragement. But Dunker also believes that Lauck can handle whatever challenge he faces.

“He’s actually pretty smart,” Dunker said. “He actually understands things really well. I probably  would only give him advice if he asked for it. Or if I see something and then I’m like, ‘oh, wow,’ maybe I wouldn’t have realized this and then I’ll tell him that.

“But I’m not like baby sitting in there and just chirping at him.”

Lauck was in a hotly contested battle for the starting left tackle position with sophomore Jack Dotzler heading into the season.

They both played well against Albany, showing that the battle still is ongoing.

“(Lauck) did really well and (Dotzler) did,” too,” Dunker said. “We had a couple young guys that rotated in and did really well.”

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz, whose are of expertise is the offensive line, also liked what he saw from the young offensive linemen in the season opener.

“I was pleased,” Ferentz said. “Counting on the other guys to play well, but yeah, certainly very curious, like everybody, to see what those guys were going to do. Pieper played a little bit last year, but it was as an extra lineman, that type of deal. So it was his first time to go out there and start, and I thought he played at a really high tempo, and I thought both tackles did a great job, too. They’ve clearly improved from a year ago.

“It’s going to keep getting tougher as we go along, but I think they got some confidence out of what they did. They learned that they can play, and now it’s just a matter of trying to build on some good things that they did Saturday and each week hopefully taking some steps forward, and if they slip at all, then get back on their feet and go back to work.”

Ferentz likes that Lauck, who is in his third season with the Hawkeyes, has had time to prepare to be a starter rather than being rushed into playing before he was ready.

“Trevor has taken a more conventional path like we’re used to, and I’m not saying he’s out of the woods yet,” Ferentz said. “But that was a big step for him to get out there and have some success and game experience.”

Lauck didn’t travel to Ames as true freshman in 2023, but he has a pretty good idea what to expect.

“I’ve heard it’s challenging,” Lauck said. “They’ve got great fans and it’ll be loud. That’s what I’ve heard. So we’re prepared to go on silent counts. So, it’ll be good. I’m excited.”