The masses are officially playing CFB 26, and I can't wait to waste my weekends away winning virtual championships for the Hawkeyes. Not too long ago, I made my dream offensive team. Now it's the heart of the Hawkeyes: defense and special teams. These were much more difficult choices, as there was a head-spinning amount of options. Before I get to the roster, I need to set a guideline for how I'll be assembling my group of hawks.
- I had to watch them or have vague memories of their performance on the field. This may not be what you were looking for when making this roster, but I think it's air. I can be aware of the greatness of Chuck Long, but I won't pretend to have a sense of his time at Iowa. That would put the start of the list around 2012.
- I'm picking specific seasons or stretches of players, not careers. That means that talent is going to trump longevity. If there was an elite flash in the pan, I could capture that and use that version of a player on my squad. My team has some big what-ifs, and video games allow me to play them out.
- My enjoyment of the game matters. Sorry, not sorry; this team has to be fun to use. In real life, I've grown up to enjoy Ferentz ball and low-scoring affairs, but video games are a whole different story. I want athletic freaks, playmakers, and guys that allow me to play erratic football.
With these guidelines, here is the ZLoggy High Flying Hawks All-Time
Defense.
RDT: 2016 Jaleel Johnson: 92 Overall
Jaleel Johnson wasn't solely a big body that could clog the middle, but a nimble athlete with great pass-rush moves. Johnson looked like a big cat out there: quick but powerful. I loved his game so much. The interior pass rush ability was phenomenal, and he used an array of moves to beat opposing linemen. Was he only an above-average run defender? Yeah, probably, but sack artists from the inside are few and far between. There’s nobody I'd rather have manning the inside than Johnson.
LDT: 2020 Daviyon Nixon: 95 Overall
I still don't understand what got into Daviyon Nixon in 2020. He had a solid first year in 2019, but you'd be wrong if you said you saw 2020 coming. Nixon was borderline unstoppable using technique as his most significant advantage. Nixon did all the little things right (paired with linebacker mobility) to cause chaos in the interior. It was surgical, fundamental, and so fun. Nixon was a great personality to go along with his Big Ten DPOY and All-American honors. He was easy to root for, and I wish he had more success as a pro. There's an open spot for him on my CFB 26 team.
I frequently think about this Daviyon Nixon Pick 6 vs Penn State pic.twitter.com/Pt38bFCfuL
— HAWK_GUYS (@HAWK_GUYS) September 18, 2023
LDE: 2019 AJ Epenesa: 96 Overall
AJ Epenesa had gigantic expectations coming into Iowa as a five-star recruit. He met those expectations and maybe even a little bit more. Dogs are barking at mailmen, Nebraska fans are reminiscing, and AJ Epenesa is getting a strip sack. Epenesa was built in a lab to play defensive end. 6-6, 280 lbs, and long arms all helped to make him the uber-talented sack artist he was. He had 11.5 sacks for the Hawks in 2019 and ended fifth in career sacks at Iowa. There's nothing else to say for Epenesa except a reminder to watch some highlights after reading this. Iose, you're up next.
RDE: Joe Evans vs Tennessee: 95 Overall
I feel bad for omitting guys like Anthony Nelson, Chauncy Golston, and Lukas Van Ness, but Evans was unblockable against Tennessee. Joe Evans finished his 5-year career with a magnum opus against the Vols. Despite getting crushed in the Citrus Bowl, I felt happy for Evans. Nobody deserved the fairytale ending more than the former walk-on. Evans came in as a skinny 6'2" (generous measurement) linebacker who finished fourth in career sacks at Iowa. He embodied everything Hawkeye football was about. He was an unheralded, hard worker who transformed his body and turned himself into an all-time great. It's what they shoot movies about, and it gave me the blueprint to succeed as an undersized defensive lineman in high school. I need the grit and quickness to offset my big blue-chip prospect on the other side.
Cash: 2021 Dane Belton: 93 Overall
I've had to change the name 7 or 8 times between 4 different names for the Cash position. I thought about just not even choosing anybody. This is my cross to bear, so I must go with my gut. Dane Belton was the perfect Cash. He wasn't an undersized linebacker or big corner, but a Cash. Belton played like his hair was on fire and could lay the wood to boot. To put it simply, Belton was a Badass. He didn't have the honors that others did, but I would love to play as Belton to fly around the field. Maybe I’m on an island here, but I’ll happily defend Dane Belton with my life.
MLB: 2017 Josey Jewell: 97 Overall
The Outlaw was the perfect college middle linebacker. I can comfortably start him in the middle and let him be a tackle machine. If you made contact with Jewell, you were going down. He will get my guys in the right spot and never miss a tackle. Jewell was a unanimous All-American who embodied Hawkeye football. I loved Jewell; he had a great passion for the game, but he was boring. Don't need my middle linebacker to be a freak athlete, but to do his job. There’s nobody better at that than Jewell. Glad to see him still getting it done at the pro level as well.
WLB: 2022 Jack Campbell: 97 Overall
Jewell can be my undersized, technically perfect linebacker, but I want the freakishly large dimensions of Jack Campbell. He's 6'5" 250 lbs Unanimous All-American with the agility to make up for the size. In the run game, Campbell covered sideline to sideline while being big enough to clog passing lanes up the middle. Campbell would be a fun video game player solely due to his size. Nobody is getting past the second line with Jewell and Campbell patrolling it. I apologize to Jay Higgins for his omission. He was terrific, but unfortunately, he is competing with two unanimous All-Americans.
Jack Campbell late game INT #Hawkeyes | #CollegeFootball
— College Sports Network (@CFN365) November 20, 2022
pic.twitter.com/NwPvFr9fnN
RCB: 2015 Desmond King II: 98 Overall
Desmond King was the most entertaining defensive player I have ever watched. I don't see myself being as infatuated with a defensive player as I was with King. He had eight interceptions, 13 Passes defended, and was always a threat to run it back when he got his hands on it. King won the Thorpe Award and was voted a consensus All-American. His accolades speak for themselves, but I had to make sure my favorite Hawkeye of all time made it on the team. My first ever sports jersey was a black number 14 jersey. King made defense cool. I'm grateful to have witnessed it.
LCB: 2017 Joshua Jackson: 97 Overall
I could copy and paste the same things I said for King. Jackson had eight interceptions, 18 passes defended, and also had the big-play ability. Jackson utilized his former receiver skillset perfectly and had all-time ball skills. It was a black hole on his side of the field, and it is never a safe bet to throw it his way. The word that comes to mind with Jackson is range. When you watched him play, it felt like no balls were safe. I thought Jackson would be a pro football Hall of Famer because of his size and speed. I still ponder what Jackson could've done in the league forever. I’m the most prominent Jackson advocate, and I wish he had stayed for one more year of Phil Parker development. I hope Jackson is doing well. If I saw him, I would love to thank him for giving me my favorite highlight ever.
Not even mad. This one-handed interception by Iowa's Josh Jackson was amazing. pic.twitter.com/zhn9fGxu8Q
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 4, 2017
SS: 2018 Amani Hooker: 94 Overall
Hooker rotated between playing Cash and SS in his time at Iowa, but I see him best fit here. Geno Stone was my second choice simply because of how hard that dude hit. Hooker was a well built safety and was the best run supporter I’ve seen back there for the hawks. This is not to say that Hooker is one-dimensional; that is far from the truth. Hooker is a ball hawk with an incredible knack for finding the football There's a reason Hooker took home the 2018 Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year honor. I'm perplexed that NFL teams allowed him to fall to the fourth round. I never had a strong feeling about Hooker but thats just the type of guy he will be on my team. Silent Assassin.
FS: 2023 Cooper Dejean: 95 Overall
Last but not least, our Super Bowl champion, Cooper Dejean. I know Dejean is a corner. I'm doing exactly what people were worried would happen to him in the NFL, but I ask you to follow my thought process. My reasoning for FS is that it's the weakest position group within the secondary. Dejean goes here because he is just a fantastic football player. Suppose I were in a pinch, I trust Dejean to take some linebacker reps. I need the All-American DB on the field, especially somewhere he can be a ballhawk. Dejean missed being in the game by one year, and that bummed me out. Here's my chance to have Dejean, who’ll be sitting back, ready to pounce.
Special Teams
P: 2023 Tory Taylor: 99 Overall
PK: 2019 Keith Duncan: 95 Overall
KR: 2019 Ihmir Smith-Marsette: 96 Overall
PR: 2023 Cooper Dejean: 95 Overall
LS: 2024 Luke Elkin: 97 Overall
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