Iowa City Iowa — Spring practice is underway for the Iowa Hawkeye football team. The Hawkeyes are coming off an 8-5 season that ended with a 27-20 victory over Boston College in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl in New York. It marked Iowa’s fifth consecutive winning season and its 15th bowl appearance in 19 seasons.
The Hawkeyes will practice three days a week for five weeks during March and April. The final practice on April 20 will be open to the public inside Kinnick Stadium.
A pair of former West Lyon Wildcats are part of the Hawkeye program. In personnel news, Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz said junior Jake Newborg and redshirt freshmen Levi Duwa and Camron Harrell have switched from defense to offense. Newborg and Duwa will be on the line and Harrell will see time at running back. Newborg is a 6-3 290 pound junior from Inwood.
Six student-athletes will be held out of spring practice for medical reasons. They include seniors Brandon Snyder, Austin Kelly and Matt Nelson. The rest are a trio of sophomores including Toks Akinribade, Romeo McKnight, and Kyle Taylor.
Snyder was not listed on the depth chart following spring practice last year due to a spring knee injury, and did not see action in first five games of 2017. Brandon returned to start at free safety in the 45-16 win over Illinois. In his first action since the spring injury he returned an interception 89-yards for a touchdown. It was his first career touchdown and it tied as sixth longest return in school history. In that game he also recorded two solo tackles, one assist and two pass break-ups. He would missed final six games of the regular season and the 27-20 Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College as he re-injured his knee in the win over Illinois. Snyder is a 6-0, 214 pound senior safety from Larchwood.
