Iowa football shouldn't have to deal with many injuries in the 2024 season

Iowa has been mostly injury-free in the preseason, with a few minor changes here and there. The worst part is that the Hawkeyes have some injuries left over from last season.

The two most serious injuries sustained by players last season are Cade McNamara's ACL tear in October 2023 and Luke Lackey's foot surgery in September 2023.

Lachey decided to stay at Iowa for another year after his injury, and the Hawkeyes are happy with that decision. If Iowa can do anything on offense, it's produce quality tight ends, and Lachey is just the latest product.

Lackey's return is a huge plus for McNamara, as the two showed good chemistry before Lachey's injury in 2023. There are already a lot of questions about McNamara and her performance, but now she's coming back from a torn ACL, a serious injury, which makes everything even more difficult.

Although it is not due to injury, Iowa will be without wide receiver Kaleb Brown for the first game of the season against Illinois State, who is serving a one-game suspension. Brown was arrested for drunk driving in June after he was driving with a fake ID and backed his vehicle into a grassy area, spinning the tires.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz has suspended Brown for one game and he will serve that suspension against Illinois State.

The only other injury Iowa currently has is actually not a player, but a coach. Iowa's defensive coordinator Phil Parker is currently recovering from an injury he sustained in practice that some have described as a freak accident. Parker talked about how someone bumped into him and was hit at an awkward angle, unfortunately causing him to tear his rotator cuff and tear his labrum and biceps.

Parker eventually had to undergo shoulder surgery, which prevented him from attending Big Ten Media Days. However, Parker explained that won't stop him from coaching from the sidelines, he just needs to be more mindful of what he's doing.

Parker also talked about how Xavier Nwankpa and Koen Entringer are both recovering from some minor injuries sustained during fall camp, but both are making good progress and should be ready for the season opener.

Iowa should be at its best when the season begins, provided no one gets injured in practice or an old injury flares up, and the Iowa team can start the season strong.